According to a report, the popular resort city of South Lake Tahoe, which is a jewel on the California-Nevada border, was jammed with fleeing cars Monday as it was filled with thousands of tourists.
The gridlock traffic was made up of vehicles loaded with camping gear, bikes, and boats. The police and other emergency vehicles zoomed past.
Monday night, the fire had reached state highways 50/89 and started burning mountain cabins. It was churning down the slopes towards the Tahoe Basin. Residents of Douglas County, Nevada just a few miles from South Lake Tahoe were warned to prepare to evacuate.
Monday’s new evacuation orders were unprecedented in South Lake Tahoe. They came after several communities to the south of the lake were ordered to evacuate because of the Caldor Fire.
Barton Memorial Hospital was the city’s main hospital. Several patients were evacuated by proactive evacuation. El Dorado Sheriff’s Office also transferred inmates to another jail.
We have never seen so much fire activity in California. The most important thing is for the public to be aware of how to evacuate quickly,” stated Chief Thom Porter, Director of Cal Fire’s California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “For the rest of California: Every acre in this state can and will be burned someday,” he added.
The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday, that all California national forests would be closed by September 17.
Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien stated, “We don’t take this decision lightly, but it is the best option for public safety.”
Cal Fire officials stated that the Caldor Fire, already huge, grew by 7 miles (11 km) overnight in an area northeast of Highway 50, and more than 8 miles (11.3 miles) in another.
Mark Ghilarducci (director of California’s Office of Emergency Services) said that more than 15,000 firefighters were fighting dozens of California fires. This included crews from Utah and West Virginia. To help in the tedious task of clearing forests by hand, 250 active-duty soldiers were being trained at Washington State.
Since its inception on August 14, the Caldor Fire has burned 277 sq. miles (717 km) of land. Following the weekend of intense burning, containment fell from 19% down to 14%. More than 600 structures were destroyed and at least 22,000 more were in danger. Governor On Monday, Steve Sisolak declared a state emergency in Nevada. He cited “the anticipation” of a wildfire in Lake Tahoe in California that would spread across the state line to the Silver State.
The National Weather Service warned that dangerous winds and fire conditions could continue through Wednesday.