Tree trimming on U.S. National Forest Service lands above Incline Village resumed last week, as workers aimed to remove excess vegetation that can feed wildfires and improve forest health.

The forest service said the thinning operations are expected to continue throughout fall until winter weather sets in for the season.

“(Mechanical cut-to-length) thinning involves using a harvester to cut the tree down, remove the limbs and cut the tree into sections in the cutting area,” the forest service said in a statement on Friday, Oct. 6.

The public is asked to avoid the area because of hazards posed by heavy equipment and falling trees.

“This forest thinning is part of the Incline Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration Project, which aims to treat nearly 4,000 acres on North Shore of Lake Tahoe to reduce the risk of severe wildfire, improved forest health, and provide defensible space to neighboring communities,” the forest service said.