Caldor Fire grows to over 204,000 acres overnight, all-out assault to save Tahoe homes
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 09/01/2021 - 8:40am
The Caldor Fire advancing into the South Lake Tahoe area grew to more than 200,000 acres overnight Tuesday into Wednesday as gusty winds pushed the fire in directions that now threaten lower Carson Valley residents along the Foothill Road corridor in Douglas County, Nev., as well as the Kirkwood area in Alpine County, Calif.
The U.S. Forest Service reports the Caldor Fire remained "very active" overnight due to the extremely poor humidity recovery and warm temperatures. Spot fires continued to occur with spots being found up to .5 miles away from the edge of the fire. As of Wednesday morning the fire was 204,390 acres and 20 percent contained, according to the latest from InciWeb.
The fire continued to back down toward Highway 50 with slow rates of spread. Firefighters will face more dry conditions and strong winds Wednesday with gusts up to 35-40 mph in some areas. The current Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 11 p.m. Wednesday night.
On Tuesday, mandatory fire evacuation orders were made for the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe in the Stateline area, a day after mandatory evacuation orders came down for the City of South Lake Tahoe and Meyers areas.
Later on Tuesday, Douglas County advised residents along the Foothill Road corridor in the lower Carson Valley to be prepared to evacuate if the fire should climb over the top of the surrounding foothills.
Also on Tuesday, mandatory fire evacuations were issued for portions of Alpine County in the following areas:
—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.
— North of Highway 88, along the Alpine, El Dorado County line and Armstrong Summit to the Nevada state line.
— West of the Nevada state south to Luther Creek. Northwest of Luther Creek to Woodfords. North of Highway 88 and Highway 89 to the Alpine/El Dorado County line.
Evacuation Warnings Alpine County:
• North of Highway 89 from Woodfords due north to Luther Creek at the Nevada State line.
• East of Forestdale Road and south to the Pacific Crest Trail Crossing.
• East of the Pacific Crest Trail to the Summit City Canyon Trail.
• East of Summit City Canyon Trail and south to the El Dorado / Stanislaus National Forest Line.
• El Dorado / Stanislaus National Forest Line east to the northern lake edge of Upper Blue Lakes.
• North of the North-west Lake edge of Upper Blue Lake to the southern aspect of Hawkins Peak and to Woodfords junction.
• South of Highway 88 at Woodfords Junction to Forestdale Road
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. 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.
During a Tuesday night briefing on the Caldor Fire, officials said fire behavior increased dramatically in the northeast and eastern divisions early in the morning due to the expected strong winds and poor humidity. High wind speeds produced long-range spotting as the active crown fire runs reached the ridge tops. Spotting distances were over 1 mile, officials said.
As of Tuesday night, the fire continued to back down toward US50 in multiple locations and continues to threaten the control lines in Divisions G and H, which include Ice House Road and the Whitehall to Strawberry stretch. Fire spotted over the control line at Wright's Lake Road and the fire is threatening Wright's Lake.
Officials said firefighters were doing a lot of prep work around cabins from Camp Sacramento to Echo Summit but some homes have burned. Dozer lines are being put in around South Lake Tahoe.
Firefighters are working to herd the fire away from structures and people on the South Shore in the same manner, and they were successful in Christmas Valley on Tuesday afternoon. They are trying to get the Caldor Fire to meet the recent burn area of the Tamarack Fire where it will slow down.
Meanwhile, evacuation shelters established at the Douglas County Community Center and the Carson City Community Center are full. Fuji Park in Carson City was accepting animals who are being cared for through the Nevada Humane Society. At the last check Fuji Park was filled. We will update if anything changes.
Evacuation Shelters:
• Reno Sparks Convention Center, 4590 South Virginia Street, Reno
• Lyon County Fair Grounds – Dry Camp Only, 100 95A East, Yerington, NV
• Dayton Event Center/Rodeo Grounds – Dry Camping Only, 500 Schaad Lane, Dayton, NV
• Douglas County Community and Senior Center, Douglas County residents Only, 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville
Animal Shelters:
— Reno Sparks Convention Center, 4590 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV, Limited crates and space available for pets
— Lyon County Fair Grounds – Dry Camp Only, 100 95A East, Yerington, NV
— Dayton Event Center/Rodeo Grounds – Dry Camping Only, 500 Schaad Lane, Dayton, NV
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
