Widespread prescribed fire operations to continue around Lake Tahoe Basin

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue widespread prescribed fire operations around the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Operations may take place in Ward Canyon near Sunnyside, off Fairway Drive near Tahoe City, Carnelian Woods Avenue in Carnelian Bay, Anaho Road in Crystal Bay, Crosby Court, Jennifer Street and Tyner Way in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park near Spooner Lake, Edgewood Drive on Kingsbury Grade, near Van Sickle Bi-State Park, Ski Run Boulevard near Pioneer Trail and off South Upper Truckee Road.

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 Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) will give 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 how smoke will travel.

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. To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us. For more information on prescribed fire operations and smoke management tips, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/RxFireOps.

Project Information:

Project Name: Ward Creek
· Responsible Agency/Contact: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Isaac Powning 775-233-0936
· Legal Location: T15N R16E Sec 23
· Descriptive Location: Ward Canyon, Sunnyside area
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 18
· Planned Ignition: Nov. 16 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: two days of burn down time, each unit
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast/East
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible throughout Tahoe Basin and surrounding communities.

Project Name: Fairway/Bunker
· Responsible Agency/Contact: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Isaac Powning 775-233-0936
· Legal Location: T 15N R17E Sec 6
· Descriptive Location: Fairway Drive near North Tahoe Fire Station 51, Tahoe City, CA
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 28
· Planned Ignition: Nov. 16 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: two days of burn down time, each unit
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast/East
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible throughout Tahoe Basin and surrounding communities.

Project Name: NDSL Lake Tahoe Urban Parcels
· Responsible Agency/Contact: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Isaac Powning 775-233-0936
· Legal Location: Various throughout Incline Village and Crystal Bay
· Descriptive Location: Crosby Ct, Jennifer St, Tyner Way (Incline Village), Anaho (Crystal Bay)
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 4.82
· Planned Ignition: Nov. 16 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: two days of burn down time, each unit
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast/East
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible throughout Tahoe Basin and surrounding communities.

Project Name: Friday Station
· Responsible Agency/Contact: Tahoe Douglas Fire District/ Keegan Schafer 775.848.6277
· Legal Location: T13N, R18E, Sec 26
· Descriptive Location: Park Cattleman’s Property below/adjacent to Van Sickle State park
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 35
· Planned Ignition: Nov. 11 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/North East
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from much of Stateline area, Kahle drive, and Lower Kingsbury.
· Project Name: Palisades 2
· Responsible Agency/Contact: Tahoe Douglas Fire District/ Keegan Schafer 775.848.6277
· Legal Location: T13N, R18E, Sec 25
· Descriptive Location: Edgewood Canyon Road off Palisades Drive
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 30
· Planned Ignition: 11/13/2014 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 10 days of burn down time
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/ North East
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from most parts of Kingsbury Grade

Project Name: North Canyon Pile Burn
· Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
· Legal Location: T14N R18E Sec 1; T15N, R18E, Sec 35,36
· Descriptive Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, 1 mile north of Spooner Summit, east of SR28; Also burning north and east of Spooner Lake
· Type of burn: Hand Piles
· Total Acreage: 100
· Planned Ignition: Nov. 16 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: two 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 and south 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: Nov. 23 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: three 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, Skunk Harbor Road, north of Glenbrook

Project Name: Brockway Units 1027, 27, 30
· Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
· Legal Location: 16N, 17E. Section12, 21
· Descriptive Location: Carnelian Woods Road
· Type of burn: Hand
· Total Acreage: 137
· Planned Ignition: 11/13/2015 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 South Lake, East Shore Communities, and some West Shore Communities.

Project Name: Pioneer ULM
· Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
· Legal Location: 12N, 18E. Section 2
· Descriptive Location: Ski Run/Pioneer Trail
· Type of burn: Hand
· Total Acreage: 6
· Planned Ignition: 11/13/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: one day of burn down time
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake, East Shore Communities, and some West Shore Communities.

Project Name: ERP
· Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
· Legal Location: 11N, 18E. Section 8
· Descriptive Location: South Upper Truckee Rd
· Type of burn: Hand
· Total Acreage: 4
· Planned Ignition: 11/13/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
· Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: two days of burn down time
· Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
· Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake, East Shore Communities, and some West Shore Communities.