Starting Nov. 13, 2024, Tahoe National Forest will begin a prescribed pile burn near the North San Juan area at Cruzon Grade Road and Bear Trap Springs Road. Fire and fuels personnel plan to prescribed burn up to 50 acres with ignitions possible through Nov. 14. Smoke may be visible from the surrounding communities.
Pile burning is a type of prescribed fire where firefighters burn forest slash and debris that has been piled up from mechanical or hand-thinning projects to reduce an area’s wildfire risk.
Bear Trap Unit F Pile Burn
Yuba River Ranger District
Legal Location: T18N R9E Section 26
Acres: Up to 50
Ignition Dates: Nov. 13 – Nov. 14, conditions permitting
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.