Up-Canyon Winds Whip Up Flames Alongside Freeway 50; Firefighters Battle Blaze Close to Kyburz – CBS San Francisco

KYBURZ (CBS SF) – Gusty winds from the canyon lashed the Caldor fire along Highway 50 as firefighters lit flames near the mountainous community of Kyburz early Thursday in an attempt to keep the fire from advancing toward densely populated Lake Tahoe. Pelvis to slow down.

The winds and burning scaly wood and brush threw up clouds of embers well in front of the main fire and lit point fires beyond the containment lines. One of those larger point fires broke out along Wrights Lake Road north of the freeway and had grown to over 700 acres by Wednesday evening.

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“The wind was blowing from the southwest all day, challenging our lines,” said Eric Schwab, director of operations at Cal Fire, during a community update on Wednesday evening. “Unfortunately, one point fire threw another point fire over Wright Lakes Road. We are currently trying to contain it. It’s about 700 acres … We’re chasing this one. It moves sideways. “

Point fires were a challenge.

“Ninety out of 100 embers that go out and end up in the fuel will create an ignition that will cause us to mitigate this,” said Steve Volmer, the chief fire behavior analyst working on the fire.

The fire burns in an area that was not lit by a major fire or flames before the 1940s.

“We’re looking at very dense wood, trees that are very large in diameter – 40 inches in diameter,” said Volmer. “Heavy dead and run down fuels. That causes us some control problems. These dead and knocked down materials are very receptive. They are extremely dry … A very absorbent burning bed. ”

The most intense firefight was fought on the eastern edge of the fire. To the west, the crews used backfiring to gain better control of the fire and stop it from spreading along the northern and central bifurcation of the Cosumnes River.

By Thursday morning, the fire had grown to 136,643 acres with a 12 percent containment. It devastated the mountain community of Grizzly Flats and destroyed at least 465 homes in the fire zone.

Almost 3,000 firefighters were involved in the firefight, aided by a steady stream of helicopters and air tankers dumping flame retardants and water.

According to meteorologist Jim Dudley, firefighters will also be assisted by a change in wind conditions over the next three days. The gusty southwest winds in the afternoon will calm down.

“This southerly wind current, which was fed into the fire area and helps to drive the south to south-westerly winds in the afternoon, will cease,” he said. “We will have very light winds at high altitudes. On the ridge tops and the very critical east side of the fire, we will not have the supportive effect of the south-westerly winds. “

The wind shift will help thin the layer of smoke over Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City on the west bank had the worst air pollution in the country on Wednesday lunchtime, scoring 334 in the “dangerous” category on the Air Quality Index 0-500, according to AirNow, a partnership between federal, state and local airline agencies.

Just south of Tahoe, Rick Nelson and his wife Diane had planned to hold a weekend wedding at Fallen Leaf Lake, where his daughter and her fiancé had met. However, the smoke caused most of the community to leave. The sun was an eerie blood orange and the swimmers and boats in the lake were obscured by mist on Tuesday.

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In the end, the Nelsons spent two days arranging the relocation of the wedding from Glacier Lake several hours southwest to the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Everyone is trying to escape the smoke. And I think it’s going to be a reality for us, unfortunately, ”said Diane Nelson. “I just think the smoke and fires got bigger, hotter and faster.”

While thousands of residents were forced to flee, a suspected looter was arrested on Wednesday while on patrol in the evacuation area.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said a suspicious man was found on the surveillance camera of a Pollock Pines resident.

“We received a call from a citizen who was actually watching one of their surveillance cameras,” said Sgt. Eric Palmberg of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

MPs soon met in the field and stopped the man. He was found with items that MPs believed had been stolen.

This man, identified as 51-year-old Brandon Massey, has since been arrested and is now charged, among other things, with looting during the State of Emergency and possession of a controlled substance.

CALDOR FIRE: Information on incidents, evacuations, maps

Current mandatory evacuations include:

• Grizzly Flats: The areas on Grizzly Flats Road east of Kendra Way in Grizzly Flats Proper. The Diamond Railroad Grade, Old School House, Sweeney Road, Caldor Road, and Steely Ridge areas.
• Grizzly Flats Road east of Four Corners in Somerset in Grizzly Flats Proper.
• The areas of Myers Lane, Varmet Ridge Road, Rodwell Canyon Road, Snowbird Lane, and Mehwald Lane.
• East of Sly Park Road between Highway 50 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail to Ice House Road. These include the Pacific House and Fresh Pond communities.
• North of Highway 50, east of Forebay Road to Ice House Road.
• Junction of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven, the east side of Fairplay Road from Perry Creek South to Cedarville Road. These include Slug Gulch, Omo Ranch, and all roads away from Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch.
• All streets of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Hwy 88.
• The area between Highway 88 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail
• South of Highway 50 from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• Between Highway 50 and Slab Creek from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• South of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road. This also includes the community of Kyburz.
• North of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road with the Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir and Loon Lake.
• Silver Fork Road in Kyburz east to Twin Bridges.
• North and south in a line extending from Twin Bridges to the Placer County Line and south to the Amador County Line.
• Areas south of Farnham Ridge Road and east of Bridgeport School Road to the Amador County Line.

REMINDER: Highway 50 remains closed between Sly Park and Meyers due to #CaldorFire. Listen to your local authorities and know alternative routes. Check @ CaltransDist3 for the latest updates. https://t.co/uvpiHqQn5n pic.twitter.com/hjreey5n6p

– Cal JA (@Cal_OES) August 23, 2021

Evacuations Warnings for El Dorado County and Amador County along with Road closures You will find here.

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