Lake Tahoe evacuations ongoing as fire jumps Highway 89
- Another red flag warning Tuesday in Northern California could make conditions worse for firefighters.
- The Caldor Fire jumped Highway 89 on Monday after a mass evacuation of South Lake Tahoe.
- More evacuation orders were issued near the Dixie Fire, the state’s second largest in history.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California – Bearing down on scenic Lake Tahoe, the Caldor Fire grew overnight after jumping a highway and prompting mass evacuations of the lakeside town, fire officials said Tuesday.
The Caldor Fire is scorching its way toward South Lake Tahoe, where residents on Monday frantically scrambled east toward Nevada on Highway 50 amid the evacuation order.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the wildfire reached nearly 300 square miles on Tuesday as it remains active in an area south of South Lake Tahoe. The fire, which ignited Aug. 14, is 16% contained.
Conditions Tuesday were expected to fan the flames further, with a red flag warning remaining in effect across the region. Wind gusts up to 35 mph and single-digit humidity could cause fires to grow rapidly before being put out, the National Weather Service said.
Nearby casinos shut down Monday, a local hospital evacuated and tourists and residents jammed the streets of the typically relaxing lakeside vacation spot.
“This is a systematic evacuation, one neighborhood at a time,” South Lake Tahoe police Lt. Travis Cabral said on social media.
After the evacuation orders went into effect for the city’s 22,000 residents, the fire jumped Highway 89 and was moving north on a ridge into Meyers in South Lake Tahoe, a USA TODAY Network reporter observed. Crews were expected to begin structure protection on homes near the Christmas Valley community.
Parts of Douglas County to the east in Nevada were also warned late Monday to prepare for potential evacuations.
The Caldor Fire is one of 83 large fires and complexes burning more than 3,900 square miles across the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Cal Fire said winds near the Caldor Fire were creating spotting up three quarters of a mile from the fire line. The fire also threatened containment lines established along U.S. 50, Cal Fire said.
“It’s more out of control than I thought,” evacuee Glen Naasz said of the fire.
Ken Breslin was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic less than a mile from his home Monday, with only a quarter-tank of gas in his Ford Escape as the evacuation order came.
“Until this morning, I didn’t think there was a chance it could come into this area. Now, it’s very real,” he said.
The fire has destroyed more than 480 homes and 182 other commercial or smaller structures. At least five people have been injured, and 3,784 firefighters were battling the flames, Cal Fire said. Additional strike teams to protect homes arrived late Monday, said fire spokesman Dominic Polito.
“Wherever there are structures, there are firefighters on the ground,” Polito added.
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