Caldor Fire explodes

[user120312]

Looks like the southeastern flank is still climbing the hill, the southern edge of it is within a couple miles of 88 in the Silver Lake area, the moonscape should be impeding progress presently.




Meanwhile, the northeastern flank is marching steadily toward Fallen Leaf Lake.

[Tere_Hanges]

Looks like the southeastern flank is still climbing the hill, the southern edge of it is within a couple miles of 88 in the Silver Lake area, the moonscape should be impeding progress presently.




Meanwhile, the northeastern flank is marching steadily toward Fallen Leaf Lake.

Kind of looks like its been in the same spot west of Kirkwood for past few days. Hoping all those big granite rock faces are slowing it down some.

[Section 101]

They did a controlled burn behind the strawberry general store. A fire started on the south side of 50 behind the cabins.

[user120312]

I'm capturing images when doing daily checks and storing them on Imgur. The CalFire mapping directories are great resources for very detailed mapping of the daily fire progress. Also, one can zoom the SAR map to get individual MODIS/VIIRS data time snapshots. This sample from this morning shows both the GOES image timestamp and the MODIS/VIIRS timestamps.

https://sartopo.com/map.html#ll=38.65871,-120.15674&z=14&b=om&a=modis_mpg%2Cwxd_wgust-01

There's a legend on the map page which indicates the currency of the images. Generally, more red is more recent and in the case of GOES, that can be minutes recent since it updates multiple times an hour but is not nearly as accurate distance wise as the other methods.

Here's this morning's airops map:

https://ftp.wildfire.gov/public/incident_specific_data/calif_n/!CALFIRE/!2021_Incidents/CA-ENF-024030_Caldor/GIS/Products/20210829/AIR_OPS_Arch_E_land_20210828_1940_Caldor_CAENF024030_0829.pdf

I noted the fire apparently overran the Division L dozer line. I'm watching Silver Lake because friends have a cabin there.

On the northeast flank, MODIS is showing some forward spotting into a ski area south of 50 plus further movement to the north and northeast...

https://sartopo.com/map.html#ll=38.79724,-120.09915&z=14&b=om&a=modis_mpg%2Cwxd_wgust-01

I linked this morning's images instead of posting them graphically to save forum real estate. The weather report has high country temps markedly cooling over the next week with lows in the Kirkwood area approaching freezing. Hopefully that spells some respite and slowing of the fire's progress.

[spegull03]

88 is now closed, and red flag warning starts Monday 11am through Tuesday night. Ugh

[Section 101]

15+ winds now. Looks like they may have containment around strawberry. The www.alertwildfire.org camera from sierra at tahoe shows the fire moving that way.

[Cali-Glock]

The 5pm Caldor Fire briefing was dire.

The good news:

• Protected Strawberry
• Protecting Sierra at Tahoe
• Overall kicking-butt at saving houses
• Fire-truck crews, Bulldozer crews, Hand crews are at Kirkwood prepping the area for the fire
• There was little wind today

The bad news:

• The fire kicked their butts today jumping dozer lines and moving steadily eastward
• Lots of wind predicted the next few days
• Lots of concern about significant fire movement in the next few days
• Mandatory and voluntary evacuations: Western-most parts of SLT, Highway 89 from 50 to Alpine County, more of Highway 88, 50, etc
• Some problematic areas in the west (some challenging portions even without wind and the possibility of the "western island" being at risk due to the wind)

This briefing was more sober than they have been in a few days.

4:30pm Evacuation Orders Press Release

[Cali-Glock]

8/29/2021 5:30PM

Code Red Notice

This is the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office with an emergency message for your area. There is currently a fire in your area that is under a Mandatory evacuation order. You must leave your residence immediately in a safe manner. Please follow Emergency personnel's directions. Area of Christmas Valley from Highway 89 south to the Alpine County / El Dorado County Line. Meyers, east as far as the Elks Club / Sawmill Roads. Pioneer Trail as far north as Elks Club. North Upper Truckee through to the intersection with Tahoe Mountain Road and Lake Tahoe Blvd. Please evacuate the area using eastbound Highway 50 to the State of Nevada

[Cali-Glock]

Photos from Silver Lake on Highway 88

[Cali-Glock]

Sierra at Tahoe 5:55pm (8/29/2021) http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/i...ra=Axis-Sierra

[Cali-Glock]

Detailed fire/wind review and forecast:

[FatCity67]

Buddy patrolling mountain communities on loan from Local PD snapped this pic.

[Jason_2111]

Dang it. I'm down sick with covid, so I haven't been watching the progress... too much stress. I made the mistake of looking. It's in the "hundreds of yards" from my house.

Something I've noticed from the other day though when I went and pulled out my buddy, and got a good dose of the smoke: The respirator worked great, but I did pull it off for a bit to have a conversation with an a-hole CHP guy (rather than trying to shout through it).
Now I've got this big red ring of inflammation where the mask was.

My theory: Being all hot and sweaty wearing the respirator, my pores were wide open. The smoke has a certain amount of poison oak in it... this whole area is thick with the stuff. Enough got in, and then the mask rubbed it in... now I've got poison oak on my face.

I keep thinking of that scene from Blue Velvet with Dennis Hopper.... "Mommy! Mommy!"

Keeping fingers crossed for all of us... bad winds coming tomorrow, and the only thing the news is talking about is Tahoe.

[Tere_Hanges]

Depressing. Thanks for the photos Cali-Glock.

[Cali-Glock]

CALDOR FIRE
INCIDENT UPDATE
Date: 8/29/2021 Time: 7:00 p.m

Updated & sent out 4:48pm
CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Originally released at 4:30pm)

Evacuation Maps (red=mandatory yellow=voluntary/warning)