Widespread prescribed fire operations to continue
Release Date: Nov 7, 2014
Contact(s): Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw (775) 684-2741, or U.S. Forest Service, Lisa Herron (530) 543-2815
Incline Village, Nev. – The Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations in the Incline Village, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Heavenly, Slaughterhouse Canyon, Christmas Valley, Pioneer Trail, Ward Canyon and McKinney Rubicon areas beginning today, November 7, 2014.
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. The 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 prescribed fire operations are conducted, the agencies post road signs around areas affected by prescribed fire, send email notifications and update 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.
Project Information:
- Project Name: Van Sickle Round 10
- Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry,Roland Shaw 775-684-2741
- Legal Location: T13N, R18E, Sec 25
- Descriptive Location: Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Van Sickle Unit south of Kingsbury Grade with access off Vista and Easy Street
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 186
- Planned Ignition: Continuing through November as conditions permit
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 2 days of burn down time
- Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
- Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visiblefrom south shore, west shore of Lake Tahoe, and Carson Valley. Kingsbury Grade residential areas.
- Project Name: Tunnel Creek Prescribed Fire
- Responsible Agency/Contact: Nevada Division of Forestry, Roland Shaw 775-684-2741
- Legal Location: 16N, R18E, Sec 26
- Descriptive Location: Tunnel Creek drainage, south of Incline Village
- Type of burn: Understory
- Total Acreage: 29 acres
- Planned Ignition: November 12 to 13, 2014 and continuing as conditions permit until 29 acres burned.
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 5 individual units to ignite. Typically ignite one unit per day.
- Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast. Smoke from one 5-acre unit on the north slope above Mill Creek drainage will go south or southeast.
- Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Incline Village, Washoe Valley
- Project Name: South Upper Truckee
- Responsible Agency/Contact: John Washington 530-543-2652
- Legal Location: T11N R18E sec 8, 17, 5
- Descriptive Location: Christmas Valley, Meyers, CA
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 15
- Planned Ignition: 11/09/2014 continuing as conditions permit
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 1 day of burn down time
- Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
- Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Meyers and surrounding communities.
- Project Name: Heavenly ULM
- Responsible Agency/Contact: John Washington (530) 543-2652
- Legal Location: T12/13N, R18E, Sec 1, 34
- Descriptive Location: Ski Run Boulevard and Pioneer Trail
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 70.25
- Planned Ignition: 11/09/2014 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 Tahoe and surrounding communities.
- Project Name: Slaughterhouse CTL 11
- Responsible Agency/Contact: Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
- Legal Location: T15N, R18E, Sec 38
- Descriptive Location: Slaughterhouse
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 22
- Planned Ignition: 11/07/2014 and continuing as conditions permit
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 1 day of burn down time
- Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: North/Northeast
- Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visible from Glenbrook and surrounding communities.
- Project Name: Pioneer ULM
- Responsible Agency/Contact: Kyle Jacobson (530) 543-2658
- Legal Location: 12N, R18E, Sec 1,2,3,4
- Descriptive Location: Pioneer Trail, South Lake Tahoe
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 50
- Planned Ignition: 11/09/2014 and continuing as conditions permit
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 1 day 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: Grouse 13-2
- Responsible Agency/Contact: John Washington (530) 543-2652
- Legal Location: T14N, R16E, Sec 13
- Descriptive Location: McKinney Rubicon
- Type of burn: Hand Piles
- Total Acreage: 50 Acres
- Planned Ignition: 11/09/2014 thru 11/20/2014 as conditions permit
- Duration of Ignition and Smoke Production: 11 days of burn down time
- Estimated Direction of Smoke Travel: Northeast
- Communities or Smoke Sensitive Areas: Smoke may be visiblefrom the East Shore, Tahoma and surrounding communities.
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