Tahoe National Forest will begin a prescribed 544-acre underburn approximately 14 miles east of Foresthill, Calif. along Mosquito Ridge Road (Forest Service Rd. 96) in the area of the Placer Big Trees Grove. The Biggie Project area consists of 2,620 acres of prescribed fire treatment to promote forest resilience to wildfire, climate change and insect and disease outbreaks.
Biggie Underburn – Phase 1
American River Ranger District
Legal Location: T 14N R 12E
Section(s): 14
Acres: 544
Ignition Dates: As early as 10/17, 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.