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Several different agencies have roadwork projects around the Lake Tahoe Basin from spring to fall. Each week we publish projects planned by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the County of El Dorado, and the City of South Lake Tahoe.

CITY OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Lake Tahoe Boulevard from Viking Way to the Y Intersection - Work begins July 14 and goes through mid-August.

Pioneer Trail from the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Black Bart Avenue to Blackwood Road - July 26-end of August

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Douglas County is currently conducting preliminary exterior damage assessments of structures including homes, outbuildings, wellhouses and barns in areas where fire activity has been observed.

All evacuations for Douglas County remain in place and US395 remains closed for public safety concerns. A preliminary survey of the area south of Leviathan Mine Road determined that 13 structures have been damaged or lost.

The Tamarack Fire that starts in Alpine County on July 4 is now 65,152 acres and remains at 4 percent contained.

Firefighters working on the fire that has now spread to east of US-395 expect extreme fire behavior on very dry terrain. If the smoke and conditions allow, fire attack will continue including the arrival of two "Super Scoopers." Their plan:

Branch I - Hold fire south of China Spring. Secure Hwy 395 slopover. Secure structures along Hwy 395, Topaz Ranch Estates, and Smith Valley.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The second Coffee with the Mayor will be held on Wednesday, July 28 at 9:00 a.m. at Fire Station #2.

Mayor Wallace will join South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Clive Savacool and other local and federal agency representatives to discuss wildfire preparedness, defensible space and Reverse 911 notification systems.

The public is invited.

Fire Station #2 is located across from South Tahoe Middle School at 2951 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe’s sunny days and 72-miles of shoreline offer the perfect summer playground. Spending time outdoors can have many health benefits, and movement in the water can provide physical benefits. Water activities are also calorie-burners and can help you tone up, unconventionally.

One of the most peaceful ways to experience the lake is to paddle. Kayaking and paddleboarding engage your core and, depending on your fitness level and exertion, can get your heart pumping. Boats and boards can be launched on most public shorelines, and rental shop options are abundant.

9:30PM UPDATE: More firefighting resources are headed to the Tamarack Fire including two "Super Scoopers" that can pull out 1,600 gallons of water from lakes in just 20 seconds. There are now 1,425 personnel assigned to the fire.

Humboldt-Toiyable National Forest officials have created an interactive map to help the public better understand where they are in proximity to the perimeter of the Tamarack Fire, or if they are in an evacuation zone.

The map will be updated once or twice a day or as the perimeter changes, but is not in real time.

The map display can be adjusted by toggling on and off layers located to the left of the map. You can also use the search bar to enter a specific address and the ruler to measure from that location to the edge of the fire.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The ninth season of the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series will start on Thursday, August 5 at 4:30 p.m. After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, the popular event at Lakeview Commons will host five Thursday evenings of music through September 2.

The weekly even is possible due to a partnership with the City of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Wellness Center, and On Course Events.

Caltrans is alerting motorists to scheduled overnight utility work on State Route 28 (SR-28) in Tahoe City, requiring one-way traffic control next week.

Caltrans will be digging holes to locate underground utilities along the highway shoulders ahead of future SR-28 roadway improvements. The utility work is scheduled nightly Monday, July 26 through Friday, July 30 between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. A one-mile section of SR-28, from the SR-89 South/SR-89 West Shore separations to the Tahoe State Recreation Area Campground, will be under one-way traffic control during work periods.

5:30PM UPDATE: The spot fire east of Hwy 395 near Holbrook Junction has been growing rapidly despite firefighters’ diligent efforts to contain it. Aerial resources estimated the spot at about 2,500 acres as of 4:10 p.m. Firefighters on the ground and aircraft continue to battle the growing spot under exceptionally difficult weather and fuel conditions.

4:10PM UPDATE: The Tamarack Fire has jumped US395. Evacuations have been issued for all residents in the Topaz Ranch Estates and Topaz Lake areas. All residents are being asked to evacuate to Smith Valley High School.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Three years of hard work creating more than five miles of hand-built singletrak trail construction has paid off with the completion of the Stanford Rock Trail on the Lake Tahoe West Shore.

Through a partnership between Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) and and the U.S. Forest Service, the project was completed yielding over 2,200 feet of elevation gain, and increases trail access for non-motorized users including mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians alike, who seek to enjoy the beauty of Lake Tahoe.

The Summit Fire is one of several lightning ignited fires associated with recent thunderstorms in the central Sierra Nevada. The fire is burning in the Mokelumne Wilderness on the Eldorado National Forest in remote, steep terrain. An aggressive full suppression strategy is being used due to extreme drought conditions, and the extensive values at risk in the area.

It started on July 20 at about noon and has burned 16 acres. One hundred personnel are assigned to the fire that is burning three miles south of Kirkwood.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif./DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Tamarack Fire continues to burn south of Lake Tahoe in the Markleeville and Woodfords areas. It has crossed into Nevada and heading toward US395. The highway is now closed between SR 208 and China Springs Road in Douglas County. The fire is still south of the CA-88 road and west of the CA-89 road. Crews will continue to work in this area to keep the fire from crossing the road.

So far, 43,900 acres have burned since the fire started July 4.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utility District will be flushing water mains in the Tahoe Sierra neighborhood between July 26 – August 6, 2021. The District recommends residents not use water while the District is flushing the waterline on their street, as the water may be
cloudy or discolored. District staff will distribute door hangers one to two business days before the work is planned and will knock on doors the day the work will occur.

Roads in and near the Tamarack Fire area are closed due to the wildfire and possible expansion of evacuation zones.

As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, State Route 88 is closed from Pickett's Junction to the Nevada state line, and State Route 89 is closed from the junction of State Route 88 to the junction of State Route 4.

Closures can change at any time so it is best to keep informed. For California roads, visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ and in Nevada, https://nvroads.com/.]

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to current conditions and the Tamarack Fire burning out of control not far away, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Clive Savacool has ordered new fire restrictions for within the city limits until further notice. This order starts at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

NO- Charcoal BBQs
NO- Pellet BBQs
NO- Wood fires,INCLUDING THE CAMPGROUND
YES- Propane Fire pits and grills
YES- Liquid petroleum or gas camp stoves.

Should it be a Red Flag Warning event, all sources of flame including gas is banned.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Douglas County is asking the following communities to be on the alert and start preparing for potential evacuations. Evacuations HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED AT THIS TIME, in Douglas County, however there is potential for the Tamarack Fire to reach the following communities.

• Fredricksburg Rd.
• Foothill to Centerville Rd.
• Holbrook
• Double Spring
• Ruhenstroth
• Leviathan Mine
• Pineview Estates
• China Springs

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Long before Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) broke ground on its new facility on Al Tahoe Boulevard an outdoor learning center was planned.

That has now become a reality thanks to Tahoe Fund donors including the Mathman Family and a matching donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka.

9:00PM UPDATE: The Tamarack Fire has now burned through 39,045 acres and is 0 percent contained. There has been extreme fire behavior in the form of crowning, spotting and surface runs along active perimeter of the fire. Fire is burning in mixed conifer, heavy mountain brush/grass, sage and juniper.

There are currently 796 personnel working on the fire.

The fire has reached the East Fork Fire burn scar.

A Go Fund Me account has set up for a Markleeville family who lost their home in the Tamarack Fire.

The Galvez family of five was able to grab a few items of clothing and some family photos before evacuating. Their daughter Elissa Galvez started the fundraiser for her mother, father and three siblings who are ages 12, 14 and 16.

"Their house, my childhood home, has been destroyed in the Tamarack Fire near Markleeville," said Elissa. "As of this morning July 18, the house was burnt to the ground with almost everything inside."

During the afternoon of July 16, with the Tamarack Fire growing quickly and bearing down on their neighborhood, Chris and Marshauna Mikelionis and their two young children packed up in the car and fled.

The following morning they saw a video of the fire on television and found out the hard way that they lost their home, its contents, and a vehicle to the Tamarack fire.

Chris is a Tahoe area musician who supports his family playing music. He has lost the majority of his instruments.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Clive Savacool has instituted a 48-hour burn ban effective immediately in the city limits.

In addition to existing fire restrictions, all outdoor cooking and any outdoor burning – from any source, in any location – is strictly prohibited through Tuesday, July 20 at 3:00 p.m.

This information is current as of 3:00 p.m., July 18 and may change as the situation warrants.

Those living in other areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin are under different rules, though all outdoor burning is not allowed.

11:00PM UPDATE: The Tamarack fire is estimated at 18,299 acres according to the nightly update on Inciweb by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, with no containment. Earlier in the day, people speaking at a press conference at the Douglas County Senior Center reported 26,000 acres had burned. An infrared-equipped plane is scheduled to fly the fire overnight, to provide more accurate information about the fire’s size and location.

3:15PM 7/18 UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Reno has changed the time of the Red Flag Warning for the Lake Tahoe Basin. It is now in effect from 8:00 p.m. Sunday to 11:00 a.m. Monday. They are calling for abundant lightning on dry fuels for the Northern Sierra Front, Tahoe Basin and Northeast California.

Additional storms are expected Monday afternoon but they will be much wetter.

It is possible outflow winds in the areas of the storm could see gusts up to 40 mph.