Wildfire battle at Lake Tahoe
Officials prepare for next phase in fighting Caldor Fire
Firefighters put out hot spots Wednesday near recently evacuated South Lake Tahoe, Calif., as crews desperately try to save communities in the path of an approaching wildfire. Officials reported some progress but warned that strong winds and dry conditions remain a threat. “We’re still not out of the woods,” Henry Herrera, a battalion chief for Cal Fire, said. “The fire is still moving.” More photos at arkansasonline.com/92wildfires/.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Favorable weather helped firefighters trying to save communities on the south end of Lake Tahoe from an approaching wildfire, but officials warned Wednesday that stiff winds and dry conditions mean that homes in the California-Nevada alpine region are still in danger.
“We lucked out a little bit yesterday with some of the winds that didn’t come up quite as hard as we expected them to,” Tim Ernst, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told firefighters in a briefing. “We were fortunate the fire did not make as strong a push into Tahoe as it did the previous day.”
The Caldor Fire remained roughly 3 miles south of the recently evacuated city of South Lake Tahoe, moving northeast toward the California-Nevada state line, said Henry Herrera, a battalion chief for the agency, which is also known as Cal Fire.
Crews tried desperately to keep flames away from urban communities, where houses are close together and shopping centers, hotels and other structures would provide even more fuel for a fire that so far has been feeding on trees, grasses and scattered homes and cabins.
“We’re still not out of the woods. The fire is still moving,” he said.
The fire has been burning toward Lake Tahoe from the southwest along California Highway 50, climbing over a Sierra Nevada summit and descending into the Tahoe Basin.
Thick smoke has enveloped the city of South Lake Tahoe, which is all but deserted at a time when it would normally be swarming with tourists. Monday, roughly 22,000 residents and thousands of others from neighboring communities jammed the city’s main artery for hours after they were ordered to leave.
South Lake Tahoe city officials said only a handful of residents defied the evacuation order.
Tod Johnson, a 66-year-old retiree, swept up pine needles from the yard and roof of his home Tuesday after spending the night keeping an eye on reports of the advancing flames. The police knew he was there, but told him that when he leaves, he can’t come back until it’s safe.
“I promised my kid I’d be out of here as soon as I saw any flames anywhere. And I’m trying to be here to help the firefighters,” he said.
After seeing gusty winds in the forecast as the fire moved closer to his Lake Tahoe community, Johnson said he planned to leave Tuesday afternoon to join his girlfriend in Reno, once he had packed up a few precious items to take with him.
The decision to stay behind can complicate firefighters’ efforts and leave them scrambling to save lives instead of just property.
Of the few who stayed behind, some said they wanted to stick it out, pack more belongings and guard their property a little longer.
Bill Roberts, said he had planned to leave South Lake Tahoe with everyone else but decided to postpone his trip because he was tired and his back hurt. He then delayed it again when his cat ran off.
“Depending what the wind does, I might become a little more mildly concerned today. But I’m hoping at some point I just nab that cat and be out of here like a shot,” he said.
Some locals stayed because they felt they had nowhere else to go, even though officials opened emergency shelters on both sides of the California-Nevada state line.
David Duet, a South Lake Tahoe resident who is homeless, camps in a meadow with half a dozen friends and said they “don’t really have anywhere else to go.” He dismissed the idea of fleeing to nearby Carson City, saying his group didn’t know anyone in the Nevada capital, and declined a ride a stranger offered him Monday.
The mandatory orders are typically enforced by local sheriff’s offices.
Meanwhile, officials prepared for the next possible phase of the firefight. The South Tahoe Public Utility District asked people to turn off hoses, irrigation systems and sprinklers to ensure that wells can pump at full capacity. That means “the minute a firefighter hooks into a hydrant that they are getting full pressure, and as much water as possible is coming out,” said Shelly Thomsen, spokeswoman for the utility.
As flames moved toward the Heavenly ski resort, officials turned on the mountain’s snow-making machines to increase humidity and slow down any flames.