California imposes campfire, charcoal ban in Lake Tahoe state parks until December

Multiple state parks in the Lake Tahoe region have outlawed campfires until December, the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Sierra District said Wednesday.

“Effective yesterday, a complete ban on wood/charcoal fires was ordered for Sierra District State Parks,” said Sierra District Superintendent Dan Canfield in an email to The Sacramento Bee.

The ban is in effect because of worsening fire conditions and “for the protection of park resources and public safety,” according to the official order that went into effect on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning on Tuesday for high fire danger in the Lake Tahoe region. Warm temperatures, very low humidity and strong winds are expected in the area on red flag days, producing extreme fire danger. When the warning is in effect, burning of any kind is prohibited in the region.

Now, campfires are banned beyond just red flag days — they’re outlawed for the rest of the season at several state parks in California, including those in or near Lake Tahoe. No campfires of any kind are allowed while the order is in effect, including in designated metal fire pits.

The ban was enacted due to the high fire danger, dry conditions and park staffing levels in the Sierra District, according to the official order. It will remain in effect through December, or until it is rescinded.

Lifting the order would require “a dramatic change in weather patterns, fuels moisture [and] active fire incidents,” Canfield said. It’s unlikely that the restrictions will be lifted before December, as most campgrounds in the area wrap up their operations by mid-September.

The ban impacts Sierra District campgrounds, including Donner Memorial State Park, Tahoe State Recreation Area, Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, DL Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay State Park.

In other parts of Lake Tahoe, fire restrictions have been in place since June. Many fire districts have prohibited solid wood and charcoal fires at homes.

Also since June, all campfires and charcoal grills have been banned at Forest Service campgrounds in the area. The order also covers backcountry areas in the Lake Tahoe region, including Desolation Wilderness and Granite Chief Wilderness.

Across California’s border, state parks on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe such as Van Sickle, Cave Rock and Spooner have banned campfires since June 30.

Before the new ban in California’s state parks, campgrounds in the Lake Tahoe region allowed campfires and charcoal grills.

“Prior to the order, campfires were only allowed in those designated campsites with campfire rings, except during National Weather Service Red Flag Warnings,” Canfield said.

Jennifer Bullard, a Truckee resident and recent camper at Donner Memorial State Park, expressed disbelief that these fires were previously allowed at the park. Now, Bullard’s wishes for greater fire restrictions have come true.

“I would think the state would be doing everything that they could to prevent these from starting in the first place, which would mean restricting fires at campgrounds when high fire danger conditions exist,” Bullard told The Bee for a story about the lack of fire restrictions at state parks in the Lake Tahoe region.

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 2:09 PM with the headline "California imposes campfire, charcoal ban in Lake Tahoe state parks until December."