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Science, Stewardship, and Accountability
Lake Tahoe EIP

Fuel treatment effectiveness surveys, Caldor Fire

Project Number
04.01.01.0167
Action Priority
Conduct Applied Scientific Research
Implementers
Tahoe Science Advisory Council
Primary Contact
Robert Larsen (robert.larsen@resources.ca.gov)
Stage
Post-Implementation
Duration
2021 - 2025
Science Program Conduct Applied Scientific Research
The project surveyed fuel treatment areas impacted by the Caldor fire to measure fire effects to vegetation using standard measures of fire severity and tree mortality. This work compliments studies being carried out by other teams of fuel treatment influences on fire-fighting effectiveness and structure protection. A link to the report and more information in the project details below. The study found: Across all treatment types, trees were 3x more likely to survive fire in treated areas. Fire severity measures were significantly lower in treated versus untreated areas. The most effective fuel treatment was multiple entry mechanical and hand thinning followed by mastication.

Key Accomplishments

Accomplishments to be provided upon completion of project

Threshold Categories

  • Soil Conservation
  • Vegetation Preservation
The UC Davis field crew collecting data for the Caldor fuel treatment effectiveness project on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. (Timing: During) (~1,371 KB) Credit: Saba Saberi, UCD The UC Davis field crew collecting data for the Caldor fuel treatment effectiveness project on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Location

Expenditures

Expenditures by Funding Source to Date: $104,216
(Estimated Cost: $85,000)
League to Save Lake Tahoe (League): $20,000

Tahoe Fund (Tahoe Fund): $10,000

Southern Nevada Public Land Ma... (BLM): $74,216

Photos

Before
Fuel treatments in the Caldor Fire area and locations of transects. CT = commercial thinning; PCT = precommercial thinning; HT = hand thinning; CTL = cut to length operations; Mast = mastication. (Timing: Before) (~466 KB) Credit: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA
Fuel treatments in the Caldor Fire area and locations of transects. CT = commercial thinning; PCT = precommercial thinning; HT = hand thinning; CTL = cut to length operations; Mast = mastication.
During
The UC Davis field crew collecting data for the Caldor fuel treatment effectiveness project. The field crew is recording data along a transect that crosses through the fuel treatment. (Timing: During) (~7,881 KB) Credit: Saba Saberi, UCD
The UC Davis field crew collecting data for the Caldor fuel treatment effectiveness project. The field crew is recording data along a transect that crosses through the fuel treatment.
After
Fire severity map of the Caldor Fire. Transect centers identified by their number. Green = unburned and very low severity; yellow = low severity; orange = moderate severity; red=high severity. (Timing: After) (~568 KB) Credit: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA
Fire severity map of the Caldor Fire. Transect centers identified by their number. Green = unburned and very low severity; yellow = low severity; orange = moderate severity; red=high severity.
Box plots comparing the RdNBR remotely sensed fire severity among untreated forests (“none”) and three treatment types. Horizontal lines-median, and the boxes delineate the 25th and 75th percentiles. (Timing: After) (~20 KB) Credit: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA
Box plots comparing the RdNBR remotely sensed fire severity among untreated forests (“none”) and three treatment types. Horizontal lines-median, and the boxes delineate the 25th and 75th percentiles.
Learn more at restoretahoe.org
Project Fact Sheet Data as of 02/17/2026