Three additional California counties are now in a state of emergency due to the Caldor Fire.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday night proclaimed states of emergency in Alpine, Amador and Placer counties due to the Caldor Fire. Newsom declared a state of emergency in El Dorado County earlier this month, and additional evacuation orders were issued within the county on Monday.
"It is imperative that residents in the impacted areas stay safe and prepare to evacuate immediately if called for by local authorities," Newsom said in a statement. "We thank all the heroic firefighters and first responders working around the clock to combat this rapidly spreading fire and to protect local communities across California this fire season."
The Caldor Fire had burned 177,260 acres as of CAL FIRE's last update on Monday afternoon, making it the 18th-largest wildfire in state history. It was 14% contained at that time.
Evacuations were underway on Monday in South Lake Tahoe as the Caldor Fire approached the Tahoe Basin. Evacuees from the city of 22,000 experienced hours-long traffic delays driving eastbound on Highway 50 toward Nevada, with major westbound highways closed.
By Monday night, mostly only first responders remained, according to KCBS Radio’s Kris Ankarlo.
Alpine and Amador counties have issued evacuation orders near highways 88 and 89. Placer County has not yet issued an evacuation order, and the Sheriff’s Office said Monday afternoon that it was "monitoring closely."
In all, Gov. Newsom has declared states of emergency in 10 California counties since July. Alpine and Placer counties were already under emergency declarations due to the Tamarack and River fires, respectively.
As of Monday morning, California wildfires had burned nearly 1.8 million acres. Wildfires burned over 60,000 fewer acres at this point last year, during what would become the state's most destructive year on record.
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