![]() ![]() His son begged him to leave Sunday night, but he shrugged him off, certain that if an evacuation order came, it would be later in the week. Ken Breslin was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic less than a mile from his home in the city of 22,000, with only a quarter-tank of gas in his Ford Escape. The National Weather Service warned of critical fire weather conditions through Wednesday due to strong gusts, very low humidity and extremely dry fuels. But since then, 23 helicopters and three airtankers dumped thousands of gallons of water and retardant on the fire, Polito said. ![]() Thick smoke prevented air firefighting operations periodically last week. “There is a massive amount of resources ordered and they are all for structure protection," fire spokesman Dominic Polito said early Tuesday. More firefighters arrived just after dark Monday and many were dispatched to protect homes in the Christmas Valley area about 10 miles from South Lake Tahoe. “It's more out of control than I thought,” evacuee Glen Naasz said of the fire that by late Monday had been pushed by strong winds across California highways 50 and 89, burning mountain cabins as it swept down slopes into the Tahoe Basin. Police and other emergency vehicles whizzed by. Vehicles loaded with bikes and camping gear and hauling boats were in gridlock traffic, stalled in hazy, brown air that smelled like a campfire. ![]() The popular vacation haven normally filled with tens of thousands of summer tourists emptied out Monday as the massive Caldor Fire rapidly expanded. The most recently released perimeter map shows the fire within half a mile of the highway near Double Spring, and the Thursday report said 500 structures were threatened, most of them on the fire’s east edge.View Gallery: Caldor Fire threatens South Lake TahoeĪ ferocious wildfire swept toward Lake Tahoe on Tuesday just hours after roads were clogged with fleeing cars when the entire California resort city of South Lake Tahoe was ordered to evacuate and communities just across the state line in Nevada were warned to get ready to leave. The evacuation notice was termed “voluntary” because, under Nevada law, a mandatory evacuation can be compelled only by the order of the governor or the Legislature.Ī 57-mile stretch of Highway 395 was closed north of Bridgeport on Wednesday as fire crews focused on protecting residences in the highway corridor, said the Forest Service’s fire managers. An earlier evacuation center, in Topaz Ranch Estates, was closed as the fire neared. Centers for displaced residents have been set up at the community center in Gardnerville (1329 Waterloo Lane) and at Smith Valley High School. Containment was at 4%.Įvacuation warnings were issued in Nevada for Topaz Lake, Topaz Ranch Estates, Holbrook Junction and Leviathan Mine Road. The official report Thursday morning estimated the burned area at 50,129 acres (78 square miles), extending into Nevada’s Douglas County. The Tamarack Fire has crossed into Nevada, and evacuation warnings have been issued in that state, according to an update from the Forest Service. ![]() For the more recent news article, click here. Update: On July 22, the fire crossed Highway 395, and residents in Nevada’s Lyon County were told to prepare to leave. ![]()
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