Weather heats up, fire moves for Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE >> Spiking temperatures and increasing winds on Sunday added to the challenges faced by firefighters battling blazes across Northern California, including one that continued its march toward the Lake Tahoe resort region.

“It is going to be the hottest day so far since the fire began, and unfortunately, probably the driest,” said Isaac Lake, a spokesman for the two-week-old Caldor Fire.

Flames churned through mountains just a few miles southwest of the Tahoe Basin, where thick smoke sent tourists packing at a time when summer vacations would be in full swing ahead of Labor Day.

Triple-digit temperatures were possible and the extreme heat was expected to last several days, Lake said. A red flag warning for critical fire conditions was issued for Monday and Tuesday across the Northern Sierra.

Crews working in rugged terrain scrambled to douse spot fires caused by winds.