tahoe fire and fuels team

There are seven scheduled prescribed fire operations in the Lake Tahoe Basin this week in the areas of Logan Shoals Vista Point, Camp Galilee, Angora Creek burn area, Round Hill, Shakespeare Rock and the Spring Creek area.

At the Logan Creek Overlook there are 15 acres of hand piles being burned, with an ignition date of February 16 and will continue as conditions allow. Smoke should travel in a north to northeast direction.

Lake Valley and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks and the U.S Forest Service have plans to continue widespread prescribed fire operations beginning February 1.

Lake Valley operations: 50 acres northeast of Lake Tahoe Airport off of Barbara Avenue. Planned ignition February 3. 10 days of burn down time. Smoke expected to travel southwest.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service are planning to resume prescribed fire operations during the week of January 10-15, 2016.

They will be concentrating on six areas (matching with letters on the attached map):

A. Emerald Bay State Park - 38 acres. Ignite 1/11/16. Expected duration of ignition and smoke, one month.

B. Sugar Pine Point State Park - 26 acres. Ignite 1/11/16. Expected duration of ignition and smoke, one month.

Smoke from local prescribed burns can be seen, and smelled, through much of South Lake Tahoe today. A cool night and low inversion layer have trapped the smoke closer to the ground than normal.

What most residents are experiencing is coming from a 69-acre prescribed burn area near Trout Creek that was ignited Friday. The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department said there are no vegetative fires in the basin.

Smoke was especially heavy Friday night and looked much like fog while navigating many streets in the area.

Winter is here and that means more family and friend gatherings inside the home. Whether in the kitchen, near the fireplace or stove, it’s always a good idea to brush up on home safety tips.

Before we gather around the fireplace or stove, remember these important safety tips:

• Have a qualified professional install stoves, chimney connectors, and chimneys.
• Stoves should have the label of an independent testing laboratory.
• In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue widespread prescribed fire operations around the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Operations may take place in the following areas:

Ward Canyon near Sunnyside will continue next week if not completed on November 13. Fairway Drive near Tahoe City - 28 acres
Carnelian Woods Avenue in Carnelian Bay - 137 acres
Anaho Road in Crystal Bay, Crosby Court, Jennifer Street and Tyner Way in Incline Village - 4.82 acres

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service will conduct prescribed fire operations next week in multiple locations around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Operations are planned near Incline Village, Tahoe City, Meyers, Stateline and Zephyr Cove. Operations may continue over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Current Projects:
Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District - 8 acres near Warrior Way
Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District - 25 acres near Hwy 50/Kingsbury Grade

California State Parks will begin prescribed fire operations this week on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe near Tahoe City. Operations will take place on 103 acres in Burton Creek State Park beginning Thursday, October 15, 2015, and will continue over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will be holding their annual meeting in South Lake Tahoe on Monday, August 31. A full day is on the agenda, but very little will actually be in a meeting format.

At 9 a.m., Sue Novasel, the Supervisor from District 5, will give the Supervisors a tour of the new Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care at the corner of Al Tahoe Blvd and Pioneer Trail. They then move to the El Dorado Center at 10 a.m. for a tour of county facilities followed by a 11 a.m. tour of the Library.

It’s Wildfire Awareness Month at Tahoe, and with the summer tourist season around the corner, we must all remember that drought has left our Region with severely dry forest conditions and an extreme risk of wildfire. This summer we need to think about “when” not “if” another fire will happen. All of us have important roles to play in preventing the next wildfire, and in making sure our homes, families, and communities are prepared for it.

Weather conditions in the Lake Tahoe basin have been conducive to prescribed burns since fall, and as conditions permit, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans on continuing prescribed fire operations starting Monday, April 20, 2015.

Expect smoke from planned operations at Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive. Burns may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Several areas around the Lake Tahoe basin are slated to be burned starting Monday, April 13, as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) continues prescribed burns.

Fire operations are scheduled in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow at the following locations:

Heavenly - 70.25 acres scheduled for fire operations
Logan Creek Drive - 20 acres scheduled for fire operations

Expect to see some smoke around the Lake Tahoe basin this week as the U.S. Forest Service continues their prescribed fire operations.

Starting Monday, March 30, 2015, weather permitting, the burning of hand piles of wood and slash will take place in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, on Luther Pass near Grass Lake, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service are expected to conduct prescribed fire operations around the Tahoe Basin next week, beginning Monday, March 16, 2015, weather permitting.

Operations are scheduled southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Edgewood Canyon on lower Kingsbury Grade and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore. Operations may last through the next several weeks, as long as conditions allow.

Joint fire operations by the Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service are resuming in the Lake Tahoe area.

Depnding on weather conditions, South Shore operations will take place on Gardner Mountain near STHS and off of Gardner Street, in Christmas Valley, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, on Ski Run Blvd. near Heavenly Valley, on lower Kingsbury near Easy Street, Logan Creek Drive and southwest of Meeks Bay. On the Northern half, activity will be seen in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park north of Spooner Summmet off Hwy 28 and at Memorial Point near Sand Harbor.

Over 700 more acres of slash pile still remain to be burned around the Lake Tahoe Basin as part of the California Tahoe Conservancy, Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service fire operations.

California State Parks, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. Operations may take place near Tahoe City on Highway 28 between Rocky Ridge and Lake Forest, near Emerald Bay at Eagle Point Campground, the Boat Camp and behind Vikingsholm, Fallen Leaf Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, north of Spooner Summit, and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park near Sand Harbor.

Over 400 acres will be burned as fire operations continue over the next several weeks.

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team would like to remind everyone that extra precautions need to be taken while traveling during the winter. Along with potential hazardous road conditions, motorists can expect extreme delays due to snow conditions or accidents. We recommend following these tips to ensure a safe trip to your destination:

· Ensure that your vehicle is stocked with extra warm clothing, food, water, a shovel and other survival supplies in case you become stuck on a mountain road.
· Make sure that your gas tank is full before leaving on any trip.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks, Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations near Sugar Pine Point State Park, Sawmill Pond, Pioneer Trail and Washoan Boulevard, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Van Sickle Bi-State Park, Luther Pass, Spooner Summit, and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park in Slaughterhouse Canyon. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

California State Parks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations near Incline Village, Tahoma, Meeks Bay, Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoe Mountain and Heavenly urban lot areas.

There will be 87 acres of hand piles burned at Sugar Pine State Park, 30-40 acres of hand piles around the North Shore, 122 acres at Meeks Bay, 40 acres around Heavenly Valley and 123 acres on Tahoe Mountain.

Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Smoke from controlled burns near Heavenly Mountain Resort was seen throughout town this week and there is more to come in the area, including South Lake Tahoe

Prescribed fire operations in the Round Hill, Zephyr Heights, Incline Village, Slaughterhouse Canyon, Christmas Valley, Ward Canyon, McKinney Rubicon areas and on various urban lots near Heavenly. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Learn about prescribed burns at a South Lake Tahoe open house hosted by the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team. Team members will be on hand to answer questions about how the agencies plan and implement prescribed fire in the Lake Tahoe basin.

The Open House will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2014, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Forest Supervisor’s office at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Participating agencies include the Forest Service, CAL FIRE, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, and Tahoe Douglas and Lake Valley fire protection districts.

Smoke will be visible from various locations around the lake due to prescribed burns of underbrush and wood piles starting Sunday.

The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will conduct prescribed fire operations in the Incline Village, Ponderosa Ranch, Tunnel Creek trailhead areas and on scattered urban lots around the Lake Tahoe Basin beginning, Sunday, November 2, 2014, and continuing as conditions allow.

A multi-agency prescribed fire operation begins on Saturday, October 18 as the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team has crews from Tahoe Douglas Fire and the U.S. Forest Service at several locations around the lake.

Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. Each operation follows a prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. This information is used to decide when and where to burn.