U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews are conducting a number of prescribed fire operations Monday in several areas around Lake Tahoe. Carson City dispatch was alerted by concerned residents this afternoon about smoke seen south and west of C Hill. Firefighters confirmed it came from the controlled burns.
Prescribed fire activities are taking place on Spooner Summit on the East Shore, off of Bunker Drive near Tahoe City, on the west side of Highway 89 N near Tahoma, and in the Luther Pass Campground off of Highway 89 S near South Lake Tahoe.
Crews may continue operations through the weekend if weather, staffing, and conditions permit. Locations may vary due to changing conditions.
All prescribed fire projects are conducted in accordance with an approved prescribed fire burn plan. Burn plans describe specific conditions under which operations are conducted including the weather, number of personnel, opportunities to minimize smoke impacts, and available burn days. This information is used to decide when and where to burn.
Smoke from prescribed fire may continue for several days after the initial ignition. Smoke that settles in low lying areas in the morning usually lifts out of the area during normal daytime heating. All prescribed fires are monitored regularly for burning and smoke dispersal and action is taken to mitigate concerns as they arise. The Forest Service makes every effort to conduct prescribed fire operations during weather patterns that carry smoke away from communities.
Last summer’s wildfires serve as a reminder of the importance of fuels reduction and that smoke produced during a prescribed fire is less intense and of shorter duration than that of a wildfire. For more information on prescribed fire and smoke management tips, go here.
Forest Service staff will post road signs around the areas affected by the 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.
To learn more about the efforts to reduce wildfire risks in the Tahoe Basin read the Lake Tahoe Basin Multi-jurisdictional Fuel Reduction Plan found here.
Visit an excellent web site and learn about Prescribed Fire vs. Wildfire at: www.smokeybear.com/prescribed-fires.asp.