CALDOR FIRE UPDATE. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, MEYERS “LOOKING GOOD”. WINDS, WEATHER, HUMIDITY COOPERATE.
CALDOR FIRE
September 2
THE NUMBERS
210 THOUSAND ACRES, INCREASE OF 6 THOUSAND
25% CONTAINMENT, INCREASE OF 5%
811 STRUCTURES, 622 HOMES DESTROYED
0 HOMES LOST IN TAHOE BASIN
5 INJURIES, NO FATALITIES
OVERVIEW
Overnight, light winds, rising humidity and cold temperatures kept the fire in check in most areas. The early AM temperature at South Lake Tahoe dipped below freezing, and winds were less than 5mph. An inversion (warm air above cold) is helping to control and cap fire activity in the Tahoe Basin. The fire is still advancing to the east in the mountains above South Lake Tahoe, generally at the 7-8 thousand foot level, and has reached the edge of the Heavenly resort where snow guns have been running to dampen vegetaton. The goal is to direct the fire to the NE away from the resort which is also the location of many homes. To the west the fire is also advancing into Desolation Wilderness, and had reached the west shore of Upper Echo Lake. A high priority is protecting Wrights Lake, just to the west, with dozer lines and water drops. To the south, the fire is advancing east past Kirkwood, where no damage is yet reported. Helicopter water drops will continue in that portion of the fire zone today.
President Biden has issued an emergency declaration for the Caldor Fire that will make federal funds available for assistance and recovery.
Detail
Many of these images use heat mapping collected overnight. They give a good idea of the fire activity but are not considered accurate at the neighborhood level.
Image 1 Looking south in this wide view, the fire continues to advance, but slowly, in the mountains above South Lake Tahoe. Light winds and cooler temperatures have helped crews to keep it mostly on the ridges above 7 thousand feet and moving east.
Images 2-3 Where the fire has entered neighborhoods in the Christmas Valley and Meyers, it has been mostly on the ground.
Image 4 No homes have yet been lost in the Tahoe Basin, but animals are suffering. This image was taken by a firefighter of an injured bear in Meyers. One organization that is providing assistance to wild animals is goldcountrywildliferescue.org/donate/
Image 5 Satellite view of the active NE edge of the Caldor Fire near Kirkwood early on Sept. 2nd
Image 6 The fire has is being held in check in the heavily populated South Lake Tahoe and Meyers area, where light winds and rising humidity slowed the fire and allowed crews to build additional fire lines overnight. The fire largely stayed in the mountains and ridgelines at high elevation, but it has backed into neighborhoods in the Christmas Valley where structure protections has been underway.
Image 7 The Caldor Fire has pushed north from US 50 into the Desolation Wilderness, where the granite will create a natural fire break. This view is from the south, looking north. The fire has now reached the shore of Upper Echo Lake (left edge of view) where crews are at work.
Image 8 A big emphasis will be protecting Wrights Lake, a popular camping and recreation area in the Crystal Basin. The fire is actively making a run to Desolation just to the east, and water drops will take place again today to keep the fire away from Wrights.
Image 9 Another big goal will be to keep the fire moving away from the Kirkwood Resort. Crews Wednesday were successful in that effort. Helicopter drops on Thursday will be focused near Kirkwood and the edge of the fire near Caples Lake.
Image 10 The official Caldor Fire operations map from September 2nd. Link: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/map/7801/0/123905
OTHER RESOURCES:
It is important to note that remote mapping of the fire is most often hours old. Perimeter data is collected every 12 hours, and heat signatures several times a day.
Below we have assembled a dashboard of useful links, which will help you to understand the Caldor Fire, and how it is being battled.
Finally, to get the latest, best mapping information, use a variety of sources and understand that none will be truly up-to-date.
One useful one is Firemappers, which relies on satellite heat detection, and adds mapped fire perimeters. Satellite heat signatures are generally not accurate at the neighborhood level and should be used as a rough guide to fire movement:
https://tinyurl.com/55zszc2h
Another is the official InciWeb page for the Caldor Fire, which uses flight mapping:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/map/7801/0/123627
General information from CAL FIRE:
https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2021/8/14/caldor-fire/
Evacuation Information: (El Dorado County)
https://www.edcgov.us/Pages/Caldor-Fire.aspx
Evacuation Information: (Douglas County, NV-East side of Lake Tahoe)
https://www.douglascountynv.gov/…/caldor_fire_tahoe_evacuat…
For real time winds at Lake Tahoe, one source with clickable links:
https://www.windfinder.com/#10/38.9946/-119.9666
For truly real-time visual information, AlertWildfire cameras are useful. There are dozens in the Tahoe Basin, and elsewhere on the perimeter of the Caldor Fire.
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html
Some of the most informative for the Caldor Fire are:
Sierra at Tahoe: (Near Echo Summit)
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html…
D.L. Bliss State Park (Emerald Bay)
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html…
Heavenly Ski Area: (South Lake Tahoe)
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html…
Zephyr, NV (East Shore, north of Stateline)
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html…
Tahoe Mobile Camera (Near Fallen Leaf Lake)
http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html…
Other Cams:
South Lake Tahoe:
https://tahoesouth.com/things-to-do/lake-tahoe-webcams/
Cal Trans:
https://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/iframemap.htm
Author: newsofthenorthbay
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