Some evacuation orders were lifted Monday and officials expect quieter weather patterns throughout the week to aid the containment of the catastrophic Dixie Fire. Meanwhile, the Caldor Fire experienced moderate levels overnight while it continued to devastatingly pollute Tahoe air.
The Dixie Fire, scorching across five Northern California counties, grew almost 4,000 acres overnight to a total of 731,310 and containment increased incrementally to 41%, according to CAL FIRE.
While officials expect calmer conditions this week, gusty winds on Monday allowed the fire to persist and it continued to remain active most of the night. The blaze was mainly limited to ground fires and some "isolated torching" outside of the firing operations.
Some evacuations orders in the west zone were lifted on Monday, while other warnings were reduced or completely eliminated. CALFIRE strongly encouraged returning residents "to stay vigilant with regard to current fire conditions" and warned that they may also see smoking from tree and stumps for days.
Crews continued to secure lines in fire’s east zone, while also mopping up various spots. The agency said they planned to prep houses and minimize spread through Taylorville on Tuesday.
The wildfire, the second largest in the history of the state, has destroyed almost 1,626 structures and threatens almost 12,000 more.
The Caldor Fire, ravaging through El Dorado County, remained at 5% containment overnight while charring 3,000 more acres, up to 117,704 throughout the 10 days it’s burned.
Weather improved on Monday, which allowed crews to continue building containment lines.
Fire activity overnight was moderate, CAL FIRE said. Decreased winds and moderate humidity levels allowed firefighters to "engage in direct control tactics."
Some spot fires sparked in the evening due to passive crown fire runs in the Northeast.
Near 400 structures have been demolished by the blaze, while over 17,000 are still threatened.
Smoke from the blaze continues to wreak havoc on Tahoe skies, with air quality readings still among the worst in the world.
"If you have to be outdoors and you’re someone that has a physical condition, you should decrease your physical activity," California health director Dr. Tomas Aragon said. "If you have to be outdoors you should wear an N95 respirator. You want to protect your lungs against small particles."
He added that the horrendous air is also worsening the COVID situation in the region, both because people with underlying respiratory conditions are more likely to become sick, and transmission is more likely indoors.
Updated evacuation information can be found here for the Dixie Fire and here for the Caldor Fire.
The fires are two of 12 total burning across the state.
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