By AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Aug. 31, 2021 10:10 PM EDT
Smoky skies hovered overhead South Lake Tahoe Tuesday as nearby flames of the Caldor Fire closed in on the resort city, one day after thousands of residents were forced to flee the area.
The popular tourist and vacation spot turned chaotic as officials called for mandatory evacuations. The evacuation orders came after communities a few miles south of the lake were forced to evacuate Sunday as the Caldor Fire grew closer.
As the flames neared the area, residents and visitors alike in South Lake Tahoe began to evacuate the region, quickly bringing nearby roadways to a standstill.
With the Caldor Fire approaching, traffic on Highway 50 stands still as South Lake Tahoe, Calif., as residents try to evacuate Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The resort town's population could have easily swelled to near 100,000 during a typical Labor Day week. Fortunately, South Lake Tahoe City Mayor Tamara Wallace said that they had been telling visitors to avoid the area for days, due to the poor air quality observed over the past week, The Associated Press reported.
Residents just over the California-Nevada state line in Douglas County, Nevada, were also under evacuation warnings Monday.
Wallace said it is uncommon for fires to impact the populated areas around Lake Tahoe. The last two fires to impact the region were the Angora Fire in 2007 and the Gondola Fire in 2002, according to the AP.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The return of gusty winds late in the weekend allowed the Caldor Fire to expand rapidly since the start of the weekend.
Following Monday's evacuations, the flames from the Caldor Fire had jumped the crest of the mountain and spilled down into Christmas Valley, where South Lake Tahoe is located, Monday night. Mountain cabins were burned as the fire raged down the valley. The fire also crossed highways 50 and 89, both of which had been flooded with cars evacuating only hours earlier.
Seen from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., flames from the Caldor Fire leap along a hillside above Christmas Valley Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
As of Tuesday evening, Cal Fire said that the Caldor Fire swelled more than 10,000 acres since Sunday to more than 191,000 acres and was just 16 percent contained. More than 700 structures have already been either destroyed or damaged by the fire. The fire was also blamed for at least five injuries.
Portions of Highway 88 in Amador County, as well as Highway 50 in El Dorado County, remained closed to keep nearby travelers safe while a crew of more than 3,900 personnel continued to fight the blaze.
Red flag warnings remain in effect for the Lake Tahoe area until 11 p.m. Wednesday, as gusty winds are forecast to continue in the region. Even after the gusty winds subside, smoke and haze are expected to remain and contribute to poor air quality levels.
See Also:
Chief Thom Porter, the director of Cal Fire, told the AP that the fire activity ongoing in California is something "we have never seen before."
"The critical thing for the public to know is evacuate early,” Porter said. “For the rest of you in California: Every acre can and will burn someday in this state.”
Porter also said that only twice in California history have fires burned from one side of the Sierra Nevada to the other, and both have occurred this August. In addition to the Caldor Fire, the other blaze to hold such a distinction is the Dixie Fire.
The Dixie Fire, the second largest in state history, continues to burn some 65 miles north of Lake Tahoe and also prompted additional evacuations this week.
Two firefighters monitor the Caldor Fire burning near homes in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. As the winds returned this week, the Caldor Fire roared over the Sierra crest and bore down on the southern end of Lake Tahoe. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Caldor Fire began on Aug. 14, in El Dorado County, California, but the cause of the blaze remains unknown.
According to Cal Fire's statewide report from Monday, another 14 active fires continue to burn across California. In addition, another dozen uncontained fires are raging across Oregon, according to Inciweb.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
No comments:
Post a Comment