Single Incident Information

• Name of project: East Zone Roadside Underburn
• Type of burn: Underburn
• Project potential acreage: 115
• Ignition dates:  Beginning as early as May 10 for up to 7 days, conditions permitting

Tahoe National Forest will begin a prescribed underburn along Forest Service roads near Boca and Stampede Reservoirs in the Truckee, Calif. area. Fire and fuels personnel plan to prescribed burn up to 115 acres starting as early as Friday, May 10 and continuing for approximately 7 days, conditions permitting.

This prescribed burn is a continuation of critical roadside fuels reduction work that began in 2023 along Tahoe National Forest roads to establish fuel breaks in the event of a wildfire. Fuel breaks can provide improved opportunities for fire suppression. Along roads, they also help establish safe ingress and egress routes for the public and firefighting resources should a wildfire impact the area.

Why Are We Burning?

The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area. Other benefits include enhancing wildlife habitat and reintroducing fire into a fire-adapted ecosystem.

Why Now?

Current conditions allow for prescribed burning. Each prescribed fire 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 National Forest strives to give as much advance notice as possible before burning, but some operations may be conducted on short notice.

Smoke

Smoke from prescribed fire operations is normal and may continue for several days after an ignition depending on the project size and environmental conditions. Smoke may settle into the valleys in the evening and lift in the morning. The Tahoe National Forest coordinates with state and local county air pollution control districts and monitors weather conditions closely prior to prescribed fire ignition. Crews also conduct test burns before igniting a larger area, to verify how effectively fuels are consumed and how smoke will travel.