Prescribed fire operations scheduled to begin on Wednesday at Lake Tahoe Airport

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department with assistance from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and Lake Valley Fire Protection District are conducting prescribed burns around the Lake Tahoe Airport starting on Wednesday, December 6 through Tuesday, December 12. The prescribed burns will take place over 22 acres with an estimated 230 identified piles to burn.

Since the Caldor Fire, South Shore agency staff have been working to coordinate and plan fuels reduction work. Land managers identified these piles over the last 3-6 years as fuels reduction work was completed around the Lake Tahoe Airport. This is also a part of an overall fuels reduction project on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe within the South Shore Division of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team.

All prescribed fires follow a specialized prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke which is then used to decide when and where to burn. The intent of pile burning is to remove excess fuels (branches, limbs, and stumps) that can feed unwanted wildfires. Smoke from the prescribed burns is normal and may continue for several days after ignition. If you are sensitive to smoke, please limit your time outdoors near these areas.

Burning is dependent on weather and resource availability to safely conduct the prescription, so the schedule is subject to change. Residents are asked to stay out of prescribed burn areas for safety reasons and to not interfere with ongoing operations.

To learn more about the benefits of prescribed fire, visit https://tahoe.livingwithfire.info/get…/understanding-fire/.