Prescribed fire operations continue around Lake Tahoe
Submitted by paula on Mon, 12/19/2022 - 3:01pm
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Dec. 19, 2022 – Members of the Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team (TFFT) may continue prescribed fire operations this week at Lake Tahoe as conditions and weather allow. Nevada Division of Forestry and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District are scheduled to burn piles near Incline Village and Spooner Lake. Smoke will be present. For current air quality, visit AirNow.
The following areas on the map above are planned locations this week:
1. USFS 21-HT - North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. Within Second Creek Drainage, North of Saddlehorn Dr. and West of Tyner Way. 63 acres of hand piles. Planned Ignition: 12/12-22/2022. Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 3 Days. Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast.
2. South Mill - North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. 47.00 acres of full project with planned ignition: 12/12-22/2022. Project Description: This project will reduce hazardous fuels on lands within the Wildland Urban Interface Defense Zone of Incline Village, Nev. An estimated 286 acres will be treated using hand thinning, and another 150 will be treated with understory prescribed fire. It will serve to compliment near-by fuels reduction projects, and previous treatments where 1st entry hand-thinning has been completed. The project is located near critical water treatment facilities, which are critical for fire-flow in the event of a wildfire, and potential evacuation centers should wildfire be active in the area. https://eip.laketahoeinfo.org/Project/FactSheet/02.01.01.0093
3. Bon Pland - North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. Along Highway 28 between Incline Village and Memorial Point. 40 acres of hand piles. Planned Ignition: 12/12-22/2022. Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 3 Days.
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast. Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Tahoe Basin, Reno/Sparks, Carson City, Washoe Valley
4. Spooner Pile Burn - Nevada Division of Forestry. Spooner Lake Trail, Spooner State Park, North of Highway 50. 20 acres of hand piles. Planned Ignition: 0900 Hours 12/20-30/2022. Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 0900 - 1300 Hours Ignitions; 0900 - 1700 Hours Smoke Production
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: East. Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Clear Creek, Glenbrook
The project map with locations and details is also at Tahoe Living With Fire.
Prescribed fires are a vital forest management ecological tool used by land managers to help protect communities by removing excess vegetation (fuels) that can feed unwanted wildland fires. Burning excess vegetation also benefits forest health by making room for new growth which provides forage for wildlife, recycles nutrients back into the soil and helps reduce the spread of insects and disease in forests.
Fall and winter typically bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which are ideal for conducting prescribed fires. Each operation follows a specialized burn plan, which considers smoke dispersal conditions, temperature, humidity, wind, and vegetation moisture. All this information is used to decide when and where to burn.
Prescribed fire managers use different methods to reintroduce low-intensity fire into forests including pile, broadcast, and understory burning. Pile burning involves burning slash piles that are constructed by hand or mechanical equipment. Broadcast and understory burning use low-intensity fire across the ground to remove fuels under specific environmental conditions with fire confined to a predetermined area. Prescribed fires are meant to mimic naturally occurring fire, which is an essential part of many different ecosystems, and produces fire behavior and fire characteristics required to attain resource management objectives.
The TFFT strongly supports the use of prescribed burning in appropriate situations and works closely with air quality districts to avert smoke impacts on the public. Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size, conditions, and weather. Prescribed fire smoke is generally less intense and of much shorter duration than smoke produced by unwanted wildfires. “If prescribed fire smoke were equivalent to lighting a match, then wildfire smoke would be like lighting a bonfire,” said Washoe County Air Quality Specialist, Brendan Schneider.
Prior to prescribed fire ignition, agencies: coordinate with local and state air quality agencies to monitor weather for favorable conditions that can disperse smoke; conduct test burns before igniting larger areas to verify how well vegetation is consumed and how smoke rises and disperses before proceeding; post signs on roadways in areas affected by prescribed fire operations; email notifications to the prescribed fire notification list; and update the local fire information line at 530-543-2816. The TFFT gives as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice due to the small window of opportunity for implementing these projects.
To be added to the prescribed fire notification list, send an email request to sm.fs.paltbmu@usda.gov.
Visit, Tahoe Living With Fire to get prepared, get informed, and get involved.