Prescribed fires planned for Truckee Ranger District
The Truckee Ranger District on the Tahoe National Forest will conduct prescribed fires this fall and winter to reduce build-up of hazardous fuels and to move towards restoring forest ecosystems.
Planned projects include low to moderate intensity understory burns of vegetation on the forest floor and burning piles of stacked woody material.
The goals of these projects are to re-establish natural ecosystems using fire, reduce the severity of future wildfires, and provide added protection for communities in the wildland urban interface. Prescribed fire helps to promote a diverse and more resilient forest, as well as improve habitat for wildlife.
The Forest Service is also working to reduce fuels by thinning dense stands of trees and brush using mechanical thinning, mastication, and hand removal of vegetation throughout the Tahoe National Forest.
All prescribed fire projects are conducted in accordance with a specific, approved prescribed fire burn plan.
The following is a list of prescribed fire projects currently planned for this fall and winter on the Truckee Ranger District:
· Highway 89 near Prosser Hill Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area – 1,000 acres of understory burning, approximately two miles north of Tahoe Donner and Prosser Lakeview/Prosser Heights and adjacent to Klondike Flats.
· Multiple Piled Material Operations – Sagehen (300 acres); Serene Lakes (2 acres); Henness Pass Road north of Stampede Reservoir (5 acres); Highway 89 (2 acres).
Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after lighting, depending on the project size.