Tahoe National Forest begins 406-acre prescribed burn. Here’s what visitors need to know
Officials in Tahoe National Forest are trying to get ahead of wildfire risk with a prescribed burn over a significant piece of forestland just north of Lake Tahoe this week.
The plan is to burn 406 acres at Sagehen Summit off Highway 89 and Forest Service Road 878, a few miles north of Truckee. The burn began Thursday and is expected to last about 10 days, according to U.S. Forest Service personnel.
“The burn is really two-fold,” said Jonathan Cook-Fisher, a district ranger for the forest’s Truckee Ranger District. “One is to decrease the existing fire hazard to so that we can help prevent catastrophic wildfire within our large landscapes. The second is to actually provide a level of restoration because fire is a natural part of the Sierra Nevada forest.”
Smoke is expected to be visible from Truckee, Donner Pass, Independence Lake and the Boca and Stampede reservoir areas. But smoke is not expected to be as harmful to the air quality in the surrounding areas as a normal wildfire. Officials said it shouldn’t affect those living or traveling to the area.
“We expect some amount of drift smoke, but it will be nothing like the wildfires that have occurred over the last several years,” Cook-Fisher said. “I do expect there to be some settling smoke overnight. The winds may shift and blow smoke various places, including Truckee, Sierraville, maybe as far east as Reno. But it shouldn’t impact, I would say, one to visit the region.”
The burns are happening more than a month before the start of ski season, with most resorts in the Tahoe area expected to open in late November, but October is still a busy time for tourism, hiking, camping and enjoying the lake given the cooling temperatures and foliage changing to fall colors.
The current conditions in the Sierras were a legitimate factor when it came to the decision to have the prescribed burn.
“We’ve got the right level of humidity, we have the right window for weather, we have resources,” Cook-Fisher said. “The current conditions, they dictate when and if we can do prescribed fires, so they’re really important.”
The planned burn comes days after Tahoe National Forest lifted campfire restrictions in the area Oct. 2 because “above average fuel moisture levels and favorable weather conditions minimize fire danger,” the forest service said in a news release.
“Despite the end of fire restrictions, the risk of wildfire is always present,” said Kyle Jacobsen, a Tahoe National Forest fire management officer. “We ask those wishing to have a campfire in the forest to do so safely and responsibly.”
Tahoe National Forest noted a valid California Campfire Permit is required to have a campfire outside a designated recreation area. They also discourage campfires if there’s any wind present and urge visitors to make sure all campfires are completely extinguished by drowning it out with water and tamping it down with dirt.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Tahoe National Forest begins 406-acre prescribed burn. Here’s what visitors need to know."
