firefighting

Winds hampered firefighting efforts at the lightening caused Saddle Fire on Saturday. As of 6 p.m., the fire has burned 1,480 acres in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, halfway between Redding and Eureka, California.

866 personnel are fighting the fire which is now 15% contained.

Firefighters have been protecting the homes along County Road 311, and as of June 13, no structures have been burned.

Challenges to firefighters include a heavy component of dead and down vegetation (from previous fires), hot, dry conditions, steep terrain, and ongoing drought.

Two local members of law enforcement just returned from competing in the 2015 U.S. Police and Fire Games in San Diego. California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Paul Smyrski and South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Chris Webber were part of a multi-agency police hockey team.

Their team won gold.

The United States Police and Fire Championships are open to eligible firefighting and law enforcement personnel, either active or retired, from all 50 states and United States’ territories. Originated in 1967, the competition has expanded from the original 16 sports to more than 60 events.

There were more than 1,000 fires in California in 2014 and, because of the current dry conditions, 2015 is expected to be more of the same.

The Forest Service announced today that they are re-opening some popular recreation areas near the King Fire area. The Rubicon Jeep Trail, Wrights Lake, Desolation Wilderness and the east side of Ice House Road are now open to the public.

“Although fire crews have nearly contained the King Fire, it is still active, and there are a lot of firefighting resources still in the area,” said Laurence Crabtree, the USFS Forest Supervisor. “I intend to open more of the Forest to the public as soon as it is safe to do so.”

9/29/14 update: Heavy precipitation over the weekend allowed firefighters to achieve 90 percent containment of the Cascade Fire near Snow Lake in the Desolation Wilderness. Crews will begin repairing impacts from fire suppression activities and will monitor the fire to detect any renewed activity later this week due to drier, warmer and windier conditions.

Bayview Trailhead and Campground and TaylorCreek Sno-Park on Hwy. 89 have reopened. The cause of the 20-acre fire is under investigation, but it has been determined to be human-caused.

9/28/14 10:00 p.m. update: 4,420 firefighters and support staff are still on the scene of the 97.099 acre King Fire which is now 89% contained.

After 4 days of precipitation with accumulations of 1-3 inches, fire spread has been halted, however heat remains in the heavier fuels and in the heavy duff sheltered from the rain under the dense timber canopy. As the weather turns warm and dry over the next several days, expect to see an increase in fire activity and smoke production; however spread potential is extremely low, doe to the successful suppression efforts.

Can you survive the next wildfire in Lake Tahoe? Yes, if your community is prepared.

The Lake Tahoe Basin's firefighting agencies and UNR Cooperative Education have come together to promote the "Fire Adapted Community Concept." This type of community has five elements:

1. Community Protection - Well-designed fuelbreaks and safe areas protect the community.
2. Defensible Space - Proper management of vegetation surrounding the home reduces the wildfire threat.
3. Access - Good access helps emergency responders arrive in a timely manner.

Proactive forest management activities can reduce high-severity fire by up to 75%, save up to three times the cost of fighting forest fires and bring added benefits to people, water and wildlife according to a study released today.

A tree thinning and fuels reduction project on about 100 acres in the Upper Echo Lakes area and portions of a roadless area could begin this year, according to a decision by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

The project would take up to six years to complete and includes the removal of trees up to 16 inches in diameter, which would be collected, put into piles and either burned or made available for firewood. There is a possibility of brief closures of areas adjacent to the Pacific Crest Trail, according to the Forest Service.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A taxpayer group, joined by plaintiffs throughout California, filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to block a fee that is being assessed on more than 800,000 property owners to rai...

UPDATE 8:45AM: Highway 395 has reopened with controls (pilot vehicle) so expect delays and watch for fire vehicles, according to Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center.

DENVER - Air Force C-130 tankers will resume firefighting flights Tuesday after the crash of another tanker plane over the weekend that left four crew members dead and two others seriously injured,...

A fire bomber air tanker owned by Minden Air Corp, made a successful emergency landing on its belly today at the Minden-Tahoe Airport in Carson Valley.

The TRE Fire burning in south Douglas County has grown to 7,500 acres, and is 15 percent contained, officials report Thursday.
The fire continues to burn in the hills to the north and east of the Topaz Ranch Estates residential area. Two homes and 17 structures were destroyed. No additional homes or structures have burned or are in immediate threat. The area in and around the fire is under a red flag warning to 11 p.m. Thursday due to high winds and relatively low humidity.

A house fire that started in a box in back of a fireplace and spread into the attic of a Cold Creek Trail home was knocked down Thursday night. No one was hurt in the blaze, which was largely confined to the attic and ceiling, said Lake Valley Fire Protection District Chief Gareth Harris.
The house, located at 2497 Cold Creek Trail is not habitable but still standing. The fire was reported at around 7 p.m. Estimated damage to the home is between $75,000 to $100,000, Harris said.

By Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
From Southern Nevada to Lake Tahoe and all parts above and in between, state, federal, local and volunteer firefighting resources have responded to numerous lightning- and human-caused wildfires across Nevada so far this year. The state has lost about 94,000 acres to wildfire this summer, which is significantly less than the five-year average of 428,084 acres a year.