Firefighters hike through snow to battle fire near Lake Tahoe
EL DORADO COUNTY – The U.S. Forest Service says firefighters were called out near Grass Lake in a remote area of the Tahoe basin on Tuesday to battle a fire under snow.
Officials say it took 45 minutes to hike to the area, off of Luther Pass, where the human-sparked fire was still burning.
Cross-country skiers first reported seeing the fire, which had grown to about 10x10 feet by the time firefighters arrived – despite it burning under the snow.
Firefighters had to dig out the fire to extinguish it.
The Forest Service is urging people to keep in mind that campfires and warming fires using wood, charcoal or any other solid fuels are illegal in the Tahoe-area backcountry.
Exactly who started Tuesday's fire is being investigated.
