Story at a glance
- The Caldor Fire has burned more than 160,000 acres as it takes aim at the southern portion of Lake Tahoe.
- Multiple roads have been closed and residents in three counties have been evacuated.
- Containment fell over the weekend from 19 to 13 percent.
While the southeastern U.S. reckons with Hurricane Ida, Californians are still deeply embedded in a voracious wildfire season, with one fire edging close to communities in the state’s northern Lake Tahoe area, prompting several evacuation orders.
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The Caldor Fire started on Aug. 14 and has scorched more than 177,000 acres to date. A whopping 472 structures, residential and commercial alike, have been destroyed by the flames with another 39 reporting varying degrees of damage.
Five people have been reported injured during the fire. Roughly 3,680 personnel have been deployed.
Containment of the fire reportedly dropped from 19 percent to 14 percent.
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Speaking in a press conference, Jeff Marsoleis, the forest supervisor for El Dorado National Forest, said that the fire had become “more aggressive than anticipated” as the blaze grew closer to Lake Tahoe.
As the flames continue to spread and air quality worsens, Cal Fire authorities announced more evacuations for residents in Dorado and Alpine Counties on the evening of August 29. Nearby Lassen County was also issued evacuation warnings.
Maps tracking the areas under evacuation show that most of the residents along the south basin of Lake Tahoe, the region most threatened by the Caldor Fire, have been ordered to flee.
Prolonged drought in conjunction with dangerous hot temperatures have resulted in a historically bad wildfire season. The Dixie Fire, which is still burning and has consumed 765,635 acres at 48 percent containment, will go on record as the second largest wildfire in California history behind 2020’s August Complex Fire.
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