forest service.

The popular Lake Tahoe basin Christmas tree permits from the U.S Forest Service go on sale Monday, November 7 in South Lake Tahoe and North Lake Tahoe, then on November 9 in Incline Village.

Permits cost $10 each with a limit of two per family. They must be purchased in person, are not transferable and are sold on a first come, first serve basis. Even though the last day for tree permit sales is on December 23, they are normally sold out well before that date, sometimes as early as December 4.

The public is invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony that will celebrate the completion of the Sierra Tract Phase 3-4 of their erosion control project on Friday, October 28 at 10:30 a.m. on the corner of Palmira Ave. and River Dr.

An underground low impact stormwater system has been created to treat runoff and remove pollution (primarily fine sediment) from developed roadways, commercial, and residential land uses that discharge directly into the Upper Truckee River and
eventually Lake Tahoe.

8:00AM update 10/15: Highway 89 remains closed in both directions from Fallen Leaf Lake Road to Emerald Bay due to the Emerald Fire which remains 80 percent contained this morning. Acreage burned is 210 acres.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

There are 3 engines and 12 firefighters still on the scene.

Opening time for Hwy 89 is still unclear. CHP estimates Saturday afternoon and Caltrans estimates the road will be closed until Monday. This is to allow crews to clean up the fallen trees and other debris on, and near, the roadway.

Smoke from a prescribed burn on the east side of Union Valley Reservoir in the El Dorado National Forest sent smoke into the Lake Tahoe Basin Tuesday.

The U.S. Forest Service is burning 240 acres over a two-day period in that area.

Prescribed burns in the Lake Tahoe Basin were scheduled to start this week but have been postponed since the area is still under fire restrictions.

4:25 p.m. update: The U.S. Forest Service said the fire that burned near Genoa Peak turned out to be an abandoned campfire that wasn't properly doused. The fire burned about a 10 foot x 10 foot patch on private land adjacent to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest near the Tahoe Rim Trail.

It is currently smoldering after firefighters arrived quickly and were able to gain the upper hand quickly.

* * *

There is a fire reported at Genoa Peak. Multiple agencies are responding and we'll update the story once more is known.

There was another small fire in South Lake Tahoe Friday afternoon, this time in dry brush near the state line.

Multiple agencies responded at 3:43 p.m. just east of the gondola at Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

Within minutes fire crews had a line around the fire.

Smoke, and the smell of smoke, made its way to nearby Raley's and Heavenly Village.

The fire burned about 1/4 of an acre according to Lisa Heron of the U.S. Forest Service.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation.

If you see smoke around Amador, Georgetown and Placerville it will most likely be from 12,671 acres of National Forest land being burned this fall by the U.S. Forest Service.

USFS will begin its fall prescribed burn program in the Eldorado National Forest as soon as weather conditions are favorable. Fire managers plan to burn approximately, 12,671 acres of National Forest land this fall, winter and spring using a combination of understory and pile burning techniques.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) of the U.S. Forest Service has a new deputy forest supervisor on board. Teresa McClung started the new job last week after being the District Ranger for the Stanislaus National Forest for the past seven years.

“We are excited that Teresa has joined our dedicated and experienced basin team,” said Forest Supervisor, Jeff Marsolais. “Her educational background and experience as a landscape architect will greatly complement the significant, large landscape work underway here in the Lake Tahoe Basin.”

There have been two more small fires around South Lake Tahoe in the last four days, the most recent Tuesday night.

On Saturday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. there was a small wildfire on National Forest land off Park Avenue. It was approximately 20 feet by 20 feet and the cause is under investigation.

Tuesday, September 27, there was a small wildfire near the same location reported at 10 p.m. It was approximately 50 feet by 50 feet and also remains under investigation.

The U.S. Forest Service and California Tahoe Conservancy are hosting a field trip for any members of the public interested in their multiple-year project, the Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project in South Lake Tahoe.

On Wednesday, September 28 at 5:30 p.m., people invited to head out there to see the final stage, a project over a decade in the works

A fire near Spooner Lake brought out multiple agencies and the two SuperScoopers staying at the Lake Tahoe Airport Tuesday afternoon, but the quick response kept the fire at just over 1/2 acre before being contained.

With Red Flag conditions existing at the time, engines and crews from the US Forest Service, Cal Fire, Tahoe Douglas Fire, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and BLM all responded to the Spooner Lake State Park after receiving the call at 3:58 p.m.

9:00 a.m. update 9/18: The Owens River Fire burning east of Highway 395 and north of Owens River Road in Mono County has exploded to an estimated 4,500 acres. Even with the growth, firefighter were able to get it 10% contained.

Named the Owens River Fire, it is burning in sagebrush and Jeffrey pine.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - To reduce fuels in the forest, as well as to promote forest health, the thinning of trees will resume between Fallen Leaf Lake and Camp Richardson Corral this week. Crews will also be working in the Spring Creek Homeowners Tract.

Whole tree and mechanical cut-to-length (CTL) tree removal will take place in these areas over the next several months, weather permitting and some areas will be closed for public safety as they do the cutting.

Zephyr Cove Resort will remain open for business as soil impacted by a 2011 underground fuel release is removed from an area near the south beach volleyball courts starting Monday, September 12.

Even though those driving by and visiting the resort will see the activity, impact to operations is expected to be minimal. There may be some disruption to parking and the volleyball area but watercraft rentals and sightseeing boats will continue to operate during the excavation.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe will host the 19th annual Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day on Saturday, September 10 in South Lake Tahoe. Community members will gather for this fun, all-ages, hands-on restoration day at the Angora Burn Area.

The eighth fire in ten days broke out early Wednesday morning in South Lake Tahoe, this time on Edna Street near Pioneer Trail. Just under one-half of an acre of National Forest Service land burned in the 12:30 a.m. fire which burned a short distance away from Friday's Ralph Drive fire.

Firefighters from US Forest Service, South Lake Tahoe, Lake Valley and Cal Fire all responded and got the fire under control quickly, and had the area contained with a wet line by 6:46 a.m.

Here is a breakdown of the recent fires:

A series of fires along the South Shore of Lake Tahoe are still under investigation and have caused some concern among residents. The most recent one, on Tuesday, burned a portion of grass at Rabe Meadow near Kahle Drive at Stateline.

The fire, which burned a patch 30 feet by 40 feet, was reported at 10:13 a.m. Both Tahoe Douglas Fire Department and the US Forest Service responded.

The stretch of Highway 50 from Stateline to Spooner Summit (known as the corridor) will be looked at in the near future to address numerous safety concerns from cars parked on the side to unsafe intersections.

At the last meeting of the Tahoe Transportation District Board of Directors, several residents spoke up about safety, and offered several ideas to correct the issues.

We welcome President Obama to Lake Tahoe, which is admired for its great depth and clarity and beautiful alpine surroundings. As Tahoe’s public water agencies, we are hard at work on a water infrastructure initiative to enhance critical preparedness needs and hazard mitigation in the wildland-urban interface against the threat of catastrophic wildfire.

Valhalla wraps up their annual summer festival with two concerts in the Boathouse Theater on August 24 and 31. The Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre Festival is Lake Tahoe’s premier summer long festival of world class live music, theatre, visual and cultural arts, bring a wide range of activities to the historic estate.

Wednesday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m.

1:50 p.m. update 8/21: Fire officials have updated the acreage burned in Saturday's fire at the Carson River Resort. 29 acres burned have burned and fire fighters are in mop up mode.

The fire is now 60 percent contained.

-------

8:00 a.m. update 8/21: Firefighters have been able to get a 40 percent containment line around the Carson Fire which has burned 50 acres around the Carson River Resort south of Markleeville.

A 4,000 acres project in the North Lake Tahoe area is underway to thin trees in the forests to be both fire safe by reducing fuels, and to keep the forest healthy.

The latest project in the Incline Village area started last week on approximately 355 acres of National Forest System lands above Incline Village. Mechanical cut-to-length (CTL) tree removal will take place on USFS urban lots and in areas adjacent to communities over the next several months and some areas will be closed for public safety.

6:50 p.m. update - The gondola is no longer threatened by the Montreal Fire. The fires are contained at this time and expected to be controlled soon. Wrap up of fire activity is expected at 9:00 p.m. but personnel will remain on the scene to watch overnight.

----

Firefighters responded to two small fires on Sunday, one at Round Hill and the other in the meadow behind the Ross store.

A person walking behind the US Forest Service building and Ross/Rite Aid building saw a fire and rushed into Ross to call 911. Firefighters responded quickly and the small fire was quickly extinguished. The fire was only able to burn a 5 ft x 5 ft square. The cause is under investigation.