The U.S. Forest Service will begin burning slash piles on the Tahoe east shore today along Kingsbury Grade and near Secret Harbor.
Slash piles on approximately 23 acres of urban lots on lower Kingsbury Grade will be burned as well as piles on 99 acres along Highway 28 near Secret Harbor.
The objective of prescribed burning is to reduce slash and brush or "fuel loading" near residential areas, decreasing the risk of major fire in the wildland/urban interface.
In planning each burn, fire management personnel work with the National Weather Service and local air quality management districts to minimize smoke in nearby communities. However, some smoke may settle into drainages and valleys during morning and evening hours, until atmospheric conditions allow the smoke to disperse. At night, personnel will monitor burn sites at regular intervals. When necessary, patrols will be stationed on site continuously.