Wildfire

There is no greater responsibility in all of government than public safety and the public’s lifeline is the 9-1-1 system.

Every single day, people rely on 9-1-1 to connect with police, fire and EMS responders. For shooting events, wildfires, and even last year’s Oroville Dam incident, 9-1-1 call centers are regularly overwhelmed with calls from the public
requiring assistance. Unfortunately, an increasing reliance on cell phones and reduced “landline” usage is threatening the future of 9-1-1 services.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The National Forest Foundation (NFF) has received a major grant from the California Climate Investments Forest Health Grant Program to conduct important forest health work on the Tahoe National Forest, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands in the Truckee / Tahoe region.

Location

First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with the communities and forests affected by the destructive and tragic wildfires across California, Nevada, and the West. Our Lake Tahoe Basin firefighters are responding to both local and national wildfires and providing assistance to those in need. I am very proud of each one and know their families go through added stress during their absence.

This time of year, wildfire suppression can overtake our thoughts and activities, however, a great amount of work is occurring around the Lake Tahoe Basin to create more resilient forests.

Increased fuels due to the wet winter and spring, drying vegetation, high fuel loading, and increasing daytime temperatures have prompted the Bridgeport and Carson Ranger Districts on the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest to announce the implementation of fire restrictions beginning August 04.

Thunderstorms are developing early this afternoon in Mono, Mineral and southern Lyon counties and heading towards Douglas County and Reno. Storms are expected to become stronger through the afternoon as they spread north.

Nickel size hail, frequent lightning, and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms. Localized flash flooding will also be possible, especially in steep terrain and over wildfire burn scars.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for July 20 from 2:18 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

The Fourth of July holiday period is upon us and signifies the busiest time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) asks residents and visitors to keep the following tips in mind to help everyone enjoy a safe and fun holiday.

To promote public safety, the annual alcohol ban will be in effect at the following locations:

· Nevada Beach on July 4, from 6 a.m. until midnight.

A group from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office SWAT team and Harrah's Tahoe recently swept an area known for homeless encampments in the forest behind both Harrah's and MontBleu.

They cleaned up make-shift campsites which contained bedding, furniture, drug paraphernalia and rubbish.

The officers issued an illegal camping citation to one person.

Strong, gusty winds return to Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada, with a Lake Wind Advisory in effect most of the day Saturday from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Dry grass and gusty winds will create dangerous conditions for wildfire should a spark set them off....use care when outdoors as the fuels are ready.

Those heading out on Lake Tahoe and other area lakes need to be aware of hazardous boating conditions starting Friday, then going through Saturday. Remember to wear your personal flotation device at all times.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – As we’ve learned from the recent Fire Season Outlook, year-round fire season is the new normal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and throughout the country. Now is the perfect time to learn what to do to prepare your home and family to survive wildfire, and to take action. To help you with this, the collaborative members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team are once again conducting Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Month throughout the month of June. We encourage you to “Prepare Now! Wildfire Knows No Season.”

STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is offering a tree service workshop from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, June 12 at the agency’s office in Stateline, 128 Market Street. Topics for the workshop will include:

A presentation on how to use TRPA’s online tree removal application tool by Linda Allen, IT systems analyst for TRPA;

An overview of TRPA’s tree removal rules and regulations by Bruce Barr, forester for TRPA;

If you haven't already bagged up your pine needles this spring, now you have a chance to earn a free or discounted beer. Perhaps you've been waiting for the rain to stop so you can start filling those garbage bag, a Lake Tahoe ritual.

Now you can participate in a social media campaign to quench your thirst when done.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe, Mountain Area Preservation and Sierra Watch are filing today a notice of appeal in California’s Third District Court of Appeals seeking adequate environmental protection for Lake Tahoe from the proposed Martis Valley West Project.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The four bear cubs who have been spending the winter at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) will soon be heading back into the wild.

Last summer, the nonprofit organization in South Lake Tahoe lost two of their six cubs suddenly to a virus called Canine Adenovirus. This came as a shock to the group who has rehabilitated animals from not only Lake Tahoe, but from around the state since forming forty years ago in 1978.

Sierra Watch, Mountain Area Preservation, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe are celebrating a court decision handed down Monday that halts the controversial Martis Valley West Project, a massive North Tahoe development proposal.

Last year, more than 1,500 wildfires burned over 640,000 acres on National Forest System lands in California, including the Thomas Fire, the largest fire in California’s recorded history. The surrounding communities are still dealing with damage from debris flows caused by a charred and barren landscape that no longer has the protection of trees, grass and other vegetation. We see and empathize with those affected, and are working to reduce the potential for future loss by performing hazardous fuel reduction treatments which include thinning overstocked forests and prescribed burning.

Natural disasters can occur at any given time and in any given area. The size, duration and damages are usually unpredictable. The devastation, destruction and cost of California wildfires are increasing annually.

The rural mountain lifestyle we all enjoy at Lake Tahoe is not isolated from the major urban areas nearby. On a typical holiday weekend, the Tahoe Basin turns into a recreation thoroughfare as tens of thousands of day and overnight visitors who sustain our local economy drive up from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Reno.

Nearly 200 conservation professionals from around the country gathered back east this November to have a strategic dialogue about the state of landscape-scale conservation. Lake Tahoe was featured at the forum for the region’s cooperative restoration initiatives, and it was an honor to share the stage with such high-caliber conservation thought leaders.

The national forum showcased how people of all backgrounds are collaborating and working to conserve some of America’s most iconic natural areas.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Even though the busy summer season is over, those hiking in the mountains around Lake Tahoe needing help getting to safety are on the rise.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) team has been busy this fall, responding to almost double the number of calls.

From September 1 to October 30, 2016, the SAR volunteers responded to 12 incidents. So far in 2017 during the period, they are been called out 22 times.

The Tahoe Activist Artists are hosting their second fundraising and educational exhibition, Rising From the Fire, on Sunday, November 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the High Vibe Society Artisan Collective in South Lake Tahoe.

They are building on the success of their first event, We the People: Tahoe Artists Visualize a World of Conversation and Connection. This latest event will be a fundraiser to benefit wildfire survivors, Bread & Broth 4 Kids and Live Violence Free.

Air quality in El Dorado County is currently being impacted by smoke from wildfires burning in the State. County health officials are reminding residents to take precautions should wildfire smoke impact the areas in which they live, work and recreate. According to Air Pollution Control Officer Dave Johnston, wildfires can produce smoke that causes health problems, particularly for children, older people and those with heart disease or respiratory issues.

Johnston advises residents to limit outdoor activity if they see or smell smoke.

Specific precautions include the following:

he Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday recognized 15 exceptional projects completed in 2016 with Best in Basin awards.

Now in its 27th year, TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program each year showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.

Expect a hot day in South Lake Tahoe with highs forecast near 90. High pressure will provide unseasonably hot temperatures and light winds into the early part of the work week. Areas of wildfire smoke and haze will occur as well. Moisture will increase starting Monday with showers and thunderstorms spreading north across the Sierra and western Nevada by midweek.

Here is the forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Today - A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East wind around 5 mph.

For 20 years, every August we’ve paused to reflect on our collective commitment to Lake Tahoe’s restoration at the Lake Tahoe Summit. This year, with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein hosting the event, the issue of climate change will be front and center. Climate change poses incredible challenges for Tahoe, affecting not only the health of its famously cold, clear waters, but the health of its expansive forests and what is to become of our $5 billion outdoor recreation-based economy.