Caldor Fire Containment Sits At 76%; More Evacuations Downgraded

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13/AP) — The latest information on the Caldor Fire:

Mandatory evacuations were downgraded to warnings for the Heavenly area on Friday. The order effects the following area:

• Heavenly - East of Pioneer Trail between Larch and Al Tahoe, to include the area of Heavenly Ski Resort out to the Alpine County Line and the Nevada State line on the east.

Containment has risen steadliy over the last couple of weeks, but activity began to ramp up again this week, forcing event cancellations in places like South Lake Tahoe, which had to postpone a welcome back celebration for its returning residents.

As of Friday night, the Caldor Fire has burned more than 221,000 acres and was 76% contained.

Sunday's updates (Sept. 19):

Containment remains at 71 percent with 218,876 acres burned.

Overnight, there were gusty winds and several calls but firefighters determined the areas of fire concern were within the existing fire footprint, according to a report from the U.S. Forest Service.

The western half of the fire received light rain.

As the storm moves out, humidity levels are expected to decrease but winds will continue, prompting a Fire Weather Watch that will go into effect at 11 p.m. and remain in place until 11 a.m. Tuesday due to windy conditions and low relative humidity levels.

Today, firefighters will continue to improve control lines, focusing on the areas near Desolation Wilderness, Scout Peak and Lake Margaret.

Saturday's updates (Sept. 18):

The acreage burned grew by just 18 acres overnight Friday with full containment still expected by Sept. 27.

On Saturday, a new forest order was issued closing areas near the Caldor Fire repair activities. Details can be found here. The order is effective through Dec. 31.

Friday's updates (Sept. 17):

3:30 p.m.

Highway 50 between Kyburz and Meyers remained closed Friday, but Caltrans said the highway may reopen as early as the next few days.

The highway remains closed due to public safety concerns and crews are working to remove "hundreds of hazardous trees along the highway" and repairing power and phone lines, guardrails and road signs, Caltrans said.

Additionally, the Grizzly Flats area is expected to fully reopen with no restrictions at 5 p.m. on Friday. The area had been evacuated since August 16 after the fire sparked in El Dorado County and began an initial repopulation last weekend, allowing residents back in with a permit.

The US Forest Service slightly downgraded the total acreage burned in the fire. Acreage is now reported at 218,857 while containment is at 71 percent.

Wednesday's updates (Sept. 15):

12:05 p.m.

More evacuation orders have now been downgraded.

The following areas in El Dorado County are now only under an evacuation warning, according to Cal Fire:

From Plummer Ridge south through North South Road including the western portions of Cat Creek and Lower Cat Creek Road.

With South Lake Tahoe residents already allowed back home, tourism officials are pushing for people to come back and visit.

Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority officials say lodging and restaurants are already starting to increase openings.

8:11 a.m.

Containment of the Caldor Fire has now reached 70 percent, Cal Fire reported Wednesday morning.

The size has stayed the same, a total of 219,267 acres.

Previous day's (Sept. 14) updates below:

10 p.m.

The acreage of the fire has not grown in size since this morning, but containment has grown to 69%.

12:57 p.m.

More evacuation orders and warnings have now been downgraded in El Dorado County, Cal Fire says.

The following evacuation orders are now just evacuation warnings:

Crystal Basin B: From Ice House Road east to the border of desolation wilderness and from the Placer County line, south to Granite Springs Road and the area south of Granite Springs Road to Highway 50 at Wrights Lake Road

The following evacuation warnings have also been lifted:

Crystal Basin A: West of Ice House Road, from the Placer County line, South to Highway 50 and East of Junction Reservoir. • The area of Happy Valley Road from Mt Aukum Road to Cosumnes Mine Road.

7:30 a.m.

Containment continues to tick up in the Caldor Fire.

Cal Fire reported on Tuesday morning that the wildfire is now a total of 219,267 acres and 68 percent contained.

Some active fire behavior was reported overnight by firefighters. With warm weather still expected for another day, firefighters are continuing work on on strengthening control lines.

More evacuation orders and warnings were downgraded on Monday, but a list of orders still remain in effect for Alpine, Amador and El Dorado counties.

Previous day's (Sept. 13) updates below:

7 a.m.

The Caldor Fire grew slightly since the weekend, but containment has also now crossed the two-thirds mark.

Cal Fire reported Monday morning that the wildfire has now grown to a total of 219,267 acres. Containment is now at 67 percent, with full containment expected by Sept. 27.

Firefighters say warmer weather, southwest winds, and low humidity are expected this week.

Over the weekend, several more evacuation orders and warnings were lifted. However, some orders still remain in effect in Alpine, Amador and El Dorado counties.

Previous day's (Sept. 12) updates below:

11:20 a.m.

Part of Highway 50 has reopened and more evacuation orders have been lifted in the Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County.

Containment is up to 65 percent and 218,950 acres, a modest overnight increase.

At 10 a.m., officials reduced mandatory evacuation orders along Highway 50 to warnings and said that part of the highway will be opening up after its closure weeks ago. The section of Highway 50 that is reopening runs from Ice House Road to 36 Mile Stone.

Meanwhile, residents of Grizzly Flat will be allowed back Sunday to inspect the damage. Most of the town's homes, as well as the school, post office, church and fire station were destroyed in the first days of the fire.

Previous day's (Sept. 11) updates below:

The latest on the Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County:

10:00 p.m.

Crews took advantage of favorable weather conditions this weekend to gain containment on the Caldor Fire. Fire spread was minimal Saturday, with the fire now being reported at 218,764 acres at 65% containment.

The Grizzly Flats area is expected to begin repopulating on Sunday after being evacuated since August 16.

11:05 a.m.

As of Saturday morning, it remains at 218,459 acres with containment increasing to 60 percent in the last 24 hours.

Previous day's (Sept. 10) updates below:

9:05 a.m.

The Caldor Fire has now grown to 218,459 acres and is 53 percent contained.

Several new evacuation orders were also downgraded to warnings Friday morning:

All areas east of Sly Park Road from Park Creek to Mormon Emigrant Trail & the Park Creek Mormon Emigrant Trail Intersection. This includes the Sly Park Recreation Area.

Previous day's (Sept. 9) updates below:

2:33 p.m.

Several new evacuation orders in El Dorado County have now been reduced to warnings.

The following areas are now cleared to repopulate:

Meyers north of the traffic circle at Highway 50 and Highway 89.  This includes the area of Pioneer Trail from Meyers through Elks Club, Upper and Lower Apache, Keetak, Cornelian and residences accessed from Saw Mill north.

7:47 a.m.

The Caldor Fire continues to grow slightly even as containment has now crossed the halfway mark.

As of Thursday morning, Cal Fire says the incident has grown to a total of 217,946 acres. Containment now stands at 53 percent.

Damage inspections are continuing, but authorities say they've assessed about 99 percent of structures in the burn area.

Previous day's (Sept. 8) updates below:

11:00 p.m.

The acreage and containment of the Caldor Fire remained steady through Wednesday.

According to Cal Fire, 778 homes have been destroyed and damage assessments are approximately 99% complete.

8:06 a.m.

Containment of the Caldor Fire is holding at 50 percent as of Wednesday morning.

The wildfire also grew slightly, Cal Fire reports, with it now totaling 217,569 acres.

Firefighters remain concerned that the higher temperatures, higher winds, and predicted thunderstorms later in the week could increase fire activity.

Previous day's (Sept. 7) updates below:

9:30 p.m.

Here is the updated shelter list:

7 p.m.

The Caldor Fire has grown to 217,007 acres and is now 50 percent contained. It has destroyed 776 single residences.

5:42 p.m.

The following Evacuation Orders have been downgraded to Evacuation Warnings in El Dorado County:

• West of Ice House Road, from the Placer County line, South to Highway 50 and East of Junction Reservoir.

The following Evacuation Warnings have been lifted in El Dorado County:

• South of Highway 50, North of Starkes Grade Road, East of Snows Road and West of Fresh Pond.
• North of Highway 50, South of Slab Creek Reservoir, East of Snows Road, West of Sly Park Road
• Southwest from the intersection of Wentworth Springs Road and Placer County line, through the Gerle Creek Divide Reservoir to Wentworth Springs Road, Northwest to the Placer County Line and East and South of the Placer County line.
• North of Slab Creek, South of Wentworth Springs Road, West of Junction Reservoir, and East of Sand Mountain.
• North of Highway 50 between Forebay Road and Ice House Road extending to the North to include Spring Valley Road.
• East of Highway E16, west of Steely Ridge Road, South of the North Fork of the Cosumnes River and North of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River.
• North of Omo Ranch Road, South of Grizzly Flat Road, East of Fairplay Road, West of Slug Gulch Road and Omo Ranch Road.
• The community of Omo Ranch South of the Middle fork of the Cosumnes River, North of Omo Ranch Road from Slug Gulch Road to 8N54.
• North of Omo Ranch Road East to North South Road, crossing both sides of Sopiago Creek.

1:55 p.m.

Some evacuation orders in El Dorado County have now been downgraded to warnings.

According to Cal Fire, the following areas are now no longer under mandatory evacuation orders:

All homes accessed from both sides of Pioneer Trail from the city limits starting at Al Tahoe Blvd and moving west stopping before Elks Club.

7:46 a.m.

Containment continues to rise in the Caldor Fire.

As of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire reports that the wildfire grew to a total of 216,646 acres. It is now 49 percent contained.

On Monday, several more evacuation orders and warnings were downgraded. Still, the fire does remain active and several areas in Alpine, Amador, and El Dorado counties remain evacuated.

Cal Fire says they've assessed about 90 percent of the structures for damage inspections. In total, 776 homes have been recorded destroyed in the Caldor Fire.

Previous day's (Sept. 7) updates below:

9:29 p.m.

The Caldor Fire remained active along its northeast and southern edges due to the poor overnight and daytime humidity recovery couple with the increased temperatures. Aircraft and hand crews worked the remote and rugged terrain on both the edges mentioned above to tie in with existing control lines. Hazard tree removal along Highway 50 continues to support safe repopulation in the coming days.

The fire has burned 216,358 and containment has grown to 48 percent.

7:16 a.m.

Firefighters say the Caldor Fire continued to moderate overnight, allowing firefighters to get to hot spots.

As of Monday morning, Cal Fire reports that the wildfire has now grown to 216,358 acres. Containment has also risen to 44 percent.

Over the weekend, evacuation orders for South Lake Tahoe were downgraded to just warnings. Still, several areas in Amador, El Dorado and Alpine counties remain under mandatory evacuation orders.

Previous day's (Sept. 5) updates below:

3:48 p.m.

Evacuation orders for South Lake Tahoe and parts of the west side of the lake up north were lifted Sunday.

10:45 a.m.

Growth on the Caldor Fire has slowed overnight, burning just more than 1,000 acres.

It is now 215,400 acres. Containment remains at 43 percent, according to the latest Cal Fire incident report.

Previous day's (Sept. 4) updates below:

7:01 p.m.

Cal Fire says the Caldor Fire is now at  214,112 acres and is 43 percent contained, that's an 11 percent jump in containment from Friday night.

The fire is threatening 27,670 structures. It has already destroyed 712 individual residences.

Read the full incident update on Cal Fire AEU's Twitter account.

3:19 p.m.

This is the latest news release from Cal Fire on downgraded evacuation orders and warning for the Caldore Fire:

The following Evacuation Orders have been downgraded to Evacuation Warnings in El Dorado County:

The area described as South of Mormon Emigrant Trail, West of North South Road, North of Omo Ranch Road, East of the intersection of Omo Ranch and Slug Gulch Road, South of the Community of Blue Mountain, East of the intersection of Capps Crossing Road and Cypress Point Road.

DOES NOT include the Community of Grizzly Flats. Grizzly Flats Road will remain closed at Steely Ridge Road.

REMINDER: There is still a temporary Emergency Closure in effect for the Eldorado National Forest through the end of September. This closure includes all National Forest Service lands, roads (including Mormon Emigrant Trail) and trails within the Eldorado National Forest. See Forest Order 03-21-14 https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../FSE.../fseprd945011.pdffor more information. To request access to private lands within the warning area, accessible via closed Forest Service roads, please contact your local Forest Service District Office. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is closed under the Regional Emergency Closure of all National Forests in California. See the Regional Order https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd949147.pdf for more information. Recreation residences and other permittees should contact their permit administrator for questions regarding access when their area becomes open for repopulation.

The following Evacuation Warnings have been lifted in El Dorado County:

• Ant Hill - South of Bucks Bar Road, North of Fairplay Road, West of the intersection of Perry Creek Road and Slug Gulch Road, East of the West end of Highview Drive.
• Everything South of Omo Ranch Road between Fairplay Road and North South Road in El Dorado County.
• Springer / Leisure - South of Pleasant Valley between Bucks Bar Road and Newtown Road, East of Bucks Bar Road to Mt. Aukum Road. This includes the area of Gopher Hole Road and Moonshadow.
• Camino Heights / Newtown - South of Highway 50, North of Pleasant Valley and West of Snows Road."

1 p.m.

Fire officials say the battle against the blaze threatening South Lake Tahoe "continues to look better and better every day."

That's lifting hopes for the tens of thousands of residents waiting to return to their homes after fleeing the Caldor Fire burning in El Dorado County that started three weeks ago today.

Labor Day weekend would normally be a thriving time for the resort on the Nevada state line but it's been a ghost town since residents were evacuated earlier this week.

Fire officials say they can't provide a timeline for lifting the evacuation order, but a fire operations section chief says he believes authorities are getting close.

As of Saturday morning, the fire has burned 214,107 acres and is 37 percent contained.

While damage inspections are continuing, a total of 687 single residences and 18 commercial buildings have been destroyed.

At 1 p.m., Douglas County downgraded some evacuations to warnings, but reiterated South Lake Tahoe remains closed. Those neighborhoods include both South and North Upper Kingsbury, Central Kingsbury and Lower Kingsbury.

The following neighborhoods are no longer under mandatory evacuations or warnings:

• Lower Olivers, Kahle Drive region and roads
• Lake Village

Previous day's (Sept. 3) updates below:

10 p.m.

Containment of the Caldor Fire continued to rise through Friday, now being reported at 32 percent. Cal Fire said the acreage burned also slightly grew to 213,270.

5:10 p.m.

More evacuation orders in El Dorado County have been downgraded to warnings. Those areas are:

• South Sly Park: South of Starkes Grade Road, north of Sly Park Creek, east of Pleasant Valley Road up to and including the Diamond Garnet subdivision
• Grizzly Flats West: East of Highway E16, west of Steely Ridge Road, South of the North Fork of the Cosumnes River and North of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River
• Happy Valley: All properties accessed from Happy Valley Road.

2:41 p.m.

Several more evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings in El Dorado County.

The following areas are now only in evacuation warnings:

-South of Pleasant Valley between Bucks Bar Road and Newtown Road, East of Bucks Bar Road to Mt. Aukum Road. This includes the area of Gopher Hole Road and Moonshadow.
-South of US Highway 50, North of Starkes Grade Road, East of Snows Road and West of Fresh Pond.

12:27 p.m.

Ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, El Dorado County is prohibiting all fires and the use of BBQs at its parks.

Starting Friday, officials say they are removing, covering or locking all BBQs at El Dorado County parks.

8:11 a.m.

Favorable weather continues to help firefighters in their battle against the Caldor Fire.

As of Friday, Cal Fire reports that the wildfire has grown to 212,907 acres. Containment has also grown to 29 percent.

Crews say fire activity decreased again overnight as winds continued to stay calm. Firefighters used these favorable conditions to build more control lines along the northern edge of the wildfire.

"Things are clearly heading in the right direction for us," a Cal Fire official said in their Friday morning incident briefing.

Still, Cal Fire says crews are still finding some spot fires that were spread when the weather was windier earlier in the week.

Previous day's (Sept. 2) updates below:

10:22 p.m.

Firefighters said lighter winds Thursday helped them to cut containment lines in the Tahoe Basin and gain ground on the Caldor Fire.

As of the night, the fire had burned 210,000 acres and containment rose to 27%.

The fire has destroyed a total of 649 homes so far.

6:41 p.m.

Two men in the South Lake Tahoe area were arrested for looting. Deputies located the mean near evacuated homes and took them both into custody.

Cal Fire also said full containment of the Caldor Fire is expected in 11 days.

2:44 p.m. 

While fire activity is notably quieter than the past several days, crews are hard at work to take advantage of the more favorable weather.

In Christmas Valley, where Caldor Fire flames came very close to homes, firefighters are continuing to light back fires in some areas.

Firefighters are pushing the flames uphill and away from homes.

10:21 a.m.

Evacuation orders have been downgraded and evacuation warnings have been lifted in several areas around El Dorado County to the west of the fire.

The following areas have now moved from evacuation orders to warnings:

WEST OMO – Omo Ranch Road between Fairplay Road to Slug Gulch Road. Slug Gulch Road and Grey Rock Road, outside the fire line.
OMO RANCH – The town of Omo Ranch south of the Middle Fork of the Consumnes River, Omo Ranch Road East from Slug Gulch Road to 8N62 outside the fire line.
ARNEY RIDGE - North of Omo Ranch Road, east of 8N62 Road crossing both sides of Sopiago Creek, outside the fire line.

The following areas have now had their evacuation warnings lifted:

CEMENT HILL - South of Omo Ranch Road accessed from Farnham Ridge Road. FARNHAM RIDGE – South of Omo Ranch Road East of 8N62 to the Amador County Line.
COSUMNES - South of Farnham Ridge, North of the Amador/El Dorado County Line, and East of Bridgeport School Road.
MT AUKUM - East of Mt. Aukum (E16) from Perry Creek Road to Omo Ranch Road. North of Omo Ranch Road to the intersection of Omo Ranch Road and Fairplay Road.
COYOTEVILLE - South of Omo Ranch Road to the El Dorado County Line between Mt. Aukum Road (E16) and Fairplay Road to include Coyoteville Road, Cedar Creek and tributary roads.
MOSQUITO - Mosquito Road from the bridge north to include the community of Swansboro.
CARSON WHITE OAK - North of Highway 50 to Slab Creek between Union Ridge and Snows Road.

8:43 a.m.

Cal Fire says 80,000 gallons of fire retardant was delivered on Wednesday, with 15,000 gallons delivered overnight.

Firefighters will be still be focusing on keeping the flames out of Christmas Valley, as well as Apache and Pioneer Trail, on Thursday. Cal Fire says crews will be trying to keep the flames to the top of the hill there.

7:08 a.m.

Containment on the Caldor Fire has now jumped to 25 percent as of Thursday morning, Cal Fire reports.

The wildfire also now totals 210,259 acres.

Firefighters say calmer winds and the return of moderate humidity helped reduce fire activity overnight. Still, some spotting did happen along the northern edge of the fire.

Crews will be working on Thursday to bolster the lines.

Cal Fire also reports that they have accounted for a total of 622 homes destroyed so far in the wildfire. Officials report that about 60 percent of structures have been inspected.

Previous day's (Sept. 1) updates below:

10:00 p.m.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday secured a presidential emergency declaration to gain federal assistance in the fight against the Caldor Fire.

The emergency declaration will open up state, local and tribal government services for assistance.

At last check, the Caldor Fire had burned 207,931 acres at 23% containment.

4:38 p.m.

Some evacuations for the areas of Pollock Pines and Camino on the north side of Highway 50 were lifted. This includes everything west of Sly Park, south of Slab Creek and east of Larsen Drive and Snow Road.

2:46 p.m.

Cal Fire says some new evacuation warnings have been expanded in Alpine County.

The following areas are now under evacuation warnings:

The area from Picketts Junction south on Highway 88 to Forestdale Road. Northeast to Hawkins Peak to the Highway 88/Highway 89 junction at Woodfords. East on Highway 88 to the California/Nevada state line. Northwest along the Alpine County line to Fay-Luther Canyon. Southwest along Fay-Luther Canyon to Horse Thief Canyon to Picketts Junction.

The following areas remain under evacuation orders, Cal Fire says:

The area from Picketts Junction, north on Highway 89 to the Alpine/El Dorado county line. Northeast along the Alpine/El Dorado county line to the California/Nevada state line. Southeast along the Alpine County line to Fay-Luther Canyon. Southwest along Fay- Luther Canyon to Horse Thief Canyon to Picketts Junction.

1:34 p.m.

Heavenly Resort's parking lot is being transformed into a new base camp for firefighters.

First responders are also using the hotel rooms of the nearby casinos.

12:43 p.m.

Winds are starting to pick up again as firefighters work to try and keep the Caldor Fire away from South Lake Tahoe.

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through most of Wednesday night.

7:12 a.m.

The Caldor Fire has now grown to a total of 204,390 acres as of Wednesday morning. Containment is also now at 20 percent.

Firefighters say, along with the wildfire saying very active overnight due to poor humidity recovery and warm temperatures, hot spots were found up to .5 miles away from the edge of the fire.

Firefighters say the winds weren't as hard as expected, leading to the wildfire not making a big push into Lake Tahoe on Tuesday.

Underlining the danger that still exists with the fire, Cal Fire also described a scary incident that happened on Tuesday where a dozer caught fire southwest of Pollock Pines.

Cal Fire is also reporting that a total of 544 homes have been destroyed in the fire, up from the 491 reported Tuesday night.

More wind gusts up to 35-40 mph are expected on Wednesday. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through most of Wednesday night.

6:33 a.m.

The Caldor Fire remained very active through the night.

This is how the flames looked from Echo Summit, looking east at the hillside above Highway 89 over Christmas Valley:

Cal Fire's next incident briefing about the situation surrounding the fire is scheduled for 7 a.m. Anyone can watch the briefing live at this link.

Previous day's (Aug. 31) updates below:

7:11 p.m.

New information from Cal Fire shows the Caldor Fire has burned 199,632 acres and is 18% contained.

6:37 p.m.

The shelter for evacuees that was at the Gardnerville Seniors' Center has been closed and has been moved to the Reno Sparks Convention Center.

5 p.m.

4 p.m.

An evacuation warning has now been issued over the Nevada State Line in Douglas County.

2:14 p.m.

South Lake Tahoe residents who still looking for a place to stay after being evacuated from the city are now being asked to head to the Reno/Sparks Convention Center at 4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502.

All the other shelters in the immediate area are at capacity, South Lake Tahoe city officials say.

12:56 p.m.

CBS13's cameras captured a bear as it was running through the Christmas Valley neighborhood to escape the Caldor Fire.

10:06 a.m.

Fire crews are continuing to work hard to try and save homes in the Meyers and Christmas Valley areas.

One homeowner off Cheyenne Drive left a note on his garage.

The note reads: "Next beer is on me! Thank you for all you do. "Heroes" does not do justice to your efforts."

For the moment, winds are working in favor of firefighters. Crews are lighting backfires to save homes.

8:31 a.m.

Crews lit backfires to help stop the advance of flames into one Meyers neighborhood.

Our photographer Dave Grashoff was along Ottawa Drive all Tuesday morning, capturing the flames as they glowed and grew closer to some homes in the area.

With the wind cooperating by blowing the flames away from the neighborhood, firefighters worked quickly to lit some backfires.

By sunrise, aside from some smoke in the area, the neighborhood was calm and safe.

Firefighters from around the country are helping in the battle against the Caldor Fire.

7:17 a.m.

Cal Fire says the Caldor Fire has now grown to 191,607 acres as of Tuesday morning.

Containment now stands at 16 percent as well.

Flames have reached Christmas Valley and are inching closer to Meyers.

In South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, the area is very smoky and eerily quiet.

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Previous day's (Aug. 30) updates below:

7:00 p.m.

The Caldor Fire has burned 186,568 acres and is 15% contained. Firefighters expect to have full containment of the fire on September 13. It is threatening 33,679 structures.

6:36 p.m.

These places are accepting evacuees in RVs and campers in Truckee:

• Truckee River Regional Park (10050 Brockway Road)
• Truckee Rodeo Grounds (10695 Brockway Road)
• Village Green Mobile Home Park (11070 Brockway Road)

5:54 p.m.

Cal Fire has created a web page with links to pages with resources for those affected by the Caldor Fire. You can find it here.

This Lake Tahoe area-specific update was provided at around 5:30 p.m.

5:20 p.m.

This general update on the fire was provided at around 5 p.m.

Watch: Here's the latest from CBS13 on fire evacuations.

4:31 p.m. 

The Placer County Sheriff's Office says they're getting questions about evacuations along the Placer County side of Lake Tahoe near Tahoma. There are no evacuations in place currently for that area, although it is being closely monitored.

3:07 p.m.

The following Evacuation Orders have been downgraded to Evacuation Warnings in El Dorado County:

• Pipi - East of North South Road from Omo Ranch to Cat Creek and east to Highway 88 1 mile east of Omo Ranch Road.
• Cosumnes - This is a small section south of Farnham Ridge, north of the Amador/El Dorado County Line, and east of Bridgeport School Road.
• Cement Hill - Cement Hill area, south of Omo Ranch south to Farnham Ridge Road.
• Farnham Ridge - The east end of Omo Ranch Road south to the Amador County Line.

The following Evacuation Warnings have been lifted in Amador County:

• South of the El Dorado-Amador County line with a western border of Shenandoah Road.
• Southern border of Fiddletown Road, Hale Road and Charleston Road. Eastern border of Shake Ridge Road and Rams Horn Grade/.
• South of the El Dorado-Amador County line with a western border of Shake Ridge Road and Rams Horn Grade.
• Southern border of the intersection of Charleston Road and Rams Horn Grade, due east to Highway 88 at Tiger Creek Road.
• Eastern border of Hwy 88 at Omo Ranch Road to Highway 88 at Tiger Creek Road.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care says that, as a precautionary move, it has evacuated staff, animals, and support teams from its facility. If you have an animal or need support, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. CDFW's Wildlife incident Reporting system at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/WIR/Default.aspx or (916) 358-2900

2:53 p.m.

South Lake Tahoe police say they understand that people are frustrated with the traffic to get out of the city at the moment, but there are several reasons why the opposite lane of Highway 50 remains open to traffic heading in.

In a video posted to their Facebook page, Lt. Tony Cabral with South Lake Tahoe police explained that first responders are still traveling into the area. Further, others helping the area's vulnerable population are also still driving in.

Cabral noted that authorities expected the traffic backup, which is why they issued the evacuation orders at the time they did Monday morning.

There is a contingency plan that could be put into place if they need to get people out of traffic fast, Cabral said.

2:09 p.m.

South Lake Tahoe residents who do not have access to a vehicle or other transportation are being advised that the TTD Bus Routes 50 and 55 are continuing to run and will be taking people to a Red Cross Evacuation Shelter.

These buses will allow for pets as long as they are in carriers or kennels. People are also being asked to limit their carry-ons to four items, including a pet carrier. Face masks are also required and will be provided if someone doesn't have one.

El Dorado County residents are also being urged to sign up for the county's Code Red alert system so that they can be updated on the latest emergency information: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF6E025EBFDC

1:26 p.m.

Traffic is backing up in South Lake Tahoe after residents were ordered to leave due to the Caldor Fire.

Vehicles are backed up all the way to Julie Lane, past The Y, after all of South Lake Tahoe came under mandator evacuation orders Monday morning.

California Highway Patrol urges people to have patience. Traffic remains moving.

12:38 p.m.

All people who were in custody at the South Lake Tahoe Jail have been transferred to the Placerville Jail, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office says.

The transfers happened overnight when the area was given an evacuation warning, the sheriff's office says.

11:13 a.m.

Per Cal Fire's latest map, all of South Lake Tahoe is now under evacuation orders due to the Caldor Fire.

11 a.m.

Barton Hospital is now closed, including its emergency department, after the Caldor Fire prompted mandatory evacuation orders in most of South Lake Tahoe on Monday morning.

The day before, the hospital announced that it would be evacuating all of its patients to other facilities in the area. Its emergency department did stay open, with the area only under an evacuation warning at the time.

However, the situation changed Monday morning and most of South Lake Tahoe is now under mandatory evacuation orders.

Barton Hospital officials note that its emergency department has moved to the Lake Tahoe Surgery Center behind the Round Hill/Safeway Shopping Center in Zephyr Cove.

10:19 a.m.

Most of South Lake Tahoe is now under mandatory evacuation orders.

After being previously left out of the evacuation area in Cal Fire's late morning update, the Tahoe Keys, Tahoe Island, Al Tahoe, Sierra Tract, and Bijou areas are now under mandatory evacuation orders.

9:59 a.m.

A slew of new evacuation orders have been issued in El Dorado County due to the Caldor Fire.

Residents of the following areas are now being told to leave:

Tahoma: From Emerald Bay north to the Placer County line in Tahoma, extending west to the border of Desolation Wilderness.

Fallen Leaf: From Sawmill Road at Lake Tahoe Boulevard north to Pope Beach. Also, along the water's edge to Eagle Point, and from Eagle Point west to Desolation Wilderness across Emerald Bay.

Pioneer: North of Elks Club along Highway 50 and the west side of Pioneer Trail. This includes the streets of Hekpa, but excludes the residences west of the airport for now.

Gardner Mountain: Northwest of the South Lake Tahoe Airport and west of the Highway 50/Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Highway 89 intersection. This includes South Lake Tahoe High School, Tahoe Verde, and streets 5th-15th south of Highway 89.

Trimmer: East of Pioneer Trail to the Alpine County Line, stopping south of Heavenly Ski Resort. This excludes all residences off of Pioneer Trail.

9:25 a.m.

Cal Fire's latest operations update on the Caldor Fire can be found here:

7:45 a.m.

The Caldor Fire has grown by nearly 10,000 acres since the last update Sunday night.

As of Monday morning, Cal Fire reports that the Caldor Fire is now a total of 177,260 acres. It is 14 percent contained.

6:35 a.m.

Forecasters are warning that west to southwest winds will be increasing over the next couple of days - inevitably leading to invigorated fire activity for both the Caldor and Dixie wildfires.

A Red Flag Warning is set to go into effect at 11 a.m. Monday and last through most of Tuesday night. Winds gusts are expected to be in the 20-35 mph range.

Due to the developing situation, the City of South Lake Tahoe announced on Monday morning they have closed all city operations and facilities until further notice. Only the city's public safety and Emergency Operations Center remains open. 

Head to this link to read all updates before Aug. 30.

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• South Lake Tahoe