fires

Members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, which includes local, state and federal fire and land management agencies, are scheduled to continue prescribed fire operations in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next few weeks, weather permitting.

The 13 areas currently on the planned operations:

The old Tahoe Pines Campground near the intersection of US Hwy 50 and South Upper Truckee Rd. by the California Tahoe Conservancy. 8 acres of Machine Piles.

Upper Kinsbury, Valley Side by the Tahoe Douglas Fire District. 40 acres of Hand Piles.

As the Fire Chief serving the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe, I am acutely aware and concerned about the potential for catastrophic wildfire here.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, along with California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service are scheduled to continue prescribed fire operations over the next few weeks in the Tahoe Basin, weather, conditions, and staffing permitted.

Scheduled Prescribed Burns:

Tahoe Pines Campground

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Millions around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike this past September, trying to make their voices heard as they called for action.

A reported 7.6 million people took to the streets, the biggest climate mobilization in history. From small villages to big cities, people spoke, walked, joined hands and used their voices in defense of the climate and an end to reliance on fossil fuels.

A burned area assessment of the area burned by last month's Caples Fire is now underway. The Incident Commander Kevin Breitwieser has declared that the Caples Fire is now 100 percent contained and in patrol status at 3,435 acres.

There has been almost no change in fire size since October 18. The extreme wind event on October 26 that prompted a public safety power shutoff was a good test of the containment lines and resulted in three small spots that were extinguished. Traces of smoke from interior burning will continue to be visible, but no additional fire growth is expected.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and California State Parks may continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Tahoe Basin, if weather and conditions permit.

- West side of Third Creek drainage, above Jennifer Dr. by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 38 acres of understory 10/21 - 10/27/19. Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 1-2 days of ignition and 2 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast/East. Smoke may be visible throughout the Tahoe Basin and surrounding communities

Firefighters working on the Caples Fire made good progress on Sunday. They tied in and secured two indirect containment lines on the south side of the fire with a successful tactical firing operation. The area the fire is burning in is exceptionally steep, rugged, with no road access - conditions not safe for direct line construction. Today’s burning and the fire’s natural progression in the past three days has been a low-intensity underburn, consistent with the objectives of the ecological restoration project. The night shift Sunday will monitor and hold established containment lines.

The Caples Fire burning southwest of Lake Tahoe is now at 2,400 acres and is 25 percent contained. The fire started as a prescribed burn but was changed to a wildland fire Thursday afternoon which allowed more resources to be sent to the scene. It is still within the planned prescribed burn project area.

Smoke is still in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Carson Valley. Smoke sensitive individuals are encouraged to reduce their exposure by avoiding smoky areas, closing windows, or staying indoors.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Smoke coming into the Lake Tahoe Basin and Carson Valley has been a concern to residents but it appears it is now all coming from prescribed burns above Caples Creek, north of SR88.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of interior Northern California up into the foothills to elevations under 5000 feet.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 23, PG&E began turning off power for safety to about 24,000 customers in portions of Butte, Nevada and Yuba Counties. By approximately 8:00 p.m., PG&E had completed the task of turning off power for public safety to about 24, 000 customers in the Sierra foothills. Power will remain off until weather conditions improve and it is safe to restore service.

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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.

Last week, a local motel owner told guests there would be no housekeeping because they didn’t have enough staff due to the local housing shortage. However, the issue is fast becoming not only one of supply, but also one of quality. Many homes that fit the "local's" price range are older buildings - built in the 1970s or earlier. Just like our roads, some of these older buildings are in a state of disrepair and as we know with our roads, patchwork repairs only last so long.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An observant Harrah's Tahoe hotel guest helped firefighters attack a South Lake Tahoe fire late Thursday night, allowing them to catch it early and keep it small.

At 11:45 p.m., South Lake Tahoe emergency dispatch received a call about a fire in the area of the gondola. A guest on the hotel's 19th floor had seen fire and called it in.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) went to the hotel to get the height advantage and better pinpoint where the fire had been seen while South Lake Tahoe Fire Department (SLTFD) headed to Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - California has just experienced the deadliest and most destructive wildfire seasons with more than 8,500 fires burning an area of more than 1.8 million acres in 2018 alone.

Fire is no stranger to Lake Tahoe.

Ridgecrest, California was rocked with a 7.1 earthquake Friday night, and even though 311 miles away, many residents in South Lake Tahoe felt the trembler.

The quake struck at 8:19 p.m., causing Kern County fires, rocking buildings, cracked foundations and has led to the closure of some roadways in Southern California. The latest earthquake occurred 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey.

Three South Lake Tahoe residents weighed in after the earthquake:

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).

Learn about all of the impacts from droughts, flooding, fires and warming temperatures on Lake Tahoe and the regional economy during the “Climate Change: Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada Threats and Opportunities” presentation on Thursday, June 27 at Western Nevada College in Carson City.

The free presentation will take place in Reynolds Center for Technology Room 103 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Access the Reynolds Center parking lot from Combs Canyon Road.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With electrical transmission lines found to be at fault in recent California fires, agencies responsible for supplying electricity to communities have been creating plans to prevent fires in the future.

Both companies that supply power to Lake Tahoe, NV Energy and Liberty Utilities, have announced new mitigation efforts to reduce the risk of fire.

The following is the second in a series of stories on being a community that is prepared for wildfire.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Vegetation fires are natural and were normal before policies were created to suppress them for fear of uncontrollable and destructive wildfires as seen in the late 1800s. When some of the first residents arrived in Lake Tahoe between the Gold Rush and Silver Strike, it was common to see just six-seven Jeffrey Pines per acre. Trees in the Tahoe Basin were clear cut to provide the lumber for building mines under Virginia City.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Those of us living in Lake Tahoe know all too well the dangers of wildfire, but we also know the positive outcome a collaborative effort to be better prepared can do.

Residents across the West have been given their "wake up call" over the past few years as record-breaking fires have burned through communities, leaving devastation and death in their wake.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The threat of wildland fires grows in California and the Lake Tahoe Basin every year. They are becoming larger, more destructive and deadly than ever before. Do you know what to do in case of fire?

The public needs to be prepared when wildfire strikes. The Camp Fire in November 2018 was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history to date. It burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 buildings and killed 85 people. The center of that fire was Paradise, California, They had held city-wide fire drills and appeared to be prepared.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire Chief Jeff Meston is retiring from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) on February 28, five years and five months after he came out of retirement to head up the department.

On Friday, February 1, Meston submitted his resignation to the City.

"When I was hired by CM (City Manager) Kerry I promised to spend between 3-5 years with the City Fire Department and bring them as far as I could to be a “world class” fire department," Meston said in his resignation letter.

He feels he's accomplished what he set out to do.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As part of Operation Sierra Storm, the National Television Meteorologists' Conference held annually in Lake Tahoe, the public is invited to attend a lecture and panel discussion on living with climate change and wildland fires.

On Wednesday, January 30, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Living the New Reality: What You Should Know About Climate Change & Wildland Fires will be held at Harveys in the Cabaret Theater. It is free to the public and offers free validated parking in Harveys parking garage.