Latest Stories

After 21 days, the Caldor Fire is 43% contained, 214,112 acres in size

Douglas County residents have been able to return to their homes at Lake Tahoe, but South Lake Tahoe, Meyers, Christmas Valley and Tahoma residents remain evacuated.

Containment lines are around 43 percent of the fire, meaning a line is around that much of the perimeter, not that the fire is 43 percent extinguished. There are still some areas within the boundary that are burning.

Since the fire started three weeks ago, 214,112 acres have burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

East End Report

Douglas County Community and Senior Center moving back to normal services

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Community & Senior Center (DCCSC) will be an active evacuation center for Douglas County and Alpine County residents through the Labor Day Weekend. As of Friday there was one person housed at this center which was operated by Douglas County Emergency Management and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). All South Lake Tahoe evacuees from the Calder Fire were moved to the Reno Sparks Convention Center.

Caldor Fire and wildlife, what to do as we return home to South Lake Tahoe

Soon we'll all be returning to our Lake Tahoe homes. No doubt we'll have a lot to mentally digest as we return.

Residents of Douglas County can return home after mandatory evacuation orders removed.

Mandatory evacuation downgraded to precautionary evacuation warning in Douglas County, though South Lake Tahoe, Meyers and Christmas Valley are still closed. There is one grocery store open at the south end of the lake, Safeway at Round Hill. It is suggested getting essentials before returning as lines are long and hours are shortened due to staffing levels.

Effective: September 4, 2021, 1:00 PM.

THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE NO LONGER MANDATORY BUT REMAIN ON WARNING
Upper Kingsbury (South)
Upper Kingsbury (North)
Central Kingsbury
Lower Kingsbury

Letter: Why we stay behind


Why would utility workers stay behind during these deadly, destructive fires? We pack our families and send them away and we stay behind. We say goodbye to our families and pets, not knowing when we would see them again, or if our home will be there in the end, or when resolution will finally come.

Why?

Lake Tahoe students displaced by Caldor Fire can enroll in Carson City Schools while evacuated

The ravaging toll of wildfires have caused thousands of residences and families in the Lake Tahoe communities to evacuate their homes and be displaced to shelters throughout northern Nevada. The Carson City School District is inviting all evacuated families in Carson City with school-aged children to enroll their students through the McKinney-Vento Students in Transition program.

Board of Supervisors hold special meeting focused on recovery efforts for the Caldor Fire.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors today announced it will hold a
special Board meeting on September 10th, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss County initiatives to address the impact of the Caldor Fire and plans to begin the recovery process. It will be held on Zoom and in person in Placerville (instructions here).

The Board will receive reports from the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, the County Assessor, the Registrar of Voters, the Treasurer-Tax Collector, and Environmental Management in regards remediation and

Friday night Caldor Fire: 32% contained, 213,270 acres burned

More residents on the western end of the Caldor Fire were able to return home Friday, the first time in almost three weeks for some of them. As of Friday evening, the fire has burned 213,270 acres and is 32 percent contained.

East Zone

Multiple arrests in South Lake Tahoe during mandatory evacuations

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Multiple law enforcement agencies have been in South Lake Tahoe since the Caldor Fire started its eastward surge toward the lake. They assisted with evacuations after the orders were issued on Sunday and Monday, and since then have been on neighborhood patrol looking for those who chose to stay in town for nefarious reasons.

Law enforcement is working 24/7 to keep the community safe while residents are gone.

There have been several arrests this week of South Lake Tahoe residents caught looting during a mandatory evacuation order.

City of South Lake Tahoe seeks Federal Major Disaster Declaration to open funds for residents

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe is requesting that the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to continue to request from the White House a Federal Major Disaster Declaration and approve California Disaster Assistance Act funding.

President Biden approved a Presidential Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance on Sept. 1, but South Lake Tahoe City Manager wants the further request as it would allow for evacuated residents and public agencies to apply for federal assistance once approved.

Tourism bureaus and U.S. Coast Guard asking visitors to stay away from Lake Tahoe

Even though the Caldor Fire continues to burn on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, the northern end of the lake is open and visitors could try and visit this Labor Day Weekend. It will not be safe on the water with limited resources able to respond to emergencies.

Crews taking advantage of weather, Caldor Fire now 29% contained after 212,907 acres burn

Overall activity on the Caldor Fire decreased overnight due to moderate humidity recovery and a decrease in winds. Firefighters took advantage of these favorable conditions to build more control line and work direct along the northern edge of the fire. Spot fires from the wind event two days ago continue to be found and firefighters engaged when safe to do so. Minimal fire growth occurred in the Kirkwood area. Today crews will work to tie in more control line and mop up.

COVID-19 cases for Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 60 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in El Dorado County since yesterday.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 651 cases - +6 - The 14-day new case rate is 83 with 612 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 2747 cases - +19 - The 14-day new case rate is 265 with 624 per 100,000 residents.
Diamond Springs, El Dorado - 594 cases - +0 - The 14-day new case rate is 72 with 766 per 100,000 residents.
North County - 642 cases - +4 - The 14-day new case rate is 106 with 732 per 100,000 residents.

Caldor Fire Thursday night update: 210,893 acres burn, 27% contained

Today fire behavior decreased in western areas thanks to slow wind speed across the fire. The fire continues to back down towards US50 in multiple locations due to the heavy dead/down fuels. Aircraft and hand crews worked throughout the day to secure more control line along the southern edge of the fire near Kirkwood and Caples Lake, keeping it north of Hwy 88. Tonight, firefighters will take advantage of lighter winds and cooler temperatures to construct additional control lines. Damage inspection is in progress with approximately 65 percent of structures inspected to date.

Caldor Fire officials credit good fuels management in protecting South Lake Tahoe

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Caldor Fire has been kept away from homes on the South Shore due to effective fuels treatment, said fire incident command during the nightly 5:00 p.m. meeting on Thursday. They highlighted the area above Apache Avenue, saying firefighters encountered 150 foot flames in the Caldor Fire when it came into the Lake Tahoe Basin, but once it hit the treated fuels, those flames dropped to 15 feet and they could get the fire out.

Special Grand Jury indicts former Douglas County employee for theft

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A former case manager for Douglas County has a warrant out for her arrest after a special grand jury has indicted her on two counts of theft.

Rena Petri, a current resident of Oakland, allegedly used her position to create fraudulent documents for fictitious rental assistance in the amounts of $2,400 and $2,000.

Three years after the Douglas County Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline was created, the program resulted in the investigation leading to the indictment of Petri.

Getting mail while evacuated and election day ballot info

Update: The Elections Office will have a representative at the evacuation centers where ballots for the September 14 election can be requested. They will then go back to Placerville, get ballots for each person that requested them, and return to the evacuation centers.

* * *

Some residents start to return to Caldor Fire burn areas on West Slope

Since the Caldor Fire started in Grizzly Flats on August 14, more than 50,000 resident have been evacuated in El Dorado, Amador, Alpine and Douglas counties.

More evacuation orders have been changed or lifted this morning, there are no changes to the orders in Lake Tahoe:

The following Evacuation Warnings have been lifted in El Dorado County.
CEMENT HILL - South of Omo Ranch Road accessed from Farnham Ridge Road.
FARNHAM RIDGE – South of Omo Ranch Road East of 8N62 to the Amador County Line.

Calmer winds forecast as the Caldor Fire reaches 210,259, 25% containment

There were calmer winds and a return of moderate humidity to some areas of the fire overnight, though spotting and fire spread still occurred along the
northern edge of the fire, according to the CalFire's Thursday morning update. Firefighters will work today to bolster lines pockets of previously unburned fuel threaten existing control lines. Damage inspection is in progress with approximately 60 percent of structures inspected to date.

COVID-19 cases for Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 607 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in El Dorado County since Friday. Roughly 250 of those were due to issues with the electronic lab reporting connection between certain providers/testing sites and CalREDIE that occurred over the past few weeks. These cases were from the first three weeks of August and from now on, the County expects to receive full daily sets of data. As always the case rate, as opposed to the daily case counts, best illustrates the recent trend in confirmed COVID cases.

California State Schools chief to visit Caldor Fire, highlight fundraising for impacted schools/teachers

Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will join El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ed Manansala on Wednesday at the Calder Fire. They will be there to gain a first-hand perspective of how the fire is impacting schools in the area and to offer support to displaced residents, as provided by the California Department of Education Foundation’s (CDEF) Emergency Response Fund.

From the Rabbi’s desk as we evacuate the city we love

It’s easy to panic.

It’s easy to lose hope.

But we will not.

We need to evacuate South Lake Tahoe. The haze and smell of smoke are constant reminders of the wildfires raging miles away and the peril that now faces our city.

But panic is not what we want.

We all must take strength from our beautiful community. As Jews we draw inspiration from our forefathers and their trust in G-d — despite what it may superficially seem.

Farmers Insurance sets up mobile claim center for those impacted by Caldor Fire

Concerned for their customer's safety, Farmers Insurance has set up a mobile center at Lowe's in Carson City.

If you have been impacted by the Caldor Wildfire, they are set up for assistance with claims and information.

Contact your Farmers agent, file a claim online or visit the Mobile Relief Site set up at Lowe’s, 430 Fairview Dr Carson City, Nevada between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Evacuation orders and warnings expanded into Alpine and Douglas counties

UPDATE 9/2/21: Round Hill has been removed from the mandatory evacuation order at Lake Tahoe. This area was included due to an abundance of caution according to Douglas County officials. Businesses in the Round Hill area are essential infrastructure serving the needs of the community and are not under immediate threat.

On the Nevada side, the mandatory order is still in effect for Upper Kingsbury (South), Upper Kingsbury (North), Central Kingsbury, Lower Kingsbury, Lower Olivers, Kahle Drive region and roads, Lake Village, areas south of Elks Point Road.

* * *

In 18th day, Caldor Fire almost 208,000 acres and 23% contained

Fire increased on one end of the Caldor Fire, got active in another, while evacuation orders were lifted in another. Now at 207,931 acres, the fire is 23 percent contained.

Firefighters were challenged today by dry conditions and strong winds. These
strong winds increased fire behavior dramatically along the northern area of the fire this morning. This evening crews will look for opportunities to build control line were possible. The current Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 11:00 p.m. tonight. The winds will be dying down over the next few days.

Evacuees from South Lake Tahoe sent to new evacuation center

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As the first evacuees on the South Shore from Christmas Valley and Meyers were sent away from their homes due to the Caldor Fire, the only evacuation center was set up by the Red Cross at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center.

As of Tuesday night, that no longer became an option for Tahoe residents and those housed there were sent to the Reno Sparks Convention Center. Douglas County had to make room for its own evacuees along with those from Alpine County.

Caldor Fire relief fund through El Dorado Community Foundation

The El Dorado Community Foundation started a Caldor Fire Relief Fund when the devastating fire hit El Dorado County. Thousands of people were helped on the West Slope and they have now started a second fund focused on the Lake Tahoe area.

The fund was created for immediate relief needs for those who live in the Lake Tahoe area of El Dorado County and are directly impacted by the fire through evacuation.

League to Save Lake Tahoe statement on the Caldor Fire

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The community of Lake Tahoe is reeling as the Caldor Fire continues to burn extremely near evacuated neighborhoods in El Dorado County and the City of South Lake Tahoe, and the shores of Lake Tahoe itself. Our staff at the League to Save Lake Tahoe are among the evacuees. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been forced from their homes, along with the emergency personnel, law enforcement and government officials who are working without rest.

Caldor Fire Wednesday Update: 204,390 acres burned and 20% contained

The Caldor Fire remained very active overnight due to the extremely poor humidity recovery and warm temperatures to the west of the Tahoe Basin. Spotting continued to occur with spots being found up to .5 miles away from the edge of the fire. The fire continued to back down towards the US50 corridor from Ice House Road to Strawberry with slow rates of spread. Today

Caldor Fire gains 8,000 acres Tuesday, now at 199,632 acres and 18% contained

Fire behavior increased dramatically in the northeast and eastern divisions early in the morning due to the expected strong winds and poor humidity. High wind speeds produced long-range spotting as the active crown fire runs reached the ridgetops. Spotting distances were over 1 mile. The fire continues to back down towards US50 in multiple locations and continues to threaten the control lines in Divisions G and H, which include Ice House Road and the Whitehall to Strawberry stretch. Fire spotted over the control line at Wright's Lake Road and the fire is threatening Wright's Lake.

Evacuation orders issued for Alpine County

CalFire Incident Command has ordered new evacuations for Alpine County due to the advancement of the Caldor Fire.

Evacuation Orders:

Highway 88 at Forestdale Road. West of Forestdale Road and south to the Pacific Crest Trail Crossing. West of the Pacific Crest Trail to the Summit City Canyon Trail. West of Summit City Canyon Trail and south to the El Dorado / Stanislaus National Forest Line. El Dorado / Stanislaus
National Forest Line west to the Alpine and Amador County line.

Evacuation orders now in place for some of Nevada side of Lake Tahoe

Due to the progress of the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe, Cal Fire has issued the following Evacuation Orders for Douglas County, Nevada, excluding the Stateline Casinos which are currently housing emergency personnel and operations.

• Upper Kingsbury (South)
• Upper Kingsbury (North)
• Central Kingsbury
• Lower Kingsbury
• Round Hill region and roads including Lower Elks Point
• Lake Village
• Lower Olivers, Kahle Drive region and roads

South Lake Tahoe schools postpone start date another week

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD)has announced they will postpone the beginning of the 2021/22 school year.

Due to the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe, LTUSD the District is postponing the school year start date until at least Monday, September 13, 2021. They will continues to monitor the wildfire situation in the basin and provide updates as necessary, but in any event, they provide an update no later than Monday, September 6.

Discovery is offering free day camp for kids evacuated from South Lake Tahoe

The Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery) is partnering with a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization to offer a pop-up day camp Sept. 1–3 to support children and their families impacted by the Dixie and Caldor fires.

Project:Camp empowers families and communities to care for children during and after disasters by providing resources and training to create trauma-informed spaces for kids while they work to help their families recover from disaster including navigating government services, connecting with services for debris removal and more.

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and SLT Police helping those who need evacuation transportation

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless is working with the South Lake Tahoe Police department to ensure all homeless people in the South Lake Tahoe area are evacuated.

They are providing evacuation transport to anyone who needs it starting with the encampments on the west side of South Lake Tahoe, working their way toward Stateline.

They are also assisting elderly and medically compromised residents and partnering with other agencies agencies to facilitate sheltering.

Another big, dynamic fire day for the Caldor Fire on Lake Tahoe and Kirkwood ends

During their 10:00 a.m. briefing with the day's fire crews, CalFire said "today is going to be another big, dynamic fire day" due to the high winds and gusts could reach 50 mph.

Due to the winds and dry trees there will be more long range spotting today in the fire area, up to one mile, maybe more. The wind's erratic behavior will continue for at least one more day.

USFS closes all National Forests in California through mid-September

To better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis, USDA Forest Service is announcing a temporary closure of all National Forests in California. This closure will be in effect from Aug. 31, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through September 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. through the Labor Day weekend.

This order does not affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is not in the Pacific Southwest Region.

Shelter list for evacuees from Lake Tahoe due to Caldor Fire

Nevada emergency managers are working with CalFire to ensure correct and consistent information is being released from all cooperating entities concerning evacuations and shelters. On Monday evening, CalFire released incorrect evacuation shelter information.

Please note that Carson High School is not an evacuation shelter, as school is currently in session.

The Douglas County Community & Senior Center and Carson City Community Center are both at capacity, but the following Nevada evacuation shelters have also opened:

Caldor Fire Tuesday update: 191,607 acres and 16% contained

Overnight fire activity on the Caldor Fire remained active throughout the northeastern and eastern areas of the fire due to poor humidity recovery according to CalFire. Crown fire runs and ember casting remained active covering distances of up to three quarters of a mile. Lower elevations of the fire saw strong down canyon winds that tested control lines in Divisions in the west and northwest. The current red flag warning remains in effect through 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1.

Caldor Fire moves to Lake Tahoe - 186,568 acres and 15% contained

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County is now 186,568 acres in size and 15 percent contained. Firefighters had a battle on some sides of the fire while having successes on others.

Douglas County starts evacuation warnings due to Caldor Fire

The threat of the Caldor Fire in the Lake Tahoe Basin has prompted evacuation warnings on the Nevada side of the South Shore. Douglas County is asking the following communities to be on the alert and start preparing for potential evacuations. Evacuations have not been ordered at this time, in Douglas County, however there is potential for evacuation orders in the near future. The communities possibly affected are:

• Upper Kingsbury (South)
• Upper Kingsbury (North)
• Central Kingsbury
• Lower Kingsbury
• Round Hill region and roads including Lower Elks Point
• Lake Village

Barton Health suspends all services in South Lake Tahoe due to Caldor Fire

With the Caldor Fire’s continued progression toward the Tahoe Basin, and the urgent need for complete evacuation, ALL Barton services and medical offices are closed. These closures are in effect to ensure community safety and will last through at least Friday, September 3, including Barton Urgent Care and the relocated Emergency Department. For a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1.

All of South Shore Lake Tahoe exits during evacuation as fire enters the basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It has been an overwhelming day of evacuating the largest city at Lake Tahoe along with all remaining El Dorado County portions at the lake. Some areas in Christmas Valley and Meyers were evacuated on Sunday and now all evacuations have been completed at this time. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and its mutual aid partners will be patrolling the streets looking for those who do not belong.

Lyon County opens dry camping evacuation site for RVs and large animals

MINDEN, NV- Lyon County is working with the Nevada Division of Emergency Management to assist with the Evacuation efforts of South Lake Tahoe residents due to the Caldor Fire. Lyon County is not, at this time, opening a shelter. Lyon County is preparing to offer assistance as follows:

Dayton Event Center/Rodeo Grounds

Lyon County has room for 100- 150 recreational vehicles. The address (Map Attached) is 500 Schaad Lane, Dayton Nevada.

Lyon County Fair Grounds

Gardnerville evacuation center fills, Carson City preparing to open community center, Fuji Park

With the Douglas County evacuation center in Gardnerville now full, plans are underway to have evacuees of the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe to two locations in Carson City that will be open later today — the Community Center on East William Street and Fuji Park.

All of the South Shore of Lake Tahoe is being put under mandatory evacuation orders

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Caldor Fire is forcing evacuation of all of El Dorado County on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. The Code Red system is going area by area so as to not create clogged roads but soon the whole area will be in mandatory evacuation status.

Tahoe Keys
• All residences with the Tahoe Keys community and all residents accessed from the streets connected to Tahoe Keys Blvd, staying east of 3rd Street.

Tahoe Island

Christmas Cheer opening Monday for food needs in South Lake Tahoe

Christmas Cheers is opening its doors today, August 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. unless evacuation orders change.

Director Joanne Shope is opening up on a day they are normally closed so people in need of food can get it. They are located at 1120 Third Street in South Lake Tahoe.

Normal hours for Christmas Cheer is 11:00 a.m. t0 2:00 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday.

Bread & Broth is unable to get food deliveries and many volunteers have evacuated, so they will not be open on Monday. Friday's status is dependent on current conditions.

Over 40,000 people evacuated from the beast of a fire: the Caldor Fire at 177,260 and 14% contained

Humidity recovery remained poor overnight and allowed the fire to continue to
actively burn. Fuel conditions remain critical and we still see active crown runs and group torching in the northeastern divisions of the fire. Current fire behavior is contributing to ember casts traveling up to half a mile. We anticipate early morning winds in the northeast area of the fire. Fire weakened trees continue to present a risk for crews.

Red Flag Warning for Lake Tahoe Monday into Tuesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Greater Lake Tahoe and Truckee Area, Alpine, Northern Mono, Southern Lyon and and Western Mineral Counties. It will be in effect from 2:00 p.m. Monday to 11:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Expect gusty winds and low humidity for eastern Sierra and western Nevada.

Winds...Southwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Higher gusts possible in wind prone areas and along exposed terrain. Ridgetop winds may gust over 50 mph, even during the overnight period.

El Dorado County Superior Court in South Lake Tahoe closed Monday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the safety of staff and court users, the South Lake Tahoe Branch of the El Dorado County Superior Court will be closed on Monday due to evacuations and road closures.

The court website will be updated with more information. Visit HERE to check out current schedule.

Syndicate content