Massive Caldor Fire threatens Lake Tahoe
Aug 30, 2021 4:25:26 GMT -5
Post by Midnight on Aug 30, 2021 4:25:26 GMT -5
Lake Tahoe residents are ordered to flee as massive Caldor Fire threatens mountain resort town and sends tourists packing ahead of Labor Day
Officials had thought firefighters could halt the Caldor Fire's eastern progress
Flames churned through mountains just a few miles southwest of Tahoe Basin
Thick smoke sent tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would usually be in full swing ahead of the Labor Day weekend
Some areas of the Northern California terrain are so rugged that crews had to carry fire hoses by hand from Highway 50 as they sought to douse spot fires
The air quality around Lake Tahoe has remained among the worst levels in the world since Wednesday
Stunning photos from Lake Tahoe showed the dense, orange haze hanging above the pristine freshwater mountain lake caused by the massive blaze
By ADAM SCHRADER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 14:40 EDT, 29 August 2021 | UPDATED: 04:00 EDT, 30 August 2021
Fire officials ordered more evacuations around the Tahoe Basin on Sunday evening as the massive Caldor Fire encroached on the California mountain resort town.
Crews dealt with a two-week old blaze they said was 'more aggressive than anticipated,' and continued to edge toward the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe.
'Today's been a rough day and there's no bones about it,' said Jeff Marsoleis, forest supervisor for El Dorado National Forest.
A few days ago, he thought crews could halt the Caldor Fire's eastern progress, but he said: 'today it let loose.'
Flames churned through mountains just a few miles southwest of the Tahoe Basin, where thick smoke sent tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would usually be in full swing ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
'To put it in perspective, we've been seeing about a half-mile of movement on the fire's perimeter each day for the last couple of weeks, and today, this has already moved at 2.5 miles on us, with no sign that it's starting to slow down,' said Cal Fire Division Chief Eric Schwab.
Some areas of the Northern California terrain are so rugged that crews had to carry fire hoses by hand from Highway 50 as they sought to douse spot fires caused by erratic winds.
The forecast did not offer optimism: triple-digit temperatures were possible and the extreme heat was expected to last several days. A red flag warning for critical fire conditions was issued for Monday and Tuesday across the Northern Sierra.
Full story with pictures at link
Officials had thought firefighters could halt the Caldor Fire's eastern progress
Flames churned through mountains just a few miles southwest of Tahoe Basin
Thick smoke sent tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would usually be in full swing ahead of the Labor Day weekend
Some areas of the Northern California terrain are so rugged that crews had to carry fire hoses by hand from Highway 50 as they sought to douse spot fires
The air quality around Lake Tahoe has remained among the worst levels in the world since Wednesday
Stunning photos from Lake Tahoe showed the dense, orange haze hanging above the pristine freshwater mountain lake caused by the massive blaze
By ADAM SCHRADER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 14:40 EDT, 29 August 2021 | UPDATED: 04:00 EDT, 30 August 2021
Fire officials ordered more evacuations around the Tahoe Basin on Sunday evening as the massive Caldor Fire encroached on the California mountain resort town.
Crews dealt with a two-week old blaze they said was 'more aggressive than anticipated,' and continued to edge toward the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe.
'Today's been a rough day and there's no bones about it,' said Jeff Marsoleis, forest supervisor for El Dorado National Forest.
A few days ago, he thought crews could halt the Caldor Fire's eastern progress, but he said: 'today it let loose.'
Flames churned through mountains just a few miles southwest of the Tahoe Basin, where thick smoke sent tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would usually be in full swing ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
'To put it in perspective, we've been seeing about a half-mile of movement on the fire's perimeter each day for the last couple of weeks, and today, this has already moved at 2.5 miles on us, with no sign that it's starting to slow down,' said Cal Fire Division Chief Eric Schwab.
Some areas of the Northern California terrain are so rugged that crews had to carry fire hoses by hand from Highway 50 as they sought to douse spot fires caused by erratic winds.
The forecast did not offer optimism: triple-digit temperatures were possible and the extreme heat was expected to last several days. A red flag warning for critical fire conditions was issued for Monday and Tuesday across the Northern Sierra.
Full story with pictures at link