Massive Caldor Fire inching toward Lake Tahoe

(CN) — Residents of Kyburz and Strawberry, two Sierra Nevada towns just west of Echo Summit along U.S. Route 50, remain anxious as the Caldor Fire continues its advance in a northeasterly direction. 

Fire officials have said the fire, burning uncontrolled near South Lake Tahoe, is the number one priority for agencies in California.

“We have hand crews, dozer crews, several type 1 fire engines all deployed and focused on structure protection,” said Cal Fire spokesperson Stephen Horner on Friday morning.

The fire has scorched 143,000 acres of land primarily in the El Dorado National Forest, while engulfing about 470 homes in a remote area outside of Pollock Pines. The U.S. Forest Service has closed the El Dorado National Forest, cutting off access to several popular recreational areas including the Lovers Leap climbing area and the Rubicon Trail — though recreation isn't advised as the region continues to experience the worst air quality in the nation at present.

Desolation Wilderness, one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the country, is imperiled by the encroaching fire.

“We are building containment lines in that area,” Horner said.

While firefighting resources are dedicated to staving off the fire from the assortment of cabins in Kyburz and Strawberry along the American River, personnel are also preparing to make a stand on Echo Summit to prevent the fire from pushing into the Lake Tahoe Basin.

“The wind is pushing the fire east,” Horner said. 

A 40-mile stretch of Highway 50, a heavily trafficked route in between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, has been closed indefinitely. 

Visibility remains poor, making aerial support sporadic. Most of the fight is taking place on the ground, Horner said. 

No firefighter injuries have been reported, but two civilians were injured early on when attempting to flee the fire in the Grizzly Flats area. The blaze leveled nearly all of Grizzly Flats, with only a few structures left standing.

Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said the Caldor Fire is “knocking on the door to the Lake Tahoe Basin” this week and houses in the Christmas Valley outside of Meyers remain under an evacuation warning.

"We have all efforts in place to keep it out of the basin, but we do need to also be aware that that is a possibility based on the way the fires have been burning and the concerns that we have been living in all of these other fires and their growth," Porter said.

A small portion of the fire jumped to the north side of Highway 50 this week, but firefighters have mostly succeeded at keeping the blaze south of the natural firebreak.

“Luckily, it was in some pretty rocky terrain,” said Diana Swart, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson.

The forest service has closed nine national forests due to dry conditions that abet large fire growth.

Meanwhile in the extreme northeastern corner of California, the Dixie Fire has grown to 750,000 acres and is the second largest fire in recorded state history. But firefighters have made steady progress on bringing the blaze to heel, with containment listed at 46%.

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