Forest Service: Small wildfire burning above Cascade Lake in Desolation Wilderness
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 09/24/2014 - 6:40pm
UPDATE THURSDAY 9AM: A wildfire above Cascade Lake on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe reported late Wednesday afternoon continues to burn, and the size is now reported at 30 acres as of this morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire is burning in the Snow Lake area of the Desolation Wilderness near Emerald Bay. This wildfire is not related to the King Fire currently burning west of Lake Tahoe.
There is no threat to structures at this time. The Forest Service has closed Bayview, Eagle Falls, Tallac, Glen Alpine and Stanford Camp trailheads, as well as Bayview Campground, for public safety and to allow for suppression operations.
Forest Service, CalFire and other agency resources are responding. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but has been determined to be human-caused.
The Forest Service is asking that people traveling through the area refrain from pulling over to view the firefighting operations. Highway 89 is very narrow at that point and lacks sufficient shoulders, so pulling over creates a safety hazard and may hamper fire response.
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.
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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.
