The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of suspected tree poisonings at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. The investigation expanded on August 2, when additional trees were found with an unknown substance around their bases, believed to have been applied between 11:30 a.m. on August 1 and 5 a.m. on August 2. Soil samples were collected from the site, and investigators confirmed the odor matched previous tree-poisoning cases.
Deputies were first alerted to a strong odor near a pine tree at the beach on June 24. The sheriff’s office has been investigating several similar incidents at Burnt Cedar Beach since 2022, involving substances poured around the bases of trees or drilled into their roots. Authorities have not yet identified a suspect or disclosed the nature of the substance used in the poisonings.
Sheriff Darin Balaam stated that the deliberate destruction of these trees is “deeply troubling and represents a significant loss for the entire community.” Deputies are continuing to search the area for further evidence as they work to identify those responsible.
The incidents occur amidst a busy summer season in the Lake Tahoe area. In a separate event, an Amazon software engineer from Texas, identified as Yadessa Aga, 32, was found unresponsive and later died after being pulled from the waters of Lake Tahoe last week. Loved ones stated Aga was in Nevada visiting friends and attending a religious conference prior to the fatal incident. Another drowning was reported near Sand Harbor in June.