That’s why crews are also banking on topography to assist: The other side of the ridge is a downhill slope that leads into the Tahoe basin, and wildfires don’t move downhill as quickly as they move up, Hunter said.Įven so, authorities issued evacuation warnings for communities within the southern end of the Tahoe Basin. “The granite gives us the benefit of less fuels, so it slows the rate of spread for the fire and gives us the chance to make a direct attack, potentially,” he said.īut while the ridge could help slow the fire’s progress, it’s not impossible for the flames to jump it - especially if winds pick up again. “We’re focusing a lot of efforts up here, a lot of resources on this side of the fire.”Īs he spoke, simmering flames on the forest floor behind him caught a gust of wind and roared up the spine of a nearby tree.
“Our winds are going to be lower today than they were yesterday, but we also have high temperatures and decreased humidity,” said Jason Hunter, a Caldor fire information officer. But climate-driven wildfire behavior has been so erratic this year that nearly anything is possible. More than 20,000 residents were evacuated due to the Caldor Fire.But in the stand to save Lake Tahoe, officials said there are several factors working in their favor - including changing topography, slowing winds and a large granite ridge between the town and the flames. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Copperopolis firefighters monitor a controlled burn along Highway 89 in the Christmas Valley area near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: A smoky sunset is seen from Lakeside Beach as the Caldor Fire continues to burn near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. Forest Service forestry technician, works on a control burn along Highway 89 in the Christmas Valley area of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Sept. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) KIRKWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Towering flames burn at the head of the Caldor Fire along Highway 88 near Caples Lake in Kirkwood, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. – September 02: Nic Johnston, a firefighter from Copperopolis, Calif., works on a control burn along Highway 89 in the Christmas Valley area of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Sept. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) KIRKWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Firefighters watch the head of the Caldor Fire burn along Highway 88 as a plume of smoke rises near Caples Lake in Kirkwood, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. More than 20,000 residents were evacuated due to the Caldor Fire. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Copperopolis firefighter Chris Maness pauses while monitoring a controlled burn along Highway 89 in the Christmas Valley area near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. Forest Service and other agencies conduct a control burn in the Christmas Valley area of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Sept. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) KIRKWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Menlo Park firefighter Alex Perlstein, right, and others watch the head of the Caldor Fire burn along Highway 88 near Caples Lake in Kirkwood, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) KIRKWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: A large plume of smoke is seen as the head of the Caldor Fire along Highway 88 near Caples Lake in Kirkwood, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. Forest Service forestry technician, works on a controlled burn along Highway 89 in the Christmas Valley area of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Sept. It may be the quietest holiday weekend Lake Tahoe has ever seen. As Labor Day weekend approaches, road closures remain in effect to all but essential personnel. Meanwhile, down at Lakeside Beach on Tahoe’s south shore, an empty swing set was silhouetted in the smoky sunset. Man acquitted of igniting massive Holy fire in Southern California
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