Explosive Tahoe Wildfire Burns Area Equivalent To 15 Golden Gate Parks
MARKLEEVILLE (CBS SF) — Air tankers and helicopters helped hundreds of firefighters battle a wildfire south of Lake Tahoe that has now burned nearly 15,000 acres, or half the size of San Francisco.
No structures have been damaged but the California mountain town of Markleeville remained on standby for possible evacuations.
Several campgrounds along Highway 4 to the north end of Markleeville have been evacuated. No one has been injured.
The fire was started by lightning Friday night and has been sparked by strong erratic winds and severe drought conditions.
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About 500 personnel were expected to be on the fire lines about 20 miles west of the Nevada border by Tuesday.
The smoke from this and other fires may also create breathing issues for many youth away at summer camps in the Sierra. Parents with students heading up with asthma or other conditions should be cautious this season. The Boy Scouts of America runs the Wolfboro Campground just a few miles south of the fire perimeter.
Meanwhile, cooler weather helped crews make progress against a huge forest fire in a remote area of the San Bernardino Mountains.
The fire about 90 miles east of Los Angeles was partially contained and holding steady at about 27 square miles as firefighters attacked the flames with a fleet of water-dropping aircraft.
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About 500 buildings, including old cabins, had been threatened, but none was lost. The flames forced several hundred people to leave camps and vacation homes.
Another blaze near Santa Margarita in central California burned two homes, four mobile homes and two recreational vehicles that people lived in. The fire burned less than 3 square miles, along with 10 other buildings, seven vehicles, a boat and a trailer. It was mostly contained.
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