Forest Service begins pile burning in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction project area
The U.S. Forest Service announced that it will begin pile burning today, Monday, in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction project area north of Carson City near Washoe City as part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts.
The project area is in Washoe Valley about two miles west of Washoe City and 15 miles south of Reno. The Forest Service had planned on a pile burn for Dec. 6 but delayed the burning due to windy weather conditions.
The following is from an Oct. 6 news release from Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest on the planned pile burning:
Roughly 30 acres of pile burning is planned in the Arrowhawk Fuels Reduction Project area five miles west of Reno, Nevada. Burning will occur in the Mount Rose area near Timberline Road in the Thomas Creek and Whites Creek areas. Around 60 acres of piles will be burned in the North Washoe Valley Fuels Reduction Project area, 10 miles south of Reno, Nevada. The piles are located behind the Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory west of Interstate 580. An additional 160 acres of piles will be burned in the Little Valley Fuels Reduction area near Washoe Valley about two miles west of Washoe City, Nevada and 15 miles south of Reno, Nevada.
Go here for an explanation as to why prescribed fires are necessary.
On Oct. 14, the Little Valley Fire swept through the forest, destroying 23 homes, 17 outbuildings and burning more than 2,200 acres.
The wildfire was caused by gusty winds that likely carried embers from smoldering or re-ignited vegetation that crossed the control line from a Nevada Division of Forestry prescribed fire conducted earlier in the month, according to fire investigators with the Bureau of Land Management.