Smoke from Sept. 12 fire continues to makes its way into Meyers, South Lake Tahoe

Steady wind has pushed large amounts of smoke from a fire burning since Sept. 12 south of Highway 50 near Strawberry into Christmas Valley, Meyers and South Lake Tahoe this afternoon.

El Dorado Forest Service officials report the lightning-caused Long Fire, which has burned about 275 acres in timber and brush, is about 85 percent contained and poses no risk to life or property. The fire is burning at around 7,000 feet in the Packsaddle Pass area, three miles southwest of Strawberry in El Dorado County.

A high pressure system over the area has brought warm and dry weather today with some wind which has driven the smoke into the basin, the Forest Service reports. Pollock Pines, Kyburz and Strawberry have had the most amount smoke in the fire region and a health advisory has been issued.

Four fire crews are on the scene, including the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Angora 7 hand crew. Today, crews were expected to finish constructing line on the north and eastern sides of the fire. Burnout operations are expected to continue today to remove fuels between the fire and the fire line, according to the Forest Service.

The Long Fire met the criteria for a Managed Wildland fire due to its potential to achieve multiple resource management objectives and as the fire posed no immediate risk to life, safety, or property, the Forest Service stated.

Some important resource objectives being met by the fire include; fuel reduction to help with future fire suppression, improving wildlife habitat by reducing older brush and stimulating new growth for deer forage, releasing tree species from brush competition, and reducing the fuels buildup that would contribute to a future wildland fire and subsequently place historic properties at risk.