Prescribed burn operations continue around Lake Tahoe

Members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, which includes local, state and federal fire and land management agencies, are scheduled to continue prescribed fire operations in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next few weeks, weather permitting.

The 13 areas currently on the planned operations:

The old Tahoe Pines Campground near the intersection of US Hwy 50 and South Upper Truckee Rd. by the California Tahoe Conservancy. 8 acres of Machine Piles.

Upper Kinsbury, Valley Side by the Tahoe Douglas Fire District. 40 acres of Hand Piles.

Vesper Ct. Upper Kingsbury by the Tahoe Douglas Fire District. 1 acre of Hand Piles.

D. L. Bliss State Park between Lower Pines and West Ridge Campground, and above park maintenance shop by California State Parks. 10 acres of Hand Piles.

Sugar Pine Point State Park - Sugar Pine Point Lakeside Picnic and Ehrman Mansion by California State Parks. 2 acres of Hand Piles.

Griff 2002 - Kings Beach, Placer County by the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management. 30 acres of Hand Piles.

East side of Second Creek Drainage, below Dorothy Crt by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 27 acres of Piles.

East and North of Apollo Way on the East side of Third Creek by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 4 acres of Piles.

Rose 06, 42, 1042 - Northeast side of Incline Village, off of Fairview Drive by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 25 acres of Piles.

Within Diamond Peak Ski resort by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 20 acres of Piles.

NV Regional - East side of Incline Village, off of Tunnel Creek Road by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 10 acres of Piles.

Spooner FA-43 - Chimney Beach, HWY 28, Washoe County by USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. 15 acres of Hand Piles.

Glenbrook by the Tahoe Douglas Fire District. 20 acres of Hand Piles.

Updated 1-10-20: 50 acres of hand piles at Fallen Leaf Lake Road.

Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which are ideal for conducting prescribed fire operations. Each operation follows a specialized prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. All of this information is used to decide when and where to burn.

Prescribed fire operations are conducted whenever weather, conditions and staffing allow to reduce excess vegetation that can feed unwanted wildland fires. Planned fires now reduce the threat of unplanned fires later, which helps provide increased community protection. Fire is a natural process in the Sierra Nevada and helps keep our forests healthy by minimizing the spread of insects and disease, recycling nutrients back into the soil and promoting improved habitat for diverse vegetation and wildlife.

Prescribed fire managers use different methods to reintroduce fire back into our forests that include pile burning and understory burning. Pile burning is intended to remove excess fuels (branches, limbs and stumps) and involves burning slash piles that are constructed by hand and mechanical equipment. Understory burning is low intensity prescribed fire that takes place on the ground (the understory) rather than pile burning. Understory burning uses a controlled application of fire to remove excess vegetation under specific environmental conditions that allow fire to be confined to a predetermined area. Understory burning produces fire behavior and fire characteristics required to attain planned fire and resource management objectives.

Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size and environmental conditions. Prescribed fire smoke is generally less intense and of much shorter duration than smoke produced by unwanted wildland fires.

Agencies coordinate closely with local county and state air pollution control districts and monitor weather conditions carefully prior to prescribed fire ignitions. They wait for favorable conditions that will carry smoke up and disperse it away from smoke sensitive areas. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively materials are consumed and how smoke will travel.

Before prescribed fire operations are conducted, agencies post road signs around areas affected by prescribed fire, send email notifications and update the local fire information line maintained by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at 530-543-2816. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team gives as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice due to the small window of opportunity for conducting these operations.

To learn more about the benefits prescribed fire, visit https://tahoe.livingwithfire.info/get-informed/understanding-fire/.