• Carson Now on Facebook
  • Follow Carson Now on Twitter
  • Follow Carson Now by RSS
  • Follow Carson Now by Email

New Caldor Fire evacuations orders, warnings go up as wildfire pushes toward South Lake Tahoe; containment drops to 13 percent

UPDATE 10PM: South Lake Tahoe from Tahoma to Stateline has been issued an evacuation warning as of 9:20 p.m. Sunday. See the latest from the City of South Lake Tahoe here.

An evacuation warning is defined as a potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Evacuation Order:
El Dorado County
Desolation Wilderness from the watershed ridge to the CA ENF/CA TMU wilderness boundary.
From the El Dorado/Placer county line to Echo Lakes.
Alpine County
Highway 89 south, from Luther Pass Road to the Pickets Junction (Highway 88). West on Highway 88 to Kirkwood. South to include Kirkwood Ski Resort and Caples Lake.

Evacuation Warning:
El Dorado County
The remaining area of the Lake Tahoe Basin. From the Alpine/El Dorado county line, north along the California/Nevada state line to Lake Tahoe. North along the waters edge to the El Dorado/Placer county line. West along the El Dorado/Placer county line to McKinney Lake.

Alpine County
Highway 88 at Forestdale Road. West of Forestdale Road and south to the Pacific Crest Trail Crossing. West of the Pacific Crest Trail to the Summit City Canyon Trail. West of Summit City Canyon Trail and south to the El Dorado / Stanislaus National Forest Line. El Dorado / Stanislaus National Forest Line west to the Alpine and Amador County line.
South of Armstrong Summit to Woodfords to Forestdale Road, north of Highway 88 and Highway 89 to Armstrong Summit.

Evacuation Shelter:
Nevada
• A Red Cross Shelter is open for those evacuating from the area at the Douglas County Community Center, 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville.

NOTES:
Please go to: www.tinyurl.com/EDSOEVAC for an online evacuation map. All previous evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect.

A mandatory evacuation order is defined as an immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
***
UPDATE 8:40PM: Five thousand more people were evacuated Sunday after the Caldor Fire made a run for the ridges to the east. It has burned 168,387 acres and containment dropped to 13 percent due to the increase in fire's size at the east/northeast end.

Evacuation orders were issued for Christmas Valley and parts of the South Shore, with warnings extending to Emerald Bay. According to Cal Fire, the fire made a "significant run" to the east and northeast" sides Sunday with extreme fire behavior observed.

Sunday saw a significant increase in dynamic fire behavior resulting in rapid fire spread. Critical fuel conditions and the alignment of up-slope canyon winds increased extreme fire behavior in the early morning. The afternoon wind speeds produced spotting distances from 3/4 to one mile. Active crown fires and group torching was present in multiple areas of the fire, presenting challenging conditions for crews.

"The impact on Lake Tahoe Basin is now more likely along with the corresponding social, political, economic concerns. Additional resource needs are critical to the defense of lives, property and critical infrastructure," said Calf Fire in its nightly Incident Status Summary.

***
New evacuation orders and warnings were announced Sunday afternoon as the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, Calif., pushed its way east toward the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to Cal Fire.

As of 7 p.m. Sunday the fire had not reached the Lake Tahoe Basin but precautions are being made. Go here for the live fire cams from alertwildfire.org

Evacuation orders were announced for the following areas in El Dorado County:
— Christmas Valley from Highway 89 West to Echo Summit

— Highway 89 due West to Watershed Ridge/Echo Summit and South to the Amador/El Dorado County line.

— The area from Luther Pass Road, north along the El Dorado/Alpine County line to Armstrong Pass. West from Armstrong Pass to Upper Apache at Meyers. West on Upper Apache to Highway 50. West on Highway 50 to Highway 89. South on Highway 89 to the El Dorado/Alpine County line. This includes all homes on both sides of Highway 89.

— The area from Upper Apache at Meyers, north along Highway 50, to Elks Club Drive. East on Elks Club Drive to Pioneer Trail, extending due south to Upper Apache at Meyers. (This includes all homes off of Oneidas, Mandan, Apache, Ottawa and Player).

—The area North on Highway 50 from Highway 89 to Saw Mill Road. West on Saw Mill Road to Angora Ridge, extending to the Echo Summit.

Alpine County
— Highway 89 South from Luther Pass Road to Pickets Junction (Highway 88)

— West on Highway 88 to Kirkwood

Evacuation Warnings were announced for the following areas:
El Dorado County
— The area from Sawmill Road at Lake Tahoe Boulevard extending north to Pope Beach. Along the water’s edge to Eagle Point. From Eagle Point west, to Desolation Wilderness, across Emerald Bay.

Road Closures:
• The Highway 50 closure has been extended East to Sawmill Road
• Highway 50 at Sawmill
• Pioneer Trail at Elks Club
• Elks Club at Highway 50
• Highway 89 at Highway 88 junction
• Fallen Leaf at Tahoe Mountain

Evacuation Routes:
El Dorado County
• Residents evacuating the area should use Highway 50 East or Highway 89 North.

Alpine County
• West on Highway 88 to Northbound 89 to Eastbound Highway 50

Evacuation Warning:
El Dorado County
• The area from Sawmill Road at Lake Tahoe Blvd. extending north to Pope Beach. Along the water’s edge to Eagle Point. From Eagle Point west, to Desolation Wilderness, across Emerald Bay.

Evacuation Shelter:
Nevada
• A Red Cross Shelter is open for those evacuating from the area at the Douglas County Community Center, 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville.

Please go to: www.tinyurl.com/EDSOEVAC for an online evacuation map.

We will update as more information becomes available.

Top Stories

... or see all stories

These Sal’s Greenhouse Band photos were taken July 10, 2021, opening night of the 2021 Levitt Amp Carson City Summer Outdoor Concert Series featured at the Brewery Arts Center. The concert also featured Jelly Bread.
The free concert series returns Saturday, July 17, 7 p.m. featuring Drinking with Clowns and Rojai & The Pocket. The Change Companies stage is located at the BAC Performance Hall, 449 West King Street.

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival returns to Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park from July 17 to August 22.
Imagine enjoying extraordinary entertainment while sitting under the stars on the white sand beach of Sand Harbor with the indescribable beauty of Lake Tahoe in the background.

CARSON CITY — Myron Freedman has been named administrator of the Nevada Division of Museums and History, overseeing the state’s seven museums. The director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs made it official in June after consulting with the Board of Museums and History.

With the temperatures at 90 degrees each day of the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe, Sunday afternoon was the perfect time for Vinny Del Negro to keep his cool. The former NBA coach and player was emotional after beating Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz in a one hole playoff on 18 at Edgewood Tahoe.

"I lost my father this Wednesday, and I wanted to play well for him," said Del Negro, who played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons. "I thought of him the whole time — He dad passed away while in hospice two days before the first round.

Who opens a restaurant during the height of the pandemic? Meet Bonnie and Joe France who optimistically opened Carson City Joe’s on January 1, 2021, even though there was no end in sight yet as to when restaurants could offer more than take-out service.

RENO — You’ve probably heard about romance scams where con artists trick unsuspecting victims into falling in love and parting with their money. Lately, BBB Scam Tracker is getting reports of a new type of romance scam. In this con, it’s the entire dating website that’s a sham.

The pandemic split our country open like a ripe watermelon. I got so lonesome sometimes I could hug Casper the Ghost. Presently I’m reading our Surgeon General’s book, Together, and in it Dr. Murthy reveals that, “People with strong social relationships are 50 percent less likely to die prematurely than people with weak social relationships.” And too, “Loneliness is a built-in reminder that we are stronger together.”

Carson City Water Utility Manager Eddy Quaglieri will be the guest speaker at the next Rotary Club of Carson City meeting on Tuesday, July 13. The meeting takes place in the Grand Ballroom at the Brewery Arts Center at 12:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Here are photos from Saturday's 4th annual Carson City Downtown Revival Car Show, hosted by the Esther Chapter No. 3, Order of the Eastern Star.
The last photo in the gallery is at the Summer 2021 Downtown Throw Down cornhole tournament, held Saturday at Telegraph Square.

UPDATE MONDAY: Two of the women involved in a vehicle pursuit in Carson City on Sunday afternoon face multiple charges after fleeing from deputies and, later, being caught.

Having been here for 57 years, I've seen the Carson River become a very nice smallmouth bass fishery. But in the last few years we've seen a drastic increase in people using the river including fisherman. This has resulted in dire consequences for a fragile fishery concerning the smallmouth bass.

CARSON CITY — The next new driver’s license or ID card you get from the Nevada DMV will have a new look and updated security features. A rollout of the new Nevada Driver’s License begins Monday, July 12 and will continue through July and August.

Last week I stood in the street with my neighbor Karen watching a lightning started fire up on the mountain to the west. Fortunately, the smoke plume was small and the flames were hard to see even with binoculars. We knew all the firefighting services were stretched to the maximum with multiple fires across the Sierra Front and into California.

With temperatures expected to surpass 100 degrees, an excessive heat warning continues through at least Tuesday for western and Northern Nevada, including the Carson City region, according to the National Weather Service.

UPDATE 3:28 PM: The Nevada Seismological Center has adjusted the earthquake Sunday morning from a 3.2 to a 3.4 magnitude.
***
Hundreds of small earthquakes have been recorded since Thursday's 5.9 magnitude earthquake that shook the area near the Nevada, California border south of Topaz Lake near Coleville. One of the larger ones in the swarm series happened Sunday morning, with a 3.4 magnitude at 5:35 a.m.

CARSON CITY — Feeding Pets of the Homeless recently received a $10,000 donation from CareVet to help provide pet food, supplies, emergency veterinary care and wellness clinics to companion animals of homeless individuals across the United States.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of July 12-18, 2021. Lane restrictions are expected at the following locations due to road and utility work:

The Carson Fly Fishing Club will hold an introductory fly-fishing class July 23, 6 p.m. and July 24, all day starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Ormsby Room, Carson City Sheriff's Office, at 911 E. Musser St., Carson City.

Just before 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon a vehicle crash was reported at Spooner Junction involving a semi-truck and at least two other vehicles.

United Way will lead science and reading activities with preschoolers on Tuesday

United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra (UWNNS) will host a morning of fun and educational activities for preschoolers and their parents on Tuesday, July 13 from 10am to noon.

NV Energy is urging its electric customers in both northern and southern Nevada to conserve electricity today and tomorrow between 6 and 9 p.m. in order to offset energy supply issues caused by record-breaking heat and wildfires affecting electric transmission lines throughout the western United States.

Conservation is the best way to reduce strain on the local power grid.

sculpture: Canal, Maple, 20”x15”x7”, 2021

The Capital City Arts Initiative presents its exhibition, "Callosum", by LB Buchan at the CCAI Courthouse Gallery.

The exhibition will be in the gallery from July 9 – October 21, 2021. The Courthouse is located at 885 E Musser Street, Carson City.

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency released findings from the annual Lake Tahoe Clarity Report, which showed average clarity – or how deep a 10” white plate can be lowered into Lake Tahoe before it becomes invisible from the surface – of 62.9 feet for the year 2020.

Tickets are now on sale for The Capital City Brewfest! This year’s event will take place Aug. 28 from 3 to 8 p.m. After canceling last year due to COVID-19, organizers and brewers are looking forward to getting out again.

UPDATE 7:57 p.m.: The fire in the Jack's Valley Road area is contained at 2.7 acres and the road should be reopening soon, according to the Record Courier.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m.: Multiple lightning strikes are being reported throughout Douglas County. Additional units are being called from Tahoe and Truckee Meadows to offer assistance.

***

Around 4:20 p.m. on Friday afternoon, firefighters were called to the area of Jack's Valley Road on report of a brush fire.

The Carson City School District Board will be meeting on Tuesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room inside the Carson City Community Center located at 851 E. William Street.

Items to be discussed during the meeting include possible action to approve the district’s plan for in-person instruction, continuity of services, and the path forward for distance education for the 2021-2022 school year.

A vehicle crash involving at least one vehicle is currently blocking traffic new Spooner as of 4 p.m. Friday.

No injuries are reported at this time and the occupants of the vehicle have exited. Air bags were deployed and the vehicle is in traffic.

First responders are currently enroute to the scene.

A 37-year-old Dayton woman was arrested at a casino on E. William Street for three counts of child neglect and endangerment.

Help wanted signs hanging in the windows of local businesses have become a common sight in Carson City and the country as a whole.

Restaurants and retail locations across the nation are desperate for workers, especially skilled workers such as chefs, but are having to close their doors for want of workers. Some employers have blamed increased unemployment benefits for the lack of people wanting to work.

However, the idea that the problem is solely about unemployment benefits being higher than wages is not supported by the data.

UPDATE: At 1:30 p.m., the Carson City Sheriff's Office issued the following press release:

On July 9th during the early morning hours, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and State Division of Investigations were requested to assist U.S. Marshal’s and ATF Agents in the apprehension of a murder suspect out of San Jose, CA.

The suspect, Adrian Laredo, born October 11th, 1994, had been located in a congested neighborhood in the area of North Roop Street and East Corbet Street, but was in the company of a child under the age of 5.

The child was believed to be Laredo’s son. Although surveillance teams identified Laredo outside of the home several times during the morning, each time he came out of the house he was accompanied by the toddler.

By 11:30 a.m., the joint agency operations leaders determined to use a SWAT Team to take the suspect into custody. The suspect was taken into custody at 11:55 without incident and transported to the Carson City Jail. No injuries were reported.

While the area of the arrest was closed to the public for only 15 minutes, the Sheriff’s Office had secured the entire neighborhood throughout the morning until the order was given to take him into custody.

The Sheriff’s Office utilized social media app platforms to inform residents and businesses in the area to remain inside.

Complete details of the San Jose homicide were not immediately available. However, Agents did inform local agencies that the homicide occurred on June 17th in San Jose. Details suggested two individuals were shot during a robbery, and that one of the two had died from his wounds.

Detectives from California had been dispatched to Carson City early and have been anticipated to perform follow up investigative steps upon their arrival.

Sheriff Furlong stated that the proximity of the toddlers remained the highest concern in the area all morning. However, he was pleased that the law enforcement teams were able to develop an effective plan for the apprehension that minimized risks to innocent by-standers, including children.

***

Roop Street was briefly closed to traffic on Friday morning while a California murder suspect was taken into custody.