A red-flag warning indicating high risk of wildfire has been issued for Wednesday from Lake Tahoe north to the Oregon border.
The National Weather Service’s Reno office says the warning is in effect from noon to 9 p.m. for a wide area of northeastern California and northwestern Nevada. It includes Modoc County, Lassen County, the east parts of Plumas, Sierra and Nevada counties, and the Sierra front including Reno and Carson City.
The predicted low humidity and gusty winds create high risk that a fire could grow quickly.
For the duration of the warning, the North Tahoe and Meeks Bay fire protection districts have prohibited all outdoor open flame, including gas and pellet stoves. Campfires are never allowed in the area during wildfire season.
The weather service also advises against target shooting and yardwork that might create sparks.
The advisory from the North Tahoe fire agency notes that large wildfires have ignited in the region during each of the four previous red-flag warnings this season. They include the Gold and Hog fires, which burned a combined 32,000 acres in Lassen County last month.
