This archive report was first published on 31 August 2021.
On August 30, 2021, a wildfire that had been burning in remote areas of the Sierra Nevada for two weeks crested a ridge and began descending towards the populated areas along Lake Tahoe.
As the Caldor fire intensified due to dry and windy conditions, thousands of people living along the southern and western shores of the lake were ordered to evacuate.
The mandatory evacuation zone extended from Tahoma, California, to the Nevada border, with fire officials estimating that the blaze could threaten over 20,000 structures.
Public safety officials warned that the fire showed no signs of relenting, having already scorched over 177,000 acres and being 14% contained on August 30, 2021.
Firefighters battled blazes along a 12-mile section of an old Pony Express route, drawing water from the American River to extinguish spot fires and protect cabins along Highway 50.
Extreme heat waves, a result of climate change, have contributed to the intensity of the fire, with temperatures reaching the 90s at 5,000 feet of elevation.
Evacuees faced bumper-to-bumper traffic after several major roads in the area were closed, with Chief David Stevenson of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department stuck for over three hours on Highway 50.
