The U.S. Forest Service is stopping prescribed burning in California due to conditions.
The move is affecting areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to USFS Legislative and External Affairs Staff Officer Charles Clark.
Clark says the agency wasn't seeing favorable conditions for prescribed burns in much of USFS Region Five, which contains the California portions of the Tahoe Basin.
This same issue is being faced by the entire western U.S. in general.
Also, this time of year presents a strain on California’s emergency response capability, with many resources dispatched outside the state to help with fires and other hazards.
The Forest Service is assessing conditions daily with the goal of restarting prescribed burns as soon as possible.
Nevada is not affected by the restrictions in place in California.
This is because no prescribed burns had been planned due to dry conditions, said Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Public Affairs Officer Erica Hupp.
Hupp says pile burning in Nevada will likely not resume until it snows, and prescribed burns will likely not resume until the spring.
Stage one fire restrictions remain for the Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts.
These restrictions will be in place until December 31, unless rescinded sooner.
Hupp said restrictions this late in the year aren't typical and that the region is very dry.
