LAKE TAHOE (KRON) – The Lake Tahoe Visitors’ Board and local authorities encourage all visitors to postpone any immediate travel plans to the area due to the effects of the Caldor Fire.
Time-lapse videos show wildfire smoke choking Tahoe
In a statement released earlier this week, the Lake Tahoe Visitors’ Board said it will provide information about return visits and updates to terms and conditions.
At the last check, the Caldor Fire stayed about 3 miles south of South Lake Tahoe and was moving northeast toward the California-Nevada state line, said Henry Herrera, a battalion chief for Cal Fire.
The fire burned toward Lake Tahoe from the southwest along California Highway 50, rose over a peak in the Sierra Nevada, and fell into the Tahoe Basin.
Homes remain threatened by the Caldor Fire
“The Lake Tahoe area is a popular Labor Day weekend destination for many Bay Area residents,” Alameda police tweeted. “In the event of dangerous fires and evacuations, please help to keep the streets free for evacuees, rescue services and resources. Don’t try to go to the area this week / weekend. “
The Lake Tahoe area is a popular Labor Day weekend destination for many Bay Area residents. In the event of dangerous fires and evacuations, please help to keep the streets free for evacuees, emergency services and resources. Don’t try to go to the area this week / weekend https://t.co/uuChL7gkHU
-AlamedaPD (@AlamedaPD) August 30, 2021
The fire burned more than 212,907 acres as of Friday and is 29% contained. A total of 845 buildings were destroyed and 54 damaged.
Forest Service closes all national forests in California
Due to the Caldor fire, the US Forest Service announced earlier this week that all major state parks would be closed until after Labor Day.
Because of the #CaldorFire 🔥, State parks in the Tahoe Basin are closed. We continue to work with @Cal_OES, @CAL_FIRE & adjacent land managers in proactively finding park closures based on public safety, rescuing cultural artifacts, and engaging personnel for any forest fires. pic.twitter.com/TwR7zFjZsV
– CA State Parks (@CAStateParks) September 1, 2021
Thick smoke has enveloped the city of South Lake Tahoe, which is almost deserted at a time when it is usually teeming with tourists. On Monday, around 22,000 residents and thousands more from neighboring communities blocked the city’s main artery after being asked to leave.
South Lake Tahoe city officials said only a handful of residents defied the evacuation order.
South Lake Tahoe residents evacuate as Caldor Fire gets dangerously close
Nevada casino regulators said gambling has been suspended at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe, Montbleu Resort, Harrah’s and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, where officials said their casinos were closed to the public but their hotels were hosting firefighters and displaced workers.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden issued a federal emergency declaration ordering federal aid to supplement state and local resources for fire-fighting and assistance to residents in four fire-hit counties.
Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, adjutant general of California, said the state has also dispatched more than 1,000 National Guard soldiers, Airmen and Sailors, and 10 other states have dispatched around 1,250 additional guardsmen. Many of them provide air support, including 23 aircraft, some with water buckets and some with systems that can drop fire retardants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
