Forest Service responds to rekindling of prescribed fire unit on Kingsbury Grade

UDPATE12:45PM: A prescribed fire on Upper Kingsbury Grade conducted two weeks ago rekindled, touching off about 14 acres before it was fully contained late this morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
"The fire is 100 percent contained," said spokeswoman Cheva Heck.
Fire crews respond to the rekindling off Andria Drive on Kingsbury Grade, near Stateline. Three Forest Service crews and two engines responded. Cold weather and high winds had created difficult conditions for firefighters and interfered with the ability to pump water from engines.

The Forest Service last conducted prescribed fire operations in the unit a few weeks ago, and crews had been routinely monitoring and patrolling the area for fire activity, Heck said. Smoke had not been observed from the unit for the past five to seven days. Early this morning, the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District reported to the Forest Service that the prescribed fire unit was active. Tahoe Douglas firefighters were the first on scene and were relieved by three Forest Service crews and two engines, Heck said.