SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – There is a collaborative effort underway in the Lake Tahoe Basin, as well as in the State of California, to have all areas in a jurisdiction be under the same set of fire regulations.
Under current law in California, state park campgrounds are exempt from local fire protection ordinances. Hosted U.S. Forest Service campgrounds with fire rings in place are also exempt, but this may be changing.
Legislation that would help prevent catastrophic wildfires by limiting open fires in state park campgrounds was approved unanimously Tuesday by the state Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water. Senate Bill 1012, by state Sens. Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) and Jim Nielsen (R-Red Bluff), would require state parks to enforce rules on open fires that are at least as restrictive as limits adopted by the fire department or fire district within whose boundaries the park is located.
At times in recent years, state parks have allowed visitors to build open fires at their campsites while residents living within sight of the parks were prohibited from having fires or even backyard barbeques to reduce the risk of wildfires. These inconsistent rules can lead to confusion that makes it more difficult for local fire agencies to enforce their restrictions in residential areas.
This is the case in Tahoma with neighboring Sugar Pine Point State Park. At Lake Tahoe, there are also Tahoe State Recreation Area Campground, Emerald Bay State Park, D.L. Bliss State Park, and Emerald Bay State Park that would fall under SB 1012 rules should it be signed by Governor Newsom.
The Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs Association wrote a letter in support of SB 1012.
“This common-sense legislation provides clarity to campers and residents alike by requiring the state to respect the local and regional firefighters who are on the front lines preventing wildfires,” Glazer said. “These fires can kill people and animals, destroy property, and consume thousands of acres of wildlands, and we should do all we can to prevent them.”
On the other end of things are the Lake Tahoe Basin fire agencies. If anyone remembers the summer of 2020 and before, Tahoe Douglas Fire would have different rules than the City of South Lake Tahoe, and those would be different from Lake Valley Fire. In 2021 they were much more aligned so when a call for “no outside wood fires” was made, all area fire agencies were on the same page. They continue to work together to align fire regulations.
Those that live in the area understand the different fire departments’ jurisdictions, but it was still confusing with one allowing wood fires outside, and another banning them. Imagine the tourist seeing firewood for sale at local stores, a fire pit in their rental home, but finding out the outside fire they built was not allowed.
A unified message from all jurisdictions in the Lake Tahoe Basin would not only help prevent fires but also eliminate any confusion.
“The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is working closely with the Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs Association which consists of representatives from all of the Tahoe Basin fire districts, CAL FIRE, and others to develop a basin-wide fire restrictions plan,” said LTBMU Fire Chief Carrie Thaler. “Along with the other fire districts and agencies on both the California and Nevada sides of the lake, we are committed to focusing our efforts on common messaging, public education, and going into and out of fire restrictions on the same dates, whenever possible.”
As many know, it is also dangerous to allow open fires during fire season. Fires in campgrounds can jump their fire pits, and even when a fire is contained, embers can fly for miles before landing on dry brush or timber, sparking a potentially massive fire.
Although the state park superintendent for the Sierra district recently pledged to work more closely with local fire agencies, Glazer said the state should be required to follow the local districts’ lead. He also said that while the current administration may be willing to adopt such a policy, SB 1012 is needed so that future state officials continue to abide by it, said Glazer.
SB 1012 passed the committee on a bipartisan 8-0 vote. It moves now to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
(In the video below, people staying at the Sugar Pine Point State Campground in 2021 found an unattended fire in a ring that had escaped the confines. Had people not been nearby this is an example of how quickly a fire can spread.)