Smoke in Lake Tahoe Basin from Whittell Forest prescribed burn

Smoke filled the Lake Tahoe Basin on Wednesday, but it isn't from a wildland fire. There is a prescribed burn by the Nevada Division of Forestry in the Whittell Forest between Lake Tahoe and Washoe Lake.

The 250-acre prescribed burn remains under control and is not posing any threat. The forest is owned by the University of Nevada, Reno

Whittell Forest is located on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada in Little Valley, about three miles west of Washoe Lake and 2.5 miles east of Lake Tahoe and 20 miles south of Reno. The burn operation is expected to continue for four or five days.

As with many other prescribed burns in the Sierra, this one is protecting the meadow ecosystems by removing conifer encroachment and a heavy layer of matted grass. This will create healthy stands in forested areas and form a shaded fuel break to help protect structures on the west end of Washoe Valley from the threat of wildland fire.