Fire South Of Lake Tahoe Grows To 26 Square Miles; Now Clearly Visible From Space
MARKLEEVILLE (CBS) - A wildfire has grown to 26 square miles in hazardous and inaccessible terrain south of Lake Tahoe and is moving closer to structures, officials said.
No buildings have been damaged, but the mountain town of Markleeville remained on standby Wednesday for possible evacuations, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Several campgrounds have been evacuated, and two highways have been closed.
The fire, ignited by lightning Friday, was not at all contained Wednesday.
"Firefighters plan to continue direct line construction north of Highway 89, as well as utilizing air and ground support," the U.S. Forrest service reports.
Air tankers and helicopters helped hundreds of firefighters battle the blaze about 20 miles west of the Nevada border. One firefighter received a heat-related injury Tuesday.
The current fire size is roughly the equivalent of Arlington County in Virginia.
Strong erratic winds and severe drought conditions have stoked the fire and smoke. The above image was captured by NASA satellite on Sunday. On the ground, smoke can be seen from as far away as Carson City, Nevada.
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