campfires

The US Forest Service has extended its emergency fire restrictions across all National Forest lands in California. This involves all USFS land in the Lake Tahoe Basin on both sides of the state line.

Smoking and all recreational fires, including campfires, bonfires, warming fires, wood fires, charcoal fires, or any other kind of outdoor fires, involving solid fuels are prohibited.

With the ongoing threat of wildfire and a very dry season, the danger of fire remains too high to allow recreational fires.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - A fire ban continues in the Lake Tahoe Basin. On non-red flag days, home use of BBQs with propane or gas are allowed. All charcoal and wood fires are banned at this time. With all of the recent closures of forests due to fire danger, here is an update of what is open around Lake Tahoe:

National Forest trails, trailheads, beaches in Tahoe Basin are open for day-use only.

All camping, overnighting is temporarily prohibited, including camping in Desolation Wilderness, Meiss Country, Pacific Crest, and Tahoe Rim trails.

USFS campgrounds remain closed.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - National Forest trails, trailheads, beaches and other day-use areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin will re-open for day-use only beginning Saturday, Sep. 19, 2020. Camping and overnight stays will not be permitted, and campgrounds will remain closed. Resorts will reopen for day-use only. Emergency Fire Restrictions will remain in effect through Nov. 30. I’ve attached the Forest Orders for your awareness.

The prohibition of the use of any ignition source on all National Forest System lands (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) throughout California remains in place.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Effective immediately, Alpine County health officer Dr. Johnson has ordered all outdoor fires, including campfires, bonfires, pit fires, charcoal fires, or any other open flame fires prohibited on all private lands throughout Alpine County. This prohibition shall be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors at their next meeting and each meeting thereafter and will continue until terminated by action of the Board.

This goes with the closure announced Thursday of the 400,000-acre Carson Ranger District which includes Alpine County.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has changed their previous Fire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

They have also issued a Special Weather Statement and a Lake Wind Advisory for Tuesday from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Red Flag Warning

This warning is in place due to gusty winds and low humidity for the Lake Tahoe Basin, Western Lassen, Eastern Plumas, Eastern Sierrs, and Eastern Nevada Counites. Fire Zone 271 and Fire Zone 272.

UPDATE Monday 4:20PM: The National Weather Service had changed their previous Fire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning and Lake Wind Advisory day, starting at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday. For more info, visit http://southtahoenow.com/story/09/07/2020/red-flag-warning-and-lake-wind-advisory-place-lake-tahoe-t...

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (timeframe was expanded Monday).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will start enhanced fire restrictions in national forest campgrounds on September 1, 2020 due to dry conditions.

On August 21, fire agencies around the Lake Tahoe Basin banned all open burning utilizing wood and charcoal at homes, parks, beaches and most campgrounds. LTBMU was not part of that original ban.

All areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin are now under these restrictions.

Forest officials everywhere are saying: Recreate Responsibly.

Despite large campaigns about fire restrictions and "pack it in pack it out," many visitors to the Eldorado National Forest are not acting responsibly.

Fire and law enforcement officers had another busy weekend contacting a record numbers of visitors about campfires they had made that are not allowed under the current fire restrictions in the Eldorado National Forest.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning for thunderstorms and strong outflow winds for Monday, July 27 from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.

Normally, the Basin averages six Red Flag Warnings per season, and this makes four - and it's still July. Please remember all outdoor sources of open flame are prohibited until the Red Flag Warning declaration expires, and that includes gas/propane fire pits and grills.

If the 4th of July weekend is any indication, Tahoe is under pressure. As coronavirus cases grow nearly everywhere, people naturally look to the mountains, fresh air, and clear water of Tahoe as a respite. Now residents and visitors alike are struggling to adjust to the confusion around re-opening, and visitation that is normally our lifeblood is suddenly a health risk.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Firefighters from the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) responded to the report of another illegal campfire in Lake Tahoe, this time at the Tallac Historic Site on June 17.

LTBMU Engine 341 responded and after a careful inspection, the campfire was declared a wildfire named "The Heritage Fire."

The illegal campfire was constructed on top of a dry stump within the foundation of a historic feature at Tallac Point near Kiva Beach.

The year 2020 started out with the driest February on record in California since the 1850s, and this combined with warming temperatures and recent winds are resulting in quickly drying grass.

The increasing fire danger posed by dead grass and hotter, drier conditions

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is enacting campfire restrictions to protect the health and safety of employees and communities, effective immediately and until further notice. Outside of developed campgrounds and certain permitted facilities, igniting, building, maintaining or using a fire on national forest land in Lake Tahoe will be prohibited.

August 19, 1973 - May 18, 2020 - Sloan Michael Gordon signed off on a life lived to its very fullest on May 18, 2020. Though taken far too soon, Sloan managed to live 10 lives in the span of his 47 years, punctuated by adventure, mischief, and quality time with his family and friends.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is presenting their third "Tip of the Week," an ongoing series for the public since they are unable to perform their normal community outreach services.

Below are tips, lessons, videos, and hands-on activities for the children in the home.

This Week's Tip: Talking to Kids About Wildfire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area from 11:00 a.m. to Sunday to 11:00 a.m. Monday and a Lake Wind Advisory until 5:00 p.m. Monday.

A strong cold front will bring southwest to west winds of 15 to 30 mph with gusts 35 to 45 mph beginning Sunday morning and lasting into Monday. The humidity with this front is low - minimum 8 to 18 percent Sunday afternoon, with poor recovery tonight. Minimum 15 to 25 percent early Monday.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - June 26, 2019 was the first day of the year categorized as "High Fire Danger" in the Lake Tahoe Basin, prompting two area fire districts to impose fire restrictions by suspending all recreational campfires and open burning.

On June 17 CAL FIRE suspended residential burn permits in the Tahoe Basin, followed by today's new restrictions by North Tahoe Fire Protection District (NTFPD) and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District (MBFPD).

The Highway 50 Wagon Train will once again traverse the Sierra this week, just as the pioneers of the 1800s once did. People seeking riches headed west after gold was discovered near Placerville in 1849, but their routes were varied as very few had traveled that direction before them.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Authorities are concerned with the forecast of gusty winds and low humidity in the Lake Tahoe area on Sunday, prompting the issuance of both a Lake Wind Advisory and Fire Weather Watch for much of the day.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Lake Wind Advisory for Lake Tahoe from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and a Fire Weather Watch from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An illegal and abandoned campfire near the Pacific Crest Trail ignited a fire on Wednesday evening.

Crews from USFS, Lake Valley Fire and Calfire were called to the 5:20 p.m. fire on September 19. They staged at the Echo Summit Caltrans maintenance yard on Highway 50, and when determined to be on Forest Service land, the Engine 42 crew from USFS hiked into the fire location and the others were on call in case needed.

Over the last several months there has been a great deal of wildland fire activity around the region. Sadly, most fires are human-caused and completely preventable if the public would take the time to better understand conditions that are favorable for fire starts. Fire prevention is the key to keeping our communities and forests safe from wildfire.

Although fire season is now considered a year-round event, wildfires mostly occur in the late summer and early fall when temperatures are still high, humidity is low and vegetation that can feed a wildfire is extremely dry.

Fire restrictions on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin began Friday, August 17, 2018, and will remain in effect through November 15. Warm temperatures and dry vegetation combined with numerous wildfires burning in our region prompted the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) to implement restrictions intended to safeguard our communities across the Tahoe Basin.

The U.S. Forest Service ordered Fire Restrictions across the Tahoe National Forest starting Monday, July 16, 2018. The decision to order fire restrictions came after an analysis of current fuel conditions and weather observations. This analysis revealed the potential to support large fire growth across the Tahoe National Forest.

Tahoe National Forest covers land from the Sierra foothills to the California/Nevada state line, except for the Lake Tahoe basin.

There are important regulations to be aware of when visiting and living in Lake Tahoe, and not all jurisdictions have the same rules.

City of South Lake Tahoe

No outside fires are allowed in the City unless it is a cooking fire with charcoal in a barbecue or in a fire pit with gas piped in, or one that uses liquid petroleum. Anything that creates embers is banned, including wood burning fire pits and backyard bonfires.

Even if wood fire pit has mesh lid, it is banned. No open burning is allowed at this time, including the burning of pine needles are yard debris.