Fire Restrictions For Lake Tahoe Basin

Fire restrictions on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin are now in effect. Four years of drought have increased the potential for wildfires.  

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit says campfires will be restricted to certain exempted recreation sites and other fire-related activities will be prohibited.  

The restrictions include: 

• No open fires, campfires or charcoal fires are allowed outside of exempted recreation site. Campfires must be built within agency installed and approved fire rings or grills.
• No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or exempted recreation site.
• No possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device, or using an explosive or operating a welding or other torch with an open flame. 

All fireworks, including sparklers and firecrackers, are always illegal in the Lake Tahoe Basin. 

The fire restrictions help reduce the possibility of human-caused fires. 

Forest Service officials say illegal and unattended campfires cause over 90 percent of wildfires in the Lake Tahoe Basin and increased fire danger, due to the ongoing drought and warm summer weather, is a concern at Lake Tahoe.