wildfire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Heading to Lake Tahoe this Labor Day weekend to celebrate the unofficial end of summer? Below are some tips and important information for residents and visitors to keep in mind for a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend.

RENO, NV – At Nevada Field Day on Sept. 8, visitors will be treated to a variety of free activities and giveaways, and even some tasty food samples.

As part of this year’s activities, nationally acclaimed local food advocate Mark Estee will present a cooking demonstration at 10 a.m. Estee has been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and in Esquire Magazine.

UPDATE 5:42PM: Old Highway 395 is now open in both directions after a wildfire closed the highway from Eastlake to Bellevue, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
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UPDATE: 5:20PM: Forward progress stopped on Washoe Valley "Berry Fire."

The 8-acre fire is now 30 percent contained according to Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.

Evacuations are still in place for remaining addresses.

Crews will remain on site overnight "mopping up." Some Carson City Fire Department crews are being released from the scene. The cause is under investigation.
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5:00PM: Good progress on the Berry Fire is reported by Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. Firefighters are working to secure utilities. The evacuation area has been reduced to 8 addresses. The Galena Evacuation Center is now closed.

Old US 395 between Bellevue and Eastlake Drive closed for approximately 1 hour.

Washoe Valley outages have yet to be fixed. Original estimated time of restoration was 5:30PM, however the fire could prolong the restoration.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Air quality in Douglas County reached the "hazardous"level again Thursday morning, the second time this week, while air quality in Carson City is in the "unhealthy" stage due to smoke from wildfires in the region, according to AirNow.gov.

Funding for upgrades and new cameras for the 26-camera AlertTahoe network, which tracked more than 100 fires for firefighters in 2017, was announced Tuesday by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Seismological Lab Director Graham Kent in a presentation at the annual Lake Tahoe Summit.

UPDATE 10:47AM TUESDAY: Air quality readings in Carson City and Douglas County were in the "unhealthy" range, according to AirNow.gov. The National Weather Service advises periods of degraded air quality will continue. However, many areas could see thinning smoke for at least the next couple days as winds shift to more east to southeast direction. This would carry the bulk of any new smoke away from the area, forecasters say. This may be a short-lived break as westerly flow looks like it will return late in the week and for the weekend.
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Air quality monitors in Carson City and Gardnerville are reporting levels of particulate matter in the unhealthy to hazardous range due to smoke from the wildfires in California, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

Nevada's State Forester Fire Warden Kacey KC on Friday ordered fire and travel restrictions for Northern and Eastern Nevada state and private lands, including state parks.

Noting a potentially dangerous fire weather situation with gusty winds and low humidity ahead, the National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning from Friday afternoon to Saturday night for Carson City, the Sierra and throughout much of the entire western and northern Nevada region.

CARSON CITY — Increased fuels due to the wet winter and spring, drying vegetation, high fuel loading, and increasing daytime temperatures have prompted the Bridgeport and Carson Ranger Districts on the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest to announce the implementation of fire restrictions beginning Saturday, August 4.

It’s time for a new week, but unfortunately, the air conditions are just more of the same. The summer’s wildfire season just seems to be getting worse. As the smoky air settles in the valley, you’ll need to be much more cautious about your outdoor activity. Let Chili’s take care of dinner tonight, it’s too hot to cook anyway, and you’ll be helping the Northern Nevada Dream Center raise funds to assist those less fortunate. Kids can beat the heat at the Carson City Library with the Happy Notes program, just make sure you register first: space is limited.

The Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center (SFIDC) in Minden has reported a 30-acre brush fire burning north off Interstate 80 in the area of the Apple Data Center near Patrick, just east of Sparks.

Nearly 25 years ago, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and dozens of partners embarked on an unprecedented mission to conserve and restore the Lake Tahoe Basin’s treasured natural resources through the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.

CARSON CITY — Even before the Martin Fire burned more than 430,000 acres in northeast Nevada, many of which contained prime sage-grouse habitat near Paradise Valley, a project to enhance this critical sage-grouse habitat was already in the works.

Carson City Fire Department was called Thursday afternoon to the area near Silver Saddle Ranch off of Carson River Road for a reported brush fire.

Above average summer temperatures are forecast over the next several days for Northwestern Nevada, including Carson City, bringing with them a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

In this edition of It's Your City, host Cortney Bloomer sits down with Carson City Fire Department Chief Sean Slamon to talk about fire danger this summer.

The morning after the Fourth of July one year, a dog showed up at our back door; a shaking, frightened and forlorn black labrador.

RENO — Lithium Nevada Corporation has made a gift of $31,500 in support of establishing the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources’ Great Basin Sagebrush Restoration project. Home to many iconic species found in the West, the sagebrush ecosystems in the United States have contracted to about 56 percent of their historical range due to land degradation, especially from wildfire and invasive species propagation.

The Fourth of July holiday and fireworks celebration brings a welcomed influx of boaters to the Lake Tahoe Basin.

With sunny skies and warm temperatures predicted, boaters are urged to clean, drain, and dry their boats before arriving at Lake Tahoe inspection stations to avoid delays and decontamination fees. All stations close at 5:30 p.m., so please plan accordingly.

With drying vegetation, increased daytime temperatures and several human-caused fires so far in 2018, fire restrictions on most federal public land in western Nevada begins Saturday and will last until further notice.

The Fourth of July is one of America’s great landmark holidays, celebrating our nation's independence. It is also a perfect time to enjoy National Forest System lands. However, it is vitally important that all users be aware that possessing, igniting, discharging, or using any kind of fireworks is prohibited on public lands.

UPDATE: 8:42AM: From Lyon County Facebook page: Lyon County had its 6th wildfire since June 2. The Upper Colony burned more than 1,000 acres on June 17, 2018. A Type 3 Incident Management Team took the fire over at 8 p.m.
The Smith Valley Fire District did an outstanding job working the fire and bringing in resources. Over 300 people fought this fire with 25 Engines, 3 Helicopters, 8 fixed wing aircraft, and 4 hand crews.

Lyon County opened a shelter at the Smith Valley Baptist Church. LCSO managed evacuations with the assistance of SAR and Douglas County. The Large Animal Rescue Team assisted with sheltering livestock.

A noticeable cooling trend will return to the Carson City region beginning Friday with breezy conditions followed by sunny skies and below normal daytime high temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.

UPDATE 8:45AM Thursday: From Erin Holland, U.S. Forest Service public information officer: “There is no change to the footprint of the fire overnight. Crews from the Sierra Front were able to hold the fire at 504 acres, which was reported last night. We should have an update of containment this afternoon. The fire remains 30 percent contained.” Containment is expected by 6 p.m. Friday night.
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Voluntary evacuations for the Carson Colony and Voltaire Canyon areas were lifted Wednesday afternoon as firefighters continue to make significant progress on the wildfire, according to Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon.

Monday updates to this story can be found here.
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UPDATE MONDAY MORNING: Lyon County and Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch reports the Chaves Fire has burned between 1,200 to 1,500 acres.
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UPDATE: 07:30PM: The Chaves Fire has now burned about 400 acres of BLM land near Stagecoach and Dayton. Fire crews with BLM, Nevada Division of Forestry and Central Lyon County Fire Protection District, among others, are on scene battling the blaze.
Follow this breaking news story on KTVN or KOLO-TV Channel 8 in Reno.

As we’ve learned from the recent Fire Season Outlook, year-round fire season is the new normal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and throughout the country.

Now is the perfect time to learn what to do to prepare your home and family to survive wildfire, and to take action.

Participants in the annual Battle Born Trail Series: Fire Up for Firefighters Multi-Hour Event in Washoe County raised $5,823.40 for the Nevada Local Assistance State Team Program, also known as Nevada LAST.

What began as a very dry winter in the Lake Tahoe Basin ended with Sierra snowpack approximately 85 percent of normal, thanks to heavy precipitation received during the month of March. However, both the National Interagency Fire Center and the Reno National Weather Service expect a warming trend to develop that will lead to drier than normal conditions by late spring.

The Carson City Fire Department is holding a Green Waste Collection Day this Saturday May 19, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Residents can bring pine needles, pine cones, branches and other vegetation to Carson River Park, located at 5013 Carson River Road.

DAYTON — The Central Lyon Fire Protection District is closing open burning for the season with final burning on Sunday, May 20, with a required burn permit.