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Control of the Fork Fire transferred to a local Type 3 team today. The fire was remapped and is 1,667 acres and is 70 percent contained and is located north of Pollock Pines and west of Lake Tahoe, burning in the Crystal Basin/Gerle Creek area. Strategy on the fire will remain the same with emphasis on clearing contingency lines distant from the main edge of the fire in case the fire begins to move.

Forest and fire managers would like people to be aware that while the fire closures are being reduced, there is still fire activity in the area.

Census results shape the future of communities, as census data informs how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs, disaster recovery initiatives, and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years.

If you haven’t completed the 2020 Census yet, you can still respond online, by phone, or by mail. The deadline to respond is September 30, 2020. There are still census takers out in neighborhoods trying to wrap up the county. For more information, visit https://my2020census.gov/.

Top 5 states to respond:
Idaho - 99.8%

The Fork Fire burning west of Lake Tahoe, north of Pollock Pines continues to be 1,752 acres in size but is now 61 percent contained. The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 has been in command of the Fork Fire since September 11 and will be handing that duty over to another team on Thursday, September 24.

The containment lines are to the north, east and south sides of the Fork Fire and fire continues to burn in the steep Rubicon drainage area.

351 personnel are assigned to the fire at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

Last Week's Log: http://southtahoenow.com/story/09/13/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-report
This Week's Report:

9/13

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The planned two-week closure of U.S. Highway 50 along a 1.2 mile stretch of Echo Summit will begin Friday, September 18 at 3:00 a.m. One-lane controlled traffic has been happening all week, and now both lanes will be closed as crews replace the 1939 bridge with brand new girders to meet seismic and safety standards.

The Fork Fire west of Lake Tahoe remains at 1,752 acres and is now 34 percent contained. Low pressure off the coast will advance toward the region, bringing an increase in afternoon southwest winds across ridge tops and aligned drainages. Dry conditions will persist with slight cooling.

The front will pass over the area on Friday, driving gusty southwest and west winds with cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Little to no precipitation is expected.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Fire Weather Watch to be in effect for Lake Tahoe and Western Nevada for Thursday at 11:00 a.m. through Friday at 8:00 p.m.

Winds will be from the southwest on Thursday, shifting to west on Friday. Sustained winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph possible for both days. Strongest gusts Thursday could be US Highway 50 north and on Friday could be US Highway 50 south. Winds in valleys should weaken late Thursday evening, while Sierra ridges continue to gust in the 70-90 mph range overnight.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

Last Week's Log - http://southtahoenow.com/story/09/06/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-report

This Week's Log

9/6

10:13 a.m. - Vacation Home Rental - Susquehanna Dr - VHR COMPLAINT

As ashes fell delicately from a blazing orange sky earlier this week, Lake Tahoe got a jarring glimpse of just one of the threats of the climate crisis. The frequency and intensity of wildfires in the West are breaking records and destroying communities. Scientists are also measuring wilder weather patterns, more severe droughts, and changing ecosystems as the planet’s temperature rises. More drought means more dead trees, and hotter summers mean a longer and more
severe fire season.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After one day of blue skies above Lake Tahoe, smoke once again has filled the Basin. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno, the smoke is from multiple fires including the Fork Fire west of Lake Tahoe which sent some smoke into Emerald Bay on Wednesday.

NWS Reno has just issued a Dense Smoke Advisory which is in effect now through Friday at 5:00 p.m. due to the smoke moving into the area faster than previously forecast.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to dangerous fire conditions, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore has just announced that ALL National Forests in California will close Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. until further notice. This order includes the California and Nevada sides of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. On Monday, eight National Forests were closed and now an additional ten from the state have been added to the list.

Liberty Utilities does not anticipate implementing a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for its customers in the Sierra. PG&E to the west of Lake Tahoe has implemented PSPSs and there was concern of Liberty customers that the same would happen around Lake Tahoe.

Below is what was posted to the Liberty Utilities social media channels and on our website. The weather situation and conditions are being monitored very closely and the public will be informed should things change.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Make sure you check out the Lake Tahoe Basin's Red Flag Warning and Lake Wind Advisory for Tuesday, September 7 (SEE HERE).

The Slink Fire burning in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness area of the Humboldt-Toiyable National Forest and Stanislaus National Forest area. So far, 20,795 acres have burned and the 679 personnel on the fire have it 31 percent contained.

The fire started Saturday, August 29 at approximately 6:00 p.m. and it is lightning caused and burning two miles west of the town of Coleville.

There was increased fire behavior Sunday in timber strands. In the area are Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon-Juniper and mixed conifer.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

Last Week's Log - http://southtahoenow.com/story/08/30/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-report

This Week's Log:

8/30

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It is going to be a hot one in Lake Tahoe over the Labor Day Weekend as well as in Western Nevada and Northern California.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Heat Advisory from 11:00 a.m. Friday to 8:00 p.m. Sundayfor Lake Tahoe due to consecutive days of high temperature. The forecast highs are 90-93 degrees those three days and record high temperatures are likely this holiday weekend.

Not only will there be high temperatures, there will also be widespread haze due to Northern California fires.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The first week of September will be a warm one at Lake Tahoe. August wraps up with widespread haze from the fires north of the lake and a slightly "cooler" day. Things will be clearing out Tuesday and an unusually warm air mass takes hold the end of the week and through the weekend with temperatures likely to near record highs.

Smoke from the fires burning north of Lake Tahoe continue to fill the area Sunday morning. The Sheep Fire near Honey Lake is 29,517 acres and 38 percent contained, the Loyalton Fire is at 98 percent containment and 47,029 acres. The North Complex burning in Lassen and Plumas forests is 61,093 acres and 37 percent contained.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A collaboration between the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, El Dorado County Behavioral Health, Barton Health and the Caltahoe JPA ambulance will be bringing a new service to South Lake Tahoe community members in crisis.

The emerging collaboration is called the South Tahoe Alternative Collaborative Services (STACS).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Unstable conditions will exist to start off the week with a Red Flag Warning until 11:00 a.m. Monday. The forecast is on track for thunderstorms chances through Tuesday as moisture leftover from tropical storm Genevieve moves northward through the region.

There are no thunderstorms in the forecast Wednesday through Saturday and afternoon breezes look to be on the lower-end of the spectrum. Afternoon temperatures should trend down to near normal by midweek but may start to trend warmer next weekend.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of the long term and short term projects the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has scheduled for the week around Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra and El Dorado County.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Through a partnership between Carson Capitols Lacrosse and the High Sierra Lacrosse League, a youth clinic will be held on August 29, 9 a.m. at the John L. Harvey Field at Western Nevada College.

Location

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Multiple new fires, mostly from last week’s lightning, are causing a drastic decrease in air quality at Lake Tahoe and throughout the state. Another inversion is expected to set up overnight Thursday, and visibility may be impaired due to smoky conditions.

The air quality in all area communities has been around the unhealthy to very unhealthy range for the past two days. As of 3:45 p.m. Thursday, the Air Quality Index in South Lake Tahoe was 195.

LOYALTON, Calif. - Fire officials with the Tahoe National Forest say the Loyalton Fire has now burned 36,295 acres and is at five percent containment as of 8:30 a.m. Monday.

They have determined the fire is lightning caused. It started Friday afternoon east of the town of Loyalton. It spread quickly resulting in the closures of US395 and SR70, both of which have reopened.

A forest closure was issued by the Humboldt-Toyabe National Forest for the Dog Valley area due to the fire's southern spread.