TFFT Lake Tahoe Basin Multi-agency Prescribed Fire Operations Continue #CaFire

Saturday, February 7, 2015

TFFT Lake Tahoe Basin Multi-agency Prescribed Fire Operations Continue #CaFire

February 7, 2015

Multi-agency prescribed fire operations continue next week

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. –The California Tahoe Conservancy, Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations in numerous areas around the Lake Tahoe Basin next week beginning Monday, February 9, 2015. On the South and West shores of Lake Tahoe, operations may take place south of Tahoe City near Sunnyside, Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School, Christmas Valley, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, and Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly. On the East Shore, operations may take place on lower Kingsbury Grade off Easy Street, Logan Creek Drive, the north side of Spooner Summit, Slaughterhouse Canyon and near Memorial Point at Sand Harbor. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Fall and 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 (TFFT) 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.

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, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/RxFireOps.

Burn Projects Information:

Project Name: Talmont/Tahoe Park Heights
Responsible Agency/Contact: California Tahoe Conservancy, Milan Yeates (530) 543-6058
Legal Location: T15N, R16E, Sec 13
Descriptive Location: West of Sunnyside
Type of Burn: Hand pile
Total Acreage: 18
Planned Ignition: 02/10/15 - 02/12/15
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 5 days burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/northeast
Communities of Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Sunnyside, Talmont, Tahoe City and surrounding communities.

Project Name: North Canyon Pile Burn
Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 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: 10
Planned Ignition: 2/10/15 and continuing as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 2 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, and 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: 2/10/15 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 visiblefrom SR28, US50 in the Spooner summit area, and 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: 2/10/15 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, the north end of Lake Tahoe and Washoe Valley.

Project Name: Van Sickle Pile Burn
Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741
Legal Location: T13N, R18E, Sec 26
Descriptive Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Van Sickle Unit, south of Kingsbury with access via Palisades to end of Easy Street
Type of burn: Hand piles
Total Acreage: 15
Planned Ignition: 2/10/15 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 SR207 and residential areas along Kingsbury Grade, Stateline, South Lake Tahoe, Heavenly Ski Area, and U.S. Highway 50 southbound at Round Hill.

Project Name: Heavenly ULM
Agency Contact: U.S. Forest Service, John Washington (530) 543-2652
Legal Location: T12/13N, R18E, Sec 1, 34
Descriptive Location: Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA
Type of burn: Hand Piles
Total Acreage: 70.25
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 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 Stateline, South Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.

Project Name: Highland
Agency Contact: U.S. Forest Service, John Washington (530) 543-2652
Legal Location: 12N, R18E, Sec 6
Descriptive Location: Gardner Mtn. area, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Type of burn: Hand piles
Total Acreage: 120
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 6 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.

Project Name: Viking
Agency Contact: U.S. Forest Service, John Washington (530) 543-2652
Legal Location: 12N, R18E, Sec 6
Descriptive Location: Gardner Mtn. area, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Type of burn: Hand piles
Total Acreage: 148
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 6 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from South Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.

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 north of Spooner Summit
Type of burn: Hand/machine piles
Total Acreage: 84
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 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: Logan
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
Legal Location: T14N, R18E, Sec 22
Descriptive Location: Logan House Community, near Logan Creek Drive, East Shore
Type of burn: Hand/machine piles
Total Acreage: 23
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 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: Luther
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
Legal Location: T11N, R18E, Sec 15
Descriptive Location: Luther Pass/Grass Lake
Type of burn: Hand
Total Acreage: 55
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 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 Meyers, South Lake Tahoe and South Shore communities as well as visitors traveling over Echo Summit and Luther Pass

Project Name: Bob White
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
Legal Location: T14N, R17E, Sec 29
Descriptive Location: North of Emerald Bay
Type of Burn: Hand piles
Total Acreage: 150
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 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 Tahoma and surrounding communities.

Project Name: Christmas Valley
Responsible Agency/Contact: U.S. Forest Service, Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
Legal Location: T11N R18E sec. 29
Descriptive Location: along Christmas Valley downhill trail
Type of Burn: Hand piles
Total Acreage: 30
Planned Ignition: 02/09/2015 and continuing as conditions permit
Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 5 days of burn down time
Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Meyers, South Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.

Contacts: California Tahoe Conservancy, Milan Yeates 530-543-6058

Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw 775-684-2741

U.S. Forest Service, Lisa Herron 530-543-2815

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About the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consists of representatives of Tahoe Basin fire agencies, Cal Fire, Nevada Division of Forestry and related state agencies, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the USDA Forest Service, conservation districts from both states, the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Our Mission is to protect lives, property and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire by implementing prioritized fuels reduction projects and educating the public on becoming a Fire Adapted Community.

For more information, visit www.tahoefft.org

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CFN - California Fire News 2013

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Saturday, February 7, 2015