Prescribed burns continue in Lake Tahoe basin this week

Weather conditions in the Lake Tahoe basin have been conducive to prescribed burns since fall, and as conditions permit, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans on continuing prescribed fire operations starting Monday, April 20, 2015.

Expect smoke from planned operations at Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive. Burns may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Each operation follows a prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. This information is used to decide when and where to burn. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT ) gives as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice.

Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size. Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. They wait for favorable conditions that will carry smoke up and out of the Basin.

Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed how smoke will travel.

Before conducting prescribed fire operations, agencies may post road signs around affected areas and make email or phone notifications. The Forest Service updates the local fire information line at 530-543-2600, #6.

For more information on prescribed fire and smoke management tips, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/RxFireOps.