Firefighters Continue To Battle Massive Caldor Fire Near Lake Tahoe

Firefighters in the west are still battling the blazes that continue to burn including the massive Caldor fire. According to the National Interagency Fire Center “above normal significant fire potential” is forecast to continue through September for much of the Northwest, Northern Rockies, Northern portions of the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain geographic areas.” This year, California’s fire season has torched more than three times the land burned in the state during the same span last year according to officials.

As of yesterday, according to Cal Fire, more than 15,000 firefighters were on the frontlines battling California’s 16 largest fires which have scorched nearly 2 million acres across the state. According to the U.S. drought monitor, 90% of the west region is currently in some type of drought with more than half experiencing extreme or exceptional which are the most severe categories. The Caldor fire has grown to nearly 211,000 acres and was only 28% contained as of yesterday. The fire prompted evacuations near Lake Tahoe with more than 53,000 people under evacuation orders in the state.