U.S. Forest Service
UPDATE: The smoke that has settled into Carson City this Tuesday evening is from prescribed burning taking place around the Lake Tahoe Basin, confirmed Carson City Fire Chief Bob Schreihans.
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The North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations this week in several areas around Lake Tahoe.
If conditions are favorable, operations may begin on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and may continue through the week. Operations may take place at Stillwater Cover near Crystal Bay, off Logan Creek Drive, near Cave Rock, Zephyr Heights and Round Hill, and on urban lots near Heavenly Mountain Resort, off North Upper Truckee Road and near Big Meadow off Highway 89 South.
Operations will continue as conditions allow. To view a map with project location and details, visit the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team website at www.tahoefft.org.
Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. Each prescribed fire 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 TFFT 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 and environmental conditions. Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitor 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 and how smoke will travel.
To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us.
Before prescribed fire operations are conducted, agencies post road signs around areas affected by prescribed fire, send email notifications and update the local fire information line at 530-543-2816.
