Prescribed fires for Lake Tahoe, Spooner areas begin Monday

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations beginning Monday, Jan. 12.

Operations may take place near Tahoe City on Highway 28 between Rocky Ridge and Lake Forest, near Emerald Bay at Eagle Point Campground, the Boat Camp and behind Vikingsholm, Fallen Leaf Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Kingsbury Grade near Buchanan Road and Lake Village, north of Spooner Summit, and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park near Sand Harbor.

Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow. Winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which favor prescribed burning. Each 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 Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team 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. Agencies coordinate with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors 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 how smoke will travel. For more information, visit www.tahoefft.org.

Before conducting prescribed fire operations, agencies may post road signs around affected areas and make email or phone notifications. The Forest Service updates the local fire information line at 530-543-2600, #6. To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us. For more information on prescribed fire and smoke management tips, go here.

Project Information:

Project Name: Edgewood
— Responsible Agency/Contact: Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Keegan Schafer (775) 848-6277
— Descriptive Location: South of Kingsbury Grade, nearest cross street Buchanan Road
— Type of burn: Hand piles
— Total Acreage: 40
— Planned Ignition: 01/14/2015 through 01/17/2015 as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 7 days, piles will be allowed to burn out
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: East, northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Stateline, Round Hill and Kingsbury Grade

Project Name: Burton Creek State Park
— Responsible Agency/Contact: California State Parks, Rich Adams (530) 525-1222
— Legal Location: T16N R17E S31
— Descriptive Location: Upslope of Hwy 28, between Rocky Ridge and Lake Forest
— Type of burn: Hand piles
— Total Acreage: 50
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 20 days, intermittent
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast, downslope at night
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Highway 28 at Burton Creek, Lake Forest, North Tahoe High School, Highlands, Tahoe City

Project Name: Emerald Bay State Park
— Responsible Agency/Contact: California State Parks, Rich Adams (530) 525-1222
— Legal Location: T13N R17E S21, 22
— Descriptive Location: Eagle Point Campground, Boat Camp, and behind Vikingsholm
— Type of burn: Hand piles
— Total Acreage: 43
— Planned Ignition: 01/13/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 20 days, intermittent
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke will be visible from Hwy 89 around Emerald Bay.

Project Name: North Canyon Pile Burn
— Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
— Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 25,35,36
— Descriptive Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, 1 mile north of Spooner Summit, east of SR28
— Type of burn: Hand Piles
— Total Acreage: 30
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/15 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 3 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from SR28, US50 in the Spooner summit area, Tahoe Rim Trail north of Spooner Summit, Washoe Valley, Carson City

Project Name: Slaughterhouse Pile Burn

— Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
— Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 34
— Descriptive Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, 1.5 miles north of Spooner Summit, west of SR28
— Type of burn: Hand Piles
— Total Acreage: 5
— Planned Ignition: 01/13/15 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 3 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from SR28, US50 in the Spooner summit area, north of Glenbrook

Project Name: Sand Harbor Pile Burn
— Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
— Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 2; T16N R18E Sec 35
— Descriptive Location: Sand Harbor, Memorial Point
— Type of burn: Hand Piles
— Total Acreage: 20
— Planned Ignition: 01/13/15 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 3 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast/east
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from SR28, north end of Lake Tahoe, Washoe Valley

Project Name: Spooner CTL
— Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
— Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 11
— Descriptive Location: Hwy 28
— Type of burn: Hand/machine piles
— Total Acreage: 84
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Incline Village, Kings Beach and West Shore communities.

Project Name: Heavenly ULM
— Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
— Legal Location: T12/13N, R18E, Sec 1, 34
— Descriptive Location: Ski Run
— Type of burn: Hand Piles
— Total Acreage: 70.25
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible lake wide.

Project Name: Roundhill 26
— Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
— Legal Location: T13N, R18E, Sec 23
— Descriptive Location: Lower Kingsbury behind Lake Village
— Type of burn: Hand Piles
— Total Acreage: 13.5
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 6 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: East/Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from West Shore communities and parts of the South Shore

Project Name: Meow Units 9, 11, 14 and 15
— Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
— Legal Location: T12, 17E, Sec 12, 2 and 35
— Descriptive Location: Fallen Leaf Lake
— Type of burn: Machine Piles
— Total Acreage: 121
— Planned Ignition: 01/12/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
— Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 15 days of burn down time
— Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
— Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.