Angora Fire Area Closure Extended Until January 31, 2008

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Angora Fire Area Closure Extended Until January 31, 2008

Forest Service Removes Urban Lots from Closed Area

South Lake Tahoe, CA. --USDA Forest Service officials of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit have extended the public closure of most of the Angora Fire area until January 31, 2008. The lack of snow cover to date leaves the area sensitive to disturbance and damage that may lead to erosion. The extension does not apply to the urban lots managed by the Forest Service.

The purpose of the closure is to allow for the emergency treatments, particularly the hydromulch, to remain undisturbed until significant snowfall reaches the area, and to maintain public safety in light of post-fire hazards, particularly tree falls. The Forest Service treated more than 600 acres using aerial hydromulching. The mulch material can be peeled away easily by people hiking or biking on it, which then allows water to run beneath it or wind to flake it away, undermining the treatment's ability to stabilize the soil.

The Angora Fire started on June 24, from an abandoned illegal campfire. The fire was contained on July 2, declared controlled on July 20 and declared out on November 15. The largest wildfire in the Lake Tahoe Basin in over a century, the Angora Fire scorched just under 3,100 acres, and destroyed more than 250 homes.

Emergency treatments were immediately implemented to protect life and property, as well as minimize environmental damage and water quality impacts on Angora Creek and Lake Tahoe.

For more information, contact the Forest Supervisor's Office at (530) 543-2694. The closure order, as well as a map of the area affected by the closure, is posted on the Forest Service LTBMU website: www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu

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How fires get their names

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Saturday, December 1, 2007