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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.

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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.

All of South Lake Tahoe now on evacuation warning or order; Barton Hospital evacuating patients

There are now new evacuation orders and warnings for the Lake Tahoe and Alpine County area. The following are additions to the earlier notice.

Evacuation Order:
El Dorado County
Desolation Wilderness from the watershed ridge to the CA ENF/CA TMU wilderness boundary.

From the El Dorado/Placer county line to Echo Lakes.

Alpine County

Sunday night update: Caldor Fire loses some containment, now at 13% and 168,387 acres

Five thousand more people were evacuated Sunday afternoon after the Caldor Fire made a run for the ridges to the east. It has burned 168,387 acres and containment dropped to 13 percent due to the increase in fire's size at the east/northeast end.

Evacuation orders were issued for Christmas Valley and parts of the South Shore, with warnings extending to Emerald Bay.

According to Calfire, the fire made a "significant run" to the east and northeast" sides today with extreme fire behavior observed.

Not too late to sign up for emergency notifications in El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - With part of the South Shore under mandatory evacuations, will you know when its time to leave?

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has the Code Red emergency alert system that will alert residents when they are under mandatory evacuations and orders.

It's not too late and very important: https://ready.edso.org/. You can sign up with a land line, cell phone (or both) and an email address.

For all of the latest information and maps, links to social media, follow their page: https://edcgov.us/Pages/Caldor-Fire.aspx

Evacuation orders now into the Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is now a large change to the evacuation orders for the Caldor Fire. This is the time to take action immediately if in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Evacuation Order:

El Dorado County
• Christmas Valley from Highway 89 West to Echo Summit
• Highway 89 due West to Watershed Ridge/Echo Summit and South to the Amador/El Dorado County line.

Critical fire weather at the Caldor Fire Sunday: 156,515 acres and 19% contained

The Caldor Fire is now 156,515 acres in size and remains 19 percent contained. Sunday is a critical fire day as its the hottest and driest day since the fire started on August 7 and will be challenging firefighters all day before the winds come and add to that challenge.

The big plume of smoke over the fire seen through the Armstrong Lookout Alert wildfire camera at 10:00 a.m. is the fire consuming fuel on its own as there are no firing operations planned today. Firefighters will be working to create new control lines over the ridges today.

Caldor Fire Saturday night update: 152,545 acres and remains at 19%

The Caldor Fire has now burned 152,545 acres and remains at 19% contained.

The overnight inversion layer over the fire was present until 2:00 p.m. Saturday which decreased fire spread, spotting, and visibility well into today’s firefighting operations. As the inversion lifted erratic winds and low humidity increased fire activity with ember casts of up to one mile, according to the Calfire Press Information Officer (PIO) Saturday evening.

America's Most Beautiful Tour de Tahoe bike ride postponed to 2022 due to Caldor Fire

Bike the West has had to postpone their America's Most Beautiful Tour de Tahoe which was set for Sunday, September 12, 2021. Organizers had to make the difficult decision due to unhealthy air quality from the Caldor Fire burning to the southwest of Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe man now the Master Maker, Kingman wins Season 3 of Making It

In what could be the happiest and kindest competition show on television, the third season of Making It ended Thursday, with a Lake Tahoe man taking home the coveted title of Master Maker and a check for $100,000.

Adam Kingman, a 2010 Whittell High School graduate, brought home top honors from the show that showcased his artistic and creative MacGyver-like skills which are blended with repurposing and crafting.

Vahalla Tahoe postpones/cancels some shows due to Caldor Fire

With the Caldor Fire burning to the southwest of Lake Tahoe, and out of an abundance of caution, Valhalla Tahoe has decided to postpone its next three shows.

The Boathouse 25th Anniversary Show with Dirty Cello has been rescheduled for October 6, 2021. Claudia and Bruce will be opening the show and proceeds will still go to the Boathouse Theatre Lighting project.

If you purchased tickets and are no longer able to attend due to the date change or no longer wish to attend due to the mask requirement or COVID-19 surge, please email info@valhallatahoe.com for a full refund.

Weekly recap of COVID-19 for counties around Lake Tahoe

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Weekly roundup of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in counties around Lake Tahoe, except for El Dorado County which is a daily update.

EL DORADO COUNTY

There have been 92 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since Thursday. The previous drive-through testing facility in South Lake Tahoe has been closed due to smoke all week so testing is limited.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 651 cases - +7 - The 14-day new case rate is 62 with 457 per 100,000 residents.

Military personnel mobilized to provide wildfire support

At the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, 200 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers are being sent by the Department of the Defense to Northern California to assist with wildfire suppression efforts this September.

After receiving training, the soldiers will serve as hand crews, assisting with wildfire suppression efforts, just as other Army teams did to support 2020's August Complex and Creek wildfires.

Road Beat: Review ~2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is all about style

Style, style, style. Here's living proof that people-moving crossovers don't have to be boring.

How do you (attempt to) dethrone such normality like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V? By building something like the all-new Tucson. From Hyundai, everybody's favorite value brand they love to crack now unjustified jokes about, this is a new compact crossover SUV designed to ignite some creativity into a field defined by conformity. However, is it more than just its eye-grabbing exterior and charming interior?

Day in Paradise canceled due to smoke, fire and COVID concerns

The South Lake Tahoe Optimist Club canceled this year's Day in Paradise, originally scheduled for August 28 due to the Caldor Fire.

"Due to the air quality, fire concerns and COVID concerns, the Optimist Club has made the tough decision to cancel this year's Optimist Club Day in Paradise and Duck Race. We hope that all understand the we did not make this decision lightly and hope to be back next year," said the club in a statement.

The planned silent auction will move to an online format and will let the public know when that happens.

15th day of Caldor Fire: 149,684 acres and 19% contained

The Caldor Fire, which started on the evening of August 14, has so far burned 149,684 acres in El Dorado County. The contained is 19 percent. Containment lines are at the head of the fire, the western edge.

The nighttime inversion layer returned bringing a reduction in fire spread, spotting, and visibility. Down-canyon winds and low humidity increased fire activity in Division D, the area south of Pollock Pines near Sly Park Road Firing operations continued in the eastern flanks, while firefighters took advantage of the slow easterly winds to improve control lines.

Caldor Fire Friday night: Containment 19% as 145,463 acres burn; New evacuation orders for Pleasant Valley

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - "We're doing everything we can so the fire doesn't make it into Tahoe," said Calfire incident commander Eric Schwab during Friday's community meeting.

Emergency closure of courts due to smoke from Caldor Fire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to widespread smoke from the Caldor Fire, the El Dorado Superior Court is under an emergency order to protect staff and court users.

The order allows the court to extend the last day for time not waived jury trials and for preliminary hearings through September 17. This allows people the Court flexibility in terms of pulling officers away from dealing with the state of emergency to come to court and testify. Also, many people in the County have been evacuated, displaced or have left their homes.

Taking care of South Lake Tahoe homeless during adverse conditions

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - While most people can go inside to get a reprieve from the smoke filling the Lake Tahoe Basin, there is a population that cannot - the homeless.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) has been working to assist this population of vulnerable people. They have been providing information and protection to these unsheltered individuals at their offices and their team members have been doing outreach in known encampments.

City of South Lake Tahoe and tourist agency: Now is not the time to visit Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (LTVA) is recommending visitors postpone any immediate travel plans to the area due to impacts from the Caldor Fire. The tourism agency representing both California and Nevada on the South Shore consulted with local authorities Thursday, including the City of South Lake Tahoe.

Smoky Lake Tahoe as Caldor Fire grows to 143,951 acres

The Caldor Fire is now 143,941 acres and remains 12 percent contained. While containment lines may grow on one end, the fire growth on another end has left the percentage of area with a strong containment line around it remains the same. There will be heavy smoke once again in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Suspicious fire overnight in South Lake Tahoe; Vehicle catches fire while transporting wood

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire personnel from Lake Valley Fire and the US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) were called to the scene of an illegal bonfire above High Meadow Trail on Wednesday night at approximately 8:24 p.m.

The first responders were able to quickly put out the fire which LTBMU said was about 3' x 3'.

Two LTBMU patrol units were up in the area Thursday to look into the cause which is still under investigation.

COVID-19 cases for Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 80 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since yesterday. COVID testing is limited in South Lake Tahoe due to cancelations due to smoke of the outdoor testing facility at El Dorado Beach. The County is trying to move it to an indoor location.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 671 cases - +7 - The 14-day new case rate is 60 with 442 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 2802 cases - +17 - The 14-day new case rate is 189 with 445 per 100,000 residents.

Caldor Fire Thursday night update: 139,510 acres and 12% contained

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Caldor Fire southwest of Lake Tahoe led to new evacuation orders and warnings (see below) but there no evacuation orders in the Lake Tahoe Basin at this time. As of Thursday evening, the fire has burned 139,510 acres and remains 12 percent contained.

The main fire spread was on the northeast side along Highway 50 and the
community of Strawberry. Low humidity and up-canyon winds contributed to

Douglas County Sheriff's Office seeks public's help in Zephyr Cove theft case

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect involved in the theft of packages from a residence in Zephyr Cove.

The suspect is identified as a male adult, approximately 30-years-old, with dark hair and a mustache.

On August 24, 2021, at approximately 4:32 p.m., a white Toyota Tacoma backed into a driveway in the Zephyr Cove area. The male driver exited the vehicle, and stole a number of packages sitting near the residence. He placed them in the bed of the truck before driving away.

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