Fire
On Saturday, the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County southwest of Lake Tahoe crossed Highway 50 near Kyburz as high winds forced the blaze within six miles of Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort. Today, the fire is four and a half miles away and is clearly visible from the ski area.
East of Kyburz viewing N side of Hwy 50 #CaldorFire pic.twitter.com/bEUfoaAowM
— craig philpott (@CphilpottCraig) August 22, 2021
The fire, which began in Eldorado National Forest on August 14th, has burned 136,643-acres and is 12% contained.
“This is turning out to be a larger and more significant fire in California’s history. It’s far from over.”
– Captain Stephen Horner, a Cal Fire spokesperson
Earlier this week the Forest Service announced an emergency closure of nine National Forests through at least September 6th. The Eldorado National Forest had already been closed from August 17th through September 30th.
Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Sierra-at-Tahoe Resorts last week all announced their summer operations are closed indefinitely. The power at Sierra-at-Tahoe has been turned off.
“Due to ongoing risk of wildfire to the Tahoe Region, Heavenly is now closed for summer. We thank our guests and staff for a great summer and now turn our attention to winter. We’ll be ready when the snow flies and look forward to welcoming you back for the 2021/22 winter season.”
Throughout the evening hours and overnight, the fire remained active in the Northeast with most growth occurring in Divisions I and J. Critical fuel conditions, steep and rugged terrain still present a challenge for crews. Firefighters are continuing with the firing operations in Divisions A and W to help strengthen control lines. Winds over the fire will be moderate causing a slight reduction in fire behavior, however, fire conditions still remain active and challenging.
To better provide public and firefighter safety due to extreme fire conditions throughout Northern California, and strained firefighter resources throughout the Country, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced a temporary closure of nine National Forests. This closure is effective through September 6, 2021, at 11:59 p.m.
Air quality index readings are over 300 near the lake and over 400 on the north shore. Over 150 is “unhealthy,” and over 300 is “hazardous.”
2,897 personnel are fighting the blaze, including more than 194 engines, 32 hand crews, 22 dozers, 20 helicopters, and 15 water tenders.
Here she comes!