A small wildfire visible from Highway 89 above Emerald Bay on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe was reported late this afternoon, September 24, 2014. The fire is burning above Cascade Lake in the Snow Lake area of the Desolation Wilderness and is approximately one-quarter to one-half an acre. It is not related to the King Fire burning west of Lake Tahoe near Pollock Pines.
Forest Service crews along with helicopter-rappellers have responded and are working to extinguish the fire. Crews, supported by a helicopter making bucket drops, are using hand tools, chainsaws and pumps capable of pumping water out of nearby water sources, to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
With the King Fire still burning, the Forest Service is asking people to remember that fire restrictions are still in place in the Lake Tahoe Basin and to abide by those restrictions. Fire restrictions mean that no open fires or campfires are allowed outside of campgrounds with an onsite host. Campfires are never allowed in the Desolation Wilderness, only portable stoves are allowed with a valid campfire permit.
For more information about fire restrictions, go here.
