7 things to know about the Caldor Fire
Here are seven things to know about the Caldor Fire in northern California.
The Caldor Fire has caused thousands of residents and vacationers to be evacuated from the Lake Tahoe area.
#CaldorFire This How Lake Tahoe looked like earlier this year in 2021, and how it looks right now…. pic.twitter.com/lbdMdGBslj
— DanielFireCopter (@DanielFireTruck) August 30, 2021
Here are seven things you should know about the Caldor Fire.
1. Where it is
The Caldor Fire is burning just south of Lake Tahoe. This area is situated in El Dorado County, which lies on the eastern edge of California, right at the "bend" where California meets Nevada.
The majority of the fire has been blazing through the southern half of El Dorado County, below where Highway 50 transects the county.
WILDFIRE UPDATE: The raging #CaldorFire continues to threaten communities near #LakeTahoe, seen here last evening from @NOAA's #GOES17🛰️. At last report, the #wildfire had grown to 186,500+ acres and the governors of Calif. and Nev. have declared states of emergency. #CAwx #NVwx pic.twitter.com/K6qqs5KB8b
— NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) August 31, 2021
2. Where did the fire begin
The Caldor Fire began in Omo Ranch, which lies near the town of Caldor in western El Dorado County.
This location of origin is the Caldor Fire’s namesake.
3. When did the fire start
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Caldor Fire started on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 14.
The fire has been active ever since, burning for 17 days thus far.
Caldor Fire on the evening of Aug. 14, 2021.
(InciWeb Incident Information System)
4. What caused it
The cause is currently unknown, according to CAL FIRE.
5. How many acres have burned
As of Tuesday, Aug. 31, the Caldor Fire has burned through 191,607 acres. About 16% of the fire has been contained.
According to CAL FIRE, about 39 structures have been damaged and 664 structures have been destroyed.
There are 5 confirmed injuries of civilians and fire personnel.
Fire coming down west side of Christmas Valley from Hwy 50.
— Scott Rodd (@SRodd_CPR) August 31, 2021
Hard to capture the intensity of the #CaldorFire right now in words or phone shots pic.twitter.com/brfnle9WPt
6. Who are fighting the Caldor Fire
The units overseeing the management of the Caldor Fire are the CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit (Amador is the county just south of El Dorado County) and El Dorado National Forest.
The Forest Service is involved because the Caldor Fire is burning through parts of Eldorado National Forest.
According to CAL FIRE, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has temporarily closed nine National Forests through Sept. 6, 2021, due to the "strained firefighter resources throughout the Country" and "to better provide public and firefighter safety due to extreme fire conditions throughout Northern California".
The CAL FIRE Aerial Supervision Module evaluates the fire from the air and determines the location for aerial fire retardant drops. This video from over the Caldor fire shows an OV-10D pilot placing a target for the air tanker to drop retardant along the fire's edge. #caldorFire pic.twitter.com/aMtizoh0nO
— CAL FIRE AEU (@CALFIREAEU) August 25, 2021
7. Where to find information about evacuations and shelters
Evacuation orders have been declared for Amador, El Dorado and Alpine Counties.
Shelters have been put into place in these counties, along with Nevada County and Nevada State.
More information can be found at CAL FIRE’s website.