A handful of evacuation orders in El Dorado County have lifted over the past several days, with some evacuation orders and warnings remaining in place, including in Christmas Valley and Desolation Wilderness from the Rubicon Trail area south to Highway 50.
U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding residents and visitors to stay out of the Caldor Fire area while firefighting operations continue. The National Forest System lands around Lake Tahoe remain closed at least through Sept. 17, as is the Tahoe Rim Trail.
“Hazards remain, including smoldering downed timber, hazard trees, smoldering stump holes, creeping surface fires and smoldering pockets of fire on the ground,” officials from the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit shared on Facebook.
In addition to more than 3,000 personnel working to contain the fire, crews are also doing clean-up operations including felling hazardous trees damaged in the blaze.
The Caldor fire is 67% contained and has slowed growth significantly, resting at more than 219,000 acres. Full containment isn’t expected until Sept. 27. Warm weather, winds and reduced humidity in the region continue to threaten progress on full containment.
CALFIRE, in their daily report on Monday, said more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed, including 782 single residences and 18 commercial properties. Damage inspections are ongoing.
Updated information on the Caldor Fire is online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7801/.
Dixie Fire hits two-month mark
Evacuation orders remain in Lassen County two months into the Dixie Fire, which started July 13 in the Feather River Canyon near Lake Almanor.
More than 4,300 personnel are working on that fire, which has grown to more than 960,000 acres and is 75% contained. It’s the second largest California wildfire in history, coming in a little more than 72,000 acres behind the 2020 August Complex fire.
It has burned 1,329 structures, including destroying the town of Greenville, California.
The north edge of the fire, within and north of Lassen Volcanic National Park, continues to burn but is reaching a network of dozer lines officials hope will stop the fire’s progress. The east zone of the fire is nearing dozer lines on several sides as well, and the edges of previously burned areas, including the 2021 Beckwourth Complex Fire and the 2019 Walker Fire.
Nearly 1,600 miles of dozer line and 90 miles of handline have been laid to contain the fire.
CALFIRE officials said cooler overnight temperatures, calm winds and slightly higher humidity have helped crews to make progress, but warming and drying is expected to decrease recovery.
In addition to monitoring unburned areas within the fire and mopping up hot spots, firefighters continue to provide structure protection in the Genesse, Dixie Valley and Lake Davis areas as well as Milford and Taylorsville. Erosion control and damage assessment is also underway.
For more information on the Dixie Fire visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7690//
