Firefighters facing ‘pivotal day’ in effort

Firefighters faced a critical day in efforts to prevent a massive California wildfire from reaching the Lake Tahoe resort region Saturday, fearing that hot, gusty winds up to 35 mph could spread the embers from the tops of bone-dry trees and spark new fires.

The Caldor Fire churned through mountains just southwest of the Tahoe Basin, cloaking much of the area in toxic smoke and sending tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would be in full swing ahead of the Labor Day weekend.

“It’s going to be a very pivotal day for us,” said Capt. Stephen Horner, a Cal Fire spokesman for the Caldor Fire.

The fire’s eastern edge was about 7 or 8 miles from the city of South Lake Tahoe and did not advance much overnight thanks to operations known as “backfiring,” where firefighters get ahead of the blaze and burn up fuel so the fire has nothing to ignite, said Horner.