Wildfire

1:35 p.m. update on 6/23/15

The fire figures were updated this afternoon. At 8 a.m. they report almost 16,000 acres, then downsized a bit at noon to 13,562 after analyzing infrared reports. The 1:35 p.m. update is as follows:

The Washington Fire is actively burning. It is spreading due to both fuel-and-slope-driven forces and in some some drainages off of the East Fork Carson River. It has also spread to the north and to the east.

Fire is burning in hazardous and inaccessible terrain and approaching an increasing number of structures and impacting travel corridors.

Thinning of trees for fuels reduction and forest health has resumed on approximately 340 acres of National Forest System lands on the east side of Highway 267 north of Speckled Avenue above Kings Beach.

A lightning-sparked wildfire has grown to 1,000 acres and led to a handful of evacuations in rural Northern California.

The blaze is burning for the third day Thursday in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about halfway between Eureka and Redding.

The U.S. Forest Service says 17 helicopter and two air tankers are helping 160 firefighters take on the wildfire.

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Every year, South Lake Tahoe fire agencies prepare to fight fires around the basin but they rarely get to practice evacuations of residents.

That opportunity came on Monday when the Tahoe Douglas Fire District and Skyland Fire Adapted Community executed an inter-agency wildfire evacuation drill in the Skyland neighborhood.

The drill simulated a real evacuation event to give residents the opportunity to practice evacuating from their homes and getting to the designated safe zone.

Douglas County homeowners have an opportunity to compost their residential yard waste early this fire season when TDFPD hosts a kickoff event for Compost Your Combustibles with coffee and donuts on Saturday, May 23 at 9am. The free annual recycling program which historically has started on Memorial Day Weekend is now open at Heavenly Mountain Resort’s Boulder Lodge Parking Lot.

When a wildland fire occurs, will you be ready? Preparedness begins by making a plan for your home and business. Consider the local hazards and what you can do to reduce them. For wildland fires your plan must include defensible space, and how to evacuate if authorities ask you to leave the area. Evacuation plans should include primary and alternate (if available) routes to safety, as well as how to contact friends and loved ones. Establish a rally point at a known location and know each others’ telephone numbers in case your cell phone contacts are not working.

Firefighters late Sunday sought to control a Southern California wildfire that broke out in a forested basin, prompting the evacuation of about 300 homes.

The Riverside County fire, near the Prado Basin and the intersection of Highways 91 and 71, was 1,020 acres and 35% contained, said Cal Fire. Evacuation orders had been lifted, but the agency warned nearby communities would experience low-lying smoke. The fire in the densely covered river basin had sent up huge plumes of smoke.

Smoke in the sky in El Dorado County was from 14-acre wildfire on Thursday, according to Cal Fire.

The Gold Fire was off 8201 Highway 49 in the area of Sand Ridge Road.

The location is near or where the Sand Fire burned in 2104.

Cal Fire tweeted the fire was 100 percent contained as of 5:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.

The flames were in a hard-to-reach area, Cal Fire reported. One helicopter was initially working the fire and additional firefighting resources had been requested.

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.

Dr. Graham Kent (STHS class of 1980) from the UNR Seismological Laboratory will give a presentation on ALERT Tahoe . ALERT Tahoe is a new, one-of-a-kind, fire camera and multi-hazard tracking system that includes smoke investigation, prescribed fire oversight, wildfire tracking, Earthquake Early Warning, and monitoring of extreme weather events. A prototype of the fire camera system is functioning, scoring early successes during the summer of 2014.

Dr. Kent will present on the existing and planned camera system, in an incredibly interesting presentation.

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1980 South Tahoe High graduate Dr. Graham Kent from the UNR Seismological Laboratory will give a presentation on ALERT Tahoe in Incline Village on Thursday, January 8.

ALERT Tahoe is a new, one-of-a-kind, fire camera and multi-hazard tracking system that includes smoke investigation, prescribed fire oversight, wildfire tracking, Earthquake Early Warning, and monitoring of extreme weather events. A prototype of the fire camera system is functioning, scoring early successes during the summer of 2014.

Dr. Kent will present on the existing and planned camera system.

The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department is looking for locals who'd like to help out during the time of large scale emergencies from winds, heavy snow, flooding, wildfire and avalanches.

STAT has been formed and that stands for South Tahoe Action Teams.

Teams of citizens will be given eight hours of training so they can help out when local resources are overwhelmed. After training they will be incorporated in the field with the SLTFD and other first responders during times of crisis.

This is the first program of its kind in the Tahoe Basin.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - You've walked by them, biked past them, and maybe even seen them on empty lots - what are those random piles of wood? The piles are the first half of a two-step process used by Lake Tahoe Basin agencies to reduce hazardous fuels, provide community protection, and improve forest health.

September brought the reality of wildfires to the forefront in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The King Fire came within eight air miles of the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit boundary, and as we all anxiously awaited its containment, the Cascade Fire broke out in the Desolation Wilderness.

The Lake Valley Fire Protection District's Wildfire Prevention Program has organized a FREE chipping day for City of South Lake Tahoe residents on October 18. With the help of the California Conservation Corp and cooperation from South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, residents can get help with defensible space and slash removal.

In order to participate in the chipping service, homeowners must follow these guidelines:
• Place slash and brush piles adjacent to a driveway or street so the chipper crew can readily have access.

The Lake Valley Fire Department was given a $26,000 grant to clear brush and hazard trees from a 6.5 acre parcel in Meyers. The grant was given by the Forest Service to help reduce the risk of wildfire in Meyers.

The parcel is owned by the California Tahoe Conservancy across from the Tahoe Pine Campground.

9/8/14 6:45 p.m. update: The Meadow Fire in Yosemite grew considerably overnight and has burned about 2,582 acres so far. What started as a small fire after lightning on August 16 got out of control on Sunday.

According to Yosemite's website, it is burning within the Little Yosemite Valley on both sides of the Merced River. All trails in the area are closed. Earlier Monday, approximately 100 hikers and backpackers were evacuated from the fire area in LYV. The fire is burning in Yosemite Wilderness.

California Senator Diane Feinstein will host the 18th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Tuesday, August 19 being held on the lawn at Valhalla. The theme for the day is Drought, Wildfire and Invasive Species: Confronting the Effects of Climate Change on Lake Tahoe.

The public is invited to attend. Preregistration is over so plan on registering at Valhalla on the 19th starting at 9 a.m. The main program will start at 10 am.

7/30/14 update: Firefighters are getting the upper hand on a wildfire north of the town of Plymouth. All evacuation orders have been lifted.

So far, 4,240 acres have burned as well as 19 homes and 47 outbuildings. The fire did not spread overnight. The increase in reported acreage burned is due to a precise GPS mapping.

According to Cal Fire, patrol and mop-up of the fire will continue for several days. Rugged terrain and hot, dry weather conditions in addition to hazards associated with mines within the fire area continue to be a challenge for firefighters.

A brush fire started just after 6:45 p.m. Wednesday night in the hills above Carson City between Jacks Valley Road and Clear Creek Road. Fire officials are calling it the Clear Creek Fire and it had burned 150 acres as of 9:45 p.m. The area is not easily accessible. Hot Shots were dropped onto the hills nearby to fight the fire as well as drops from three air tankers and two helicopters. Hand crews will stay on the fire during the night.

The fire was started by lightning and the region saw dozens more lightning strikes into the evening.

The chemical treatment of invasive plants by the U.S. Forest Service in Lake Tahoe will continue through the summer at about 70 different locations totaling 12.5 acres. In South Lake Tahoe the treatment will take place at the Angora wildfire area, Baldwin Beach meadow, Burke Creek trail, Luther Pass campground, Heavenly Creek Meadow, Heavenly Ski Area, Rabe Meadow and the Spooner Summit fire station as well as at several urban lots that the Forest Service controls.

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.

Several agencies are coming together on Saturday, June 21st for the first Wildfire Safety Expo in South Lake Tahoe.

The threat of wildfire is extremely high this fire season due to record drought conditions in the West. To provide information on creating home evacuation plans, preparing for fire, creating defensible space, the expo has been created.

The expo will be held in the TJ Maxx parking lot from noon to 3 p.m.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) announced the launch of a new online tree removal permit application and credit card payment system that can be accessed through their website at trpa.org.

“The new online service is more customer friendly and is in line with the Agency’s core values of improving operational efficiency while providing a high-level of customer service,” said TRPA Executive Director, Joanne S. Marchetta.