Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” – 8/31/21
The Caldor Fire, located in Placer County, California, is raging in South Lake Tahoe, prompting nearly 53,000 residents to evacuate. The evacuation zone covers the shoreline of nearly a quarter of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the country. The fire started Aug. 14 and fueled by low humidity and hot temperatures jumped an additional 20,000 acres over the weekend, bringing the total burned area to 191,600 acres as of Aug. 31. South Lake Tahoe is home to approximately 21,000 people as well as area resorts and attractions like Sierra-at-Tahoe, Heavenly Village, El Dorado Beach and Emerald Bay. The Sacramento Bee posted a video of Sierra-at-Tahoe snow cannons spraying water to help quell spreading flames.
“The fire has gotten so big and active,” Caldor Fire Public Information Officer Dave Lauchner told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. “We expected to get extreme fire behavior today.” As the fireline barrels down Echo Pass ridgeline toward Tahoe Basin, firefighters are working to control spot fires and save structures in its path. As of Aug. 31, the blaze is 16 percent contained and the cause is still under investigation. Our thoughts go out to our fellow resort community as they weather this inferno.
