EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — It's a milestone in the fight against a huge wildfire that threatened the Lake Tahoe area: mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted for 22,000 residents of South Lake Tahoe. However, many are still waiting for their chance to go home as well.
Some residents returned to a city that looked like a smoky ghost town. But the Caldor Fire isn't done burning up areas of the Sierra Nevada. Areas south of the lake, including the Kirkwood ski resort, remain battlefields.
In positive news for El Dorado County, Cal Fire announced all homes accessed from both sides of Pioneer Trail will see evacuation orders downgraded to warnings.
Officials said Tuesday containment lines are holding well. Some sections of the perimeter remain a concern but on much of the rest of the fire, the work has turned to mopping up, pulling miles of fire hose out of the forest and bringing down dangerously weakened trees.
More than 5,000 fire personnel are still working to contain the blaze and much depends on the weather. Fire crews are watching for wind and rain that may produce lightning to spark spot fires.
According to Cal Fire's Tuesday report, in the west zone of the fire, wind conditions in the Kirkwood area near Highway 88 made it harder for firefighters to put out the flames as spot fires continued to spread within the interior islands.
Crews in the west zone are planning on patrolling the perimeter throughout the night to keep an eye on hot material and mitigating threats to buildings.
In the east zone of the fire, a containment line was made along the west side of Christmas Valley and the area east of Meyers, which allowed the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office to downgrade the evacuation order for those near the Pioneer Trail to a warning.
Super scoopers, which could drop 1,600 gallons of water, worked with firefighters to establish containment lines from Trimmer Peak to Luther Spire.
Key Figures
- Acres: 217,007
- Containment: 50%
- Homes destroyed: 776
- Structures threatened: 24,647
- Structures damaged: 79
Evacuations and Road Closures
Click HERE for in-depth evacuation orders and warnings in El Dorado County. For evacuation orders and warnings in Amador County, click HERE for the Amador County Sheriff's Facebook page and HERE for their website. Click HERE for Alpine County evacuation zones. Click HERE for Douglas County evacuations. For current state highway/route information visit roads.dot.ca.gov.
Evacuation centers
El Dorado County Shelters
- Green Valley Community Church, Placerville - FULL
- Cameron Park CSD, Cameron Park
- Rolling Hills Church, El Dorado Hills
Nevada County Shelter
- Truckee Veterans Hall, 10214 High St, Truckee
Amador County
- Temporary Evacuation Point Italian Picnic Grounds, Sutter Creek
Nevada state shelters
- Reno Sparks Convention Center at 4590 S. Virginia Street, Reno
- Fuji Park 601 Clear Creek Rd., Carson City, NV
- RV Dry Camping and Large Animals, Dayton Event Center/Rodeo Grounds
- Lyon County Fair Grounds, Yerington
Animal Evacuation Centers:
- El Dorado County Animal Services (small animals), Diamond Springs. For animal evacuation questions or assistance call (530) 621-5795
- Saureel Vineyards (large animals), Placerville - FULL
- Amador County Fairgrounds (large animal)- for Amador County residents only, Plymouth
- East to West Grooming 1368 Hwy 395, Unit B1, Gardnerville, NV
- (Small Animals Only) - Washoe County Animal Services 2825 Longley Ln, Ste A Reno, NV
- Douglas County Fairgrounds- (Livestock) 920 Dump Road, Gardnerville, NV
775-782-9061 - Douglas County Animal Services 921 Dump Rd. Gardnerville, NV
- (Small Animals Only)
Accounts to follow
Evacuation Maps
A map of evacuations from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is available below.
An evacuation map from the Amador County Sheriff's Office can be viewed HERE.
A map of evacuations in Alpine County is available HERE.
Online Structure Damage Map
An online structure damage map is available by clicking HERE or viewing below. To locate your home, type in the address in the top left corner. If you don't see an icon, the structure has not yet been identified.
Wildfire map
Click here for a map of the Caldor Fire.
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Wildfire Preps
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: California Wildfires: Caldor, Dixie, Bridge Fire update -- Sept. 06, 2021