Firefighters battling a persistent California wildfire near Lake Tahoe Resort were struggling with gusting winds and dry conditions Friday as they prepared to fire vegetation.

The Caldor Fire raged in the mountains southwest of the Tahoe Basin, enveloping large swaths of the region in toxic smoke and sending the tourists into the lurch as summer holidays were going to be in full swing in the run-up to Labor day.

Winds were not as strong as predicted and advantageous weather changes Saturday afternoon allowed firefighters to push ahead and bring containment of the Caldor fire to 19 per cent, up from 12 per cent in a day earlier, the captain said.

Stephen Horner, a spokesman for Cal Fire, said Caldor Fire had been put out immediately.

The fire has so far burnt 156.515 hectares.

Eastward margin of the fire was about 8 miles or 8 miles from South Lake Tahoe and did not develop overnight, Horner said, because of what ‘s called backfire operations where firefighters are running ahead of the blaze and burning fuel.

Critical fire conditions remain on the horizon as a red flag warning of high winds remains in place between Monday afternoon and Tuesday night.

The last time South Lake Tahoe City declared a state of emergency was during the 2007 Angora fire, which destroyed almost 250 homes in adjacent Meyers and was the last major fire in the basin.

Thomas Fire

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The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and one of multiple wildfires that ignited in southern California in December 2017. (wikipedia)


Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at 6,225 ft , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. (wikipedia)

Caldor Fire

The Caldor Fire is an active wildfire burning in El Dorado County, California, about 15 miles southeast of Placerville. As of August 17, 2021, it had burned more than 30, (wikipedia)


Angora Fire

Was a 2007 wind-driven wildfire in El Dorado County, California. It started near North Upper Truckee Road subdivision near Angora Lakes, Fallen Leaf Lake, Echo Lake and South Lake Tahoe (wikipedia)


Mendocino Complex Fire

The Mendocino Complex Fire was a large complex of wildfires that burned in northern California for more than three months in 2018. It consisted of two wildfires, the River Fire and Ranch Fire, (wikipedia)