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Fires in Lake Tahoe area???
- Thread starter Melensdad
- Start date
kgracey
New member
I'm on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, at Tahoe City. We can see the fires from this side but they're 26 miles away. Tahoe is very fire-prone this year due to a low-snow winter.
The local community is banding together with a collection point for necessities on Saturday at Commons Beach, so we're going to help get these people back on their feet the best we can.
These people face an uphill battle with reconstruction. The Tahoe Basin has the most heavily regulated development review I've ever encountered. Everything from ground coverage, land capability, views and house colors are counted, regulated, approved and measured by our local e x p e r t s. Hopefully they'll ease the process for these folks.
- Ken
The local community is banding together with a collection point for necessities on Saturday at Commons Beach, so we're going to help get these people back on their feet the best we can.
These people face an uphill battle with reconstruction. The Tahoe Basin has the most heavily regulated development review I've ever encountered. Everything from ground coverage, land capability, views and house colors are counted, regulated, approved and measured by our local e x p e r t s. Hopefully they'll ease the process for these folks.
- Ken
Having been through the area many times and from watching on TV I am surprised at how close the trees are to the houses. My wife asked me if that was normal. I told her I bet they have laws or regulations about cutting any trees on your property. Hell some of those trees were 12" from the houses we saw on tv! I bet they also have regulations about clearing out the old dead trees as well. I hope those people will be all right.
Yep, you've got to have a defensible space around structures, 30' min. with no trees and with gravel or watered lawn. It's crazy to see those big old trees leaning over those nice homes. Firefighters won't risk their lives defending a forested home, but you give them some space and I've seen them do fantastic work on structure protection.
If I were a homeowner there I would invest in a thermo-gel kit. The USFS used it up here and it saved homes. They doused our cabin in the stuff, and although the fire never reached it, the stuff was wet, cold, slickr'n snot, and clung to everything, even vertical walls. It can be re-wetted after it's dry and stays effective for several hours, even in hot dry weather. There were gobs of it on the ground the next spring that I slipped on and nearly broke my a$$. Okay, so it's a b1tch to clean out of your screens, but at least you'll still have them.
Good luck out there and be safe!
If I were a homeowner there I would invest in a thermo-gel kit. The USFS used it up here and it saved homes. They doused our cabin in the stuff, and although the fire never reached it, the stuff was wet, cold, slickr'n snot, and clung to everything, even vertical walls. It can be re-wetted after it's dry and stays effective for several hours, even in hot dry weather. There were gobs of it on the ground the next spring that I slipped on and nearly broke my a$$. Okay, so it's a b1tch to clean out of your screens, but at least you'll still have them.
Good luck out there and be safe!
One news report was predicting that this scene will be happening in quite a few areas this year. 1/2 of the US is in drought conditions. We might see wildfires like never before.
Then the reporter added that places like northern Texas that have received record rainfalls is very green and lots of vegetation growing, later this summer when it drys up this growth will fuel even bigger fires in that area. It seems you can't win if that reporters prediction comes true.
Then the reporter added that places like northern Texas that have received record rainfalls is very green and lots of vegetation growing, later this summer when it drys up this growth will fuel even bigger fires in that area. It seems you can't win if that reporters prediction comes true.
Here it the latest news from the AP/Yahoo! News, it does not look to good 
Back to Story - Help
More strong wind could drive Tahoe fire
By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 8 minutes ago
Firefighters worried Wednesday about a threatened resurgence of the stiff wind that has stoked the turbulent wildfire near Lake Tahoe, where a flare-up a day earlier forced thousands more residents to flee.
Fire officials believed they had a handle on the eastern edge of the blaze, which has destroyed nearly 200 homes at the south end of the scenic alpine lake. But a large gust Tuesday afternoon pushed firefighters off the line they had been holding for more than a day.
The surge briefly trapped two firefighters and forced the evacuation of a 300-home subdivision.
With wind forecast to reach 30 mph again Wednesday, officials warned that more homes, including some in the most affluent waterfront neighborhoods, could be threatened. Inmate crews were deployed to clear brush along state Route 89 in case flames jumped the fire line again.
"Tomorrow's the test," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Tom Efird said late Tuesday. "Hopefully there will be no more tests."
At one point Tuesday, authorities said the danger to homes had diminished as the wind abated, but by Tuesday evening the blaze that started Sunday had charred more than 3,000 acres — about 4.7 square miles — and was only 44 percent contained, fire officials said.
Containment is not expected before next Tuesday, said Rich Hawkins, a Forest Service fire commander.
Back to Story - Help
More strong wind could drive Tahoe fire
By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 8 minutes ago
Firefighters worried Wednesday about a threatened resurgence of the stiff wind that has stoked the turbulent wildfire near Lake Tahoe, where a flare-up a day earlier forced thousands more residents to flee.
Fire officials believed they had a handle on the eastern edge of the blaze, which has destroyed nearly 200 homes at the south end of the scenic alpine lake. But a large gust Tuesday afternoon pushed firefighters off the line they had been holding for more than a day.
The surge briefly trapped two firefighters and forced the evacuation of a 300-home subdivision.
With wind forecast to reach 30 mph again Wednesday, officials warned that more homes, including some in the most affluent waterfront neighborhoods, could be threatened. Inmate crews were deployed to clear brush along state Route 89 in case flames jumped the fire line again.
"Tomorrow's the test," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Tom Efird said late Tuesday. "Hopefully there will be no more tests."
At one point Tuesday, authorities said the danger to homes had diminished as the wind abated, but by Tuesday evening the blaze that started Sunday had charred more than 3,000 acres — about 4.7 square miles — and was only 44 percent contained, fire officials said.
Containment is not expected before next Tuesday, said Rich Hawkins, a Forest Service fire commander.
The winds are picking up here! I am 5 hours from Tahoe but the winds are comming out of the South. Not a good sign for Tahoe. I hope they are spared these winds tonight.
kgracey
New member
Interesting - you guys seem to have nailed the problem without knowing everything about the bureacracy we face around here.
You're right - removing trees is a no-no. Each main road has what's called a "travel route rating" and scenic points. You certainly can't remove trees that block houses, and you're supposed to have trees close to your house to get the house approved for construction. The governing law (the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Compact) has scenic requirements that have to be met for each project. This isn't the view from your home, but how well your home is screened from the roadway!
Lucky for me, I live just outside of the Tahoe Basin. We cut trees down like they're weeds! Especially this second growth fir.
This fire will ignite tremendous local debate about tree management once the disaster relief is finished and the finger pointing begins. It's all a mess.
Ken
You're right - removing trees is a no-no. Each main road has what's called a "travel route rating" and scenic points. You certainly can't remove trees that block houses, and you're supposed to have trees close to your house to get the house approved for construction. The governing law (the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Compact) has scenic requirements that have to be met for each project. This isn't the view from your home, but how well your home is screened from the roadway!
Lucky for me, I live just outside of the Tahoe Basin. We cut trees down like they're weeds! Especially this second growth fir.
This fire will ignite tremendous local debate about tree management once the disaster relief is finished and the finger pointing begins. It's all a mess.
Ken
Anyone have any more news?