Illegal campfire starts in blaze in Desolation Wilderness

An illegal campfire at Granite Lake in Desolation Wilderness started a wildfire on Tuesday according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). With the lack of a deep snowpack and high winds in the area this week, the fire could have easily spread had it not been for the quick response by USFS firefighters.

Illegal and unattended campfires cause over 90 percent of wildfires in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Fire managers are concerned about the impact from illegal campfires as we are in our fourth year of drought and forest conditions are already as dry as they would be in June.

“While we realize the warm weather, combined with lack of snow has given folks early access to recreation areas, people need to remember that campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds and are not allowed on National Forest beaches or in the Desolation Wilderness.” said Fire Management Officer, Steve Burns. “We need the public to be mindful of the current fire danger and help prevent human-caused wildfires by not building illegal campfires.”

For information on campfire safety, visit http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfires/ or stop by the Forest Supervisor’s office at 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.