Agencies continue prescribed fire operations around Lake Tahoe
Submitted by editor on Fri, 11/21/2014 - 11:48am
The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations in the Van Sickle Park, McKinney Rubicon and Heavenly urban lot areas. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.
Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. Each operation follows a prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. This information is used to decide when and where to burn. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team gives as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice.
Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size. The agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. They wait for favorable conditions that will carry smoke up and out of the Basin. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed how smoke will travel.
Before prescribed fire operations are conducted, the agencies post road signs around areas affected by prescribed fire, send email notifications and update the local fire information line at 530-543-2600, #6. To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us. For more information on prescribed fire and smoke management tips, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/RxFireOps.
Project Information:
· Project Name: Van Sickle Park
· Responsible Agency/Contact: Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Keegan Schafer (775) 848-6277
· Legal Location: T13N R18E S25
· Descriptive Location: Southwest off Heavenly’s Boulder parking lot
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 20
· Planned Ignition: 11/23/2014 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Upper Kingsbury and surrounding communities.
Project Name: Heavenly ULM
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, John Washington (530) 543-2652
Legal Location: T12/13N, R18E, Sec 1, 34
Descriptive Location: Ski Run Boulevard and Pioneer Trail
Type of burn: Hand Piles
Total Acreage: 70.25
Planned Ignition: Operations began 11/09/2014 and will continue as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.
Project Name: Grouse 13-2
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, John Washington (530) 543-2652
Legal Location: T14N, R16E, Sec 13
Descriptive Location: McKinney Rubicon
Type of burn: Hand Piles
Total Acreage: 50 Acres
Planned Ignition: Operations began 11/09/2014 and will continue as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 11 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from the East Shore, Tahoma and surrounding communities.
For more information, visit www.tahoefft.org.
