Firefighters made progress battling the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe over Labor Day weekend with the fire 49 percent contained Tuesday. Despite the gains, officials urged Californians to remain alert and be ready to evacuate if necessary.
Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said in a Tuesday press conference that about two million acres have burned so far this year.
“We are on par with last year, and that is sobering,” Porter said.
“We’re right smack in the middle of wildfire peak season. Everybody needs to remain vigilant."
People who live in South Lake Tahoe began returning to their homes, but officials made it clear the worst is not behind residents. “As evacuation orders are lifted, we really want to tell you all, ‘Please, be careful,’” said California Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner Ryan Okashima.
California Office of Emergency Services said Caldor Fire evacuees have decreased to close to 9,500, as residents returned to the area over the past few days.
However, windy hot conditions are expected over the next 72 hours in Northern California, prompting U.S. Forest Service’s Deputy Regional Forester Tony Scardina to warn that fires in the area would likely grow. There is a Red Flag warning through 8 p.m. Tuesday for much of Modoc County and parts of Siskiyou County.
Statewide, meteorologists predict dry weather, wind events and large fire activity to continue over the next three months across the state. Porter stressed the toll the wildfires have already taken on firefighters. Crews battled 32 fresh blazes on Monday alone.
Officials stressed that everyone in fire-prone areas of California needs to be ready to evacuate, not just those living near big fires like Caldor.
“If you’re told to evacuate, please do not wait. Evacuate,” said Mark Ghilarducci, the director of Cal OES, which oversees emergency responses in the state.
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