South Lake Tahoe, Calif. –A wildfire above Cascade Lake on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe reported late yesterday afternoon continues to burn, and the size is now reported at 30 acres as of this morning. The fire is burning in the Snow Lake area of the Desolation Wilderness near Emerald Bay. This wildfire is not related to the King Fire currently burning west of Lake Tahoe.
There is no threat to structures at this time. The Forest Service has closed Bayview, Eagle Falls, Tallac, Glen Alpine and Stanford Camp trailheads, as well as Bayview Campground, for public safety and to allow for suppression operations.
Forest Service, CalFire and other agency resources are responding. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but has been determined to be human-caused.
The Forest Service is asking that people traveling through the area refrain from pulling over to view the firefighting operations. Highway 89 is very narrow at that point and lacks sufficient shoulders, so pulling over creates a safety hazard and may hamper fire response.
With the King Fire still burning, the Forest Service is asking people to remember that fire restrictions are still in place in the Lake Tahoe Basin and to abide by those restrictions. Fire restrictions mean that no open fires or campfires are allowed outside of campgrounds with an onsite host. Campfires are never allowed in the Desolation Wilderness, only portable stoves are allowed with a valid campfire permit.
For more information about fire restrictions, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
