Wildfire

An upper level disturbance off the Pacific Northwest coast will drop southeast over California into Nevada by Tuesday evening, bringing an enhanced threat of showers and thunderstorms to the Lake Tahoe region, which may have an impact on the existing wildfire in Reno.

Monday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 53. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

With record drought conditions in the West, preparing your home for
wildfire is more important than ever. May has been designated “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year’s theme is “Prepare Your Home For Wildfire” with a focus on creating and sustaining Fire Adapted Communities.

A Fire Adapted Community (FAC) is a community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area. They possess the knowledge and skills to:

Prescribed fire operations will continue around Lake Tahoe this week. Fuels management crews from the U.S. Forest Service will be in various locations around the Lake Tahoe Basin the week of March 30, 2014. Possible locations include Slaughterhouse Canyon on the East Shore, the Luther Pass Campground off of Highway 89 near South Lake Tahoe, the west side of Highway 89 near Tahoma, and near D.L. Bliss State Park on the West Shore.

Operations are ongoing and depend on weather, staffing, and conditions. Locations could vary due to changing conditions.

Prescribed burn operations will take place in several locations around the Lake Tahoe basin beginning on Tuesday, February 18.

The U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will be in the Luther Pass Campground off of Highway 89 S near South Lake Tahoe, on the west side of Highway 89 N near Tahoma, and in Slaughterhouse Canyon on Lake Tahoe’s East Shore. Prescribed fire crews may continue operations through the weekend, weather, staffing, and conditions permitting. Locations may vary due to changing conditions.

There will be several controlled burns around west and south shore of the Lake Tahoe basin beginning on Tuesday, February 4.

In South Lake Tahoe, the prescribed burns will take place on the east side of Tahoe Mountain, the south side of Highway 89 near Camp Richardson, and off of North Upper Truckee Road in the Angora fire area south of Mule Deer Circle.

If predicted rain and snow arrives this week, U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will resume prescribed fire operations in several locations around the Lake Tahoe Basin beginning Tuesday, January 28, 2014.

Operations will take place on the South Shore in the Luther Pass Campground off of Highway 89 S, on the West Shore off of Bunker Drive near Tahoe City and off of Chalet Road near Alpine Meadows ski area, and on the East Shore off of Easy Street on Lower Kingsbury Grade.

Operations may continue through the weekend, weather, staffing, and conditions permitting.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will begin prescribed fire operations off of Highway 89 South near Luther Pass tomorrow, December 10, 2013. Crews will begin burning a 29 acre unit across the highway from the Luther Pass overflow campground and will burn as much as weather and conditions allow. Operations may continue through the week. In addition, crews will begin prescribed fire operations on a small unit off of Highway 28 on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe. Crews will burn approximately two acres on the east side of the highway between Secret and Skunk harbors near Bliss Pond.

There will be prescribed fire operations on Kingsbury Grade and at Emerald Bay resume on Wednesday, December 4. The U.S. Forest Service fuels management team announced that crews will burn about 10 acres per day on Lower Kingsbury near Meadow Lane, weather permitting. Operations are expected to continue through the weekend. In the Emerald Bay area near Inspiration Point, crews will burn approximately three acres over one or two days.

The reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives, following the Senate’s introduction of the bill in August.

Due to a lack of approved burn days by the California Air Resource Board, the US Forest Service has moves their planned burn operations from the Al Tahoe/Pioneer Trail side in South Lake Tahoe over to an area north of Zephyr Cove. Smoke will be visible from Highway 50.

Crews may begin prescribed fire operations this weekend, October 26 and 27, 2013 across U.S. Highway 50 from the Skyland subdivision. Weather and conditions permitting, crews will burn approximately one to five acres per day and expect to continue operations through the weekend and into next week.

The, members of the fire-based Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (MAC) and the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT), expressed appreciation for the joint Proclamation issued by the Governors of Nevada and California prior to the 17th annual Lake Tahoe Summit held in August.

MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. — Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing have performed more than 400 bucket drops resulting in over 188,000 gallons of water dropped since they began fighting the Rim Fire August 20.

Wildfires raging in Tuolumne County continue to threaten lives, property and critical infrastructure. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and aircrews have been actively battling the Rim Fire since August 20. The airmen continue to fly out of the Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, Calif. to support the state's wildfire response efforts.

CAL FIRE PIO Berlant, @CALFIRE_PIO - California Statewide Fire Summary: Nearly 8,000 firefighters remain on the frontlines as nearly a dozen major wildfires continue to burn. Yesterday, CAL FIRE crews contained the Swedes Fire that burned in Butte County, just as a new fire ignited on the Fort Hunter Liggett Military Installation.

One home and several outbuildings were destroyed in an El Dorado County wildfire Friday afternoon, the state fire agency said. Just before 6 p.m., Cal Fire said the blaze was fully contained at 116 acres, after burning for several hours.

Lake Tahoe organizations whose collaborative work over the past 15 years has been a driving force for advancing Lake Tahoe restoration efforts applauded congressional leaders Thursday for introducing a $415 million reauthorization of the federal Lake Tahoe Restoration Act.

Headed to Lake Tahoe for the Independence Day holiday? The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit asks residents and visitors to help protect public safety and the environment, and keep wildfire prevention in mind while celebrating.

Possession of fireworks of any kind, including sparklers, is illegal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest. For those planning to barbecue on the beach, the Forest Service requires the use of portable gas stoves.

With tinder-dry conditions after one of the driest winters on record, California fire officials will suspend burning permits along the West Slope and Eldorado National Forest beginning June 17. Fire restrictions in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin July 1.

CAL FIRE’s Amador-El Dorado- Sacramento Unit will suspend door-yard burning permits and the Forest Service will begin fire restrictions in portions of Eldorado National Forest.

Lake Tahoe fire protection agencies all agree: defensible space isn’t a bunch of hot air. To back up the importance of defensible space, they’re organizing a free Wildfire Awareness Week kick-off event that includes free tethered Smokey Bear hot air balloon rides (weather permitting), firefighter photo opportunities, a pancake breakfast and more on Saturday, May 25th from 8am – 12pm outside MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will begin prescribed fire operations on the west shore of Lake Tahoe beginning Monday, April 22. Crews expect to burn approximately 50 acres in the Ward Canyon area, south of Tahoe City. Operations may continue through the week, weather and conditions permitting.

Residents and visitors can expect to see smoke from this prescribed fire project area. Smoke may be visible on Highway 89.

A prescribed fire is planned on the west shore of Lake Tahoe in the Meeks Bay area beginning Wednesday. About 30 acres will be burned through the remainder of the week, weather permitting, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Here is a news release:

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews continue prescribed fire operations near Spooner Summit beginning Monday. Crews expect to burn approximately 40 acres. In addition, operations begin Monday on Tahoe Mountain near Dundee Circle. Crews expect to burn approximately six acres. Operations in both locations may continue through the week, weather and conditions permitting.

In October 2012, all sectors of the Lake Tahoe South Shore community came together, shared knowledge and discussed a vision for economic revitalization. During that forum a collective voice was discovered on many issues.

Now we need to connect the dots. In the spirit of the TED talks that sparked a wildfire of communal knowledge and immediate action around "ideas worth spreading," the Tahoe Prosperity Center and TahoeChamber are holding a second economic forum March 5.

In the spirit of the TED talks that sparked a wildfire of communal knowledge and immediate action around "ideas worth spreading," the Tahoe Prosperity Center and TahoeChamber are holding a second economic forum March 5.

Business, government, education, transportation, recreation, and healthcare leaders will be sharing their plans, ideas and projects that are focused on economic revitalization on the South Shore. This forum is all about "connecting the dots" between projects that are moving Tahoe toward prosperity.

Location

The U.S. Forest Service has a two-acre prescribed fire plan for the north shore of Lake Tahoe set for Tuesday. The area planned is Regency Way in Kings Beach. Below is a news release on the details as well as the overall multi-jurisdictional fuel reduction plan outline.