-
The chimney remains at the Ralston Track home. Photo provided. -
Sad remains of a Ralston Track home. Photo provided. -
The Snowshoe Thompson statue in Ralston Track appears to be unscathed as homes nearby burned. Photo provided. -
The sound of exploding propane tanks at homes could still be heard after the fire passed through. Photo provided. -
A home with reflective siding survived. Photo provided. -
County’s GIS map. Red is determined burned home.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – While all homes in the Lake Tahoe Basin have survived the Caldor Fire, homes from Echo Summit to Twin Bridges, and further west have not been so lucky. Assessment is ongoing and, to date, teams have accessed about 80 percent of the homes in the burned areas. On the west of side of the fire in Grizzly Flats, hundreds of homes didn’t not survive.
A drive through Mt. Ralston Road, the 47-mile track off US50 and Phillips at the entrance to Sierra-at-Tahoe are a sad reminder of what fire can do. At last report, the 1939 Echo Chalet Lodge survived as did most of Strawberry.
This section of the Sierra Nevada is a historic one, as the first California State Highway was created in 1896 when the state took over the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which transported travelers over the mountains to Virginia City after silver was discovered. Way stations were built along the road to house first the Pony Express riders and then the travelers.
To help ease homeowner’s concern about their homes, or to provide other information, El Dorado County has created an interactive map. Field damage inspection is still ongoing and subject to change, and there is an online tool people can use to check out their property (see here). The points shown in this map are being updated regularly and data is subject to change as information is gathered and verified. The icons on the map indicate the current known status of the structure. If your structure is not identified by an icon, it has not yet been identified.