The rapid growth of the Caldor Fire in Northern California led to mass evacuations in the region on Monday. By late Monday, strong winds pushed the fire towards the lake as it burned mountain cabins on the slopes along its path. The popular vacation spot was totally deserted, and brave firefighters descended to battle the inferno. There is a possibility that residents across state lines in Nevada could also be evicted.
This year the threat of fire is so huge across the state that all national forests in the state are to remain closed until September 17, according to an announcement from the U.S. Forest Service, on Monday.
On Tuesday, a huge force of firefighters were present at Lake Tahoe. There are more than 15,000 firefighters who are battling several fires throughout the state of California. They have come from
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia.
Mark Ghilarducci, who is the director of the Office of Emergency Services in the state said that the crew from Louisiana returned due to Hurricane Ida.
Chief Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or Cal Fire said that unprecedented fire activity has been seen in California and the important thing for the public to know was to evacuate early. He also added that every acre could and would burn in the state, someday.
He also said that only twice in the history of the state, blazes have burned from one side of the Sierra Nevada to the other side, both this month with the Caldor Fire in the South and the Dixie Fire in the North.
Earlier two major wildfires that blazed through inhabited areas near Tahoe were the following:
- The Angora Fire in 2007 had destroyed over 200 homes.
- The Gondola Fire in 2002 had burned close to a chairlift at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
The National Weather Service has cautioned that critical fire weather conditions would be present on Wednesday. Strong gusts of wind, very low humidity and extremely dry fuels could make the raging fire worse.
Scientists say that climate change has made the West hotter and drier in the last three decades. They say that the weather will become more extreme leading to more destruction as well as more frequent wildfires. Drought and dry weather due to climate change are ideal conditions for wildfires in California.
The Caldor Fire has scorched an area of approximately 300 miles since it began on August 14. Due to the fierce burning through the weekend the containment decreased from 19 to 16 percent. More than 3,500 firefighters are battling the fire, 470 structures were destroyed, and 39 structures have been damaged; 5 persons have been injured, to date.
