Lake Tahoe Wildfire

[Denis]

I am in South Lake Tahoe for the summer. It's 10pm now. A forest fire broke out mid-afternoon and is burning out of control, with over 50 homes already destroyed. I'm going to hike up the ridge behind our cabin and take some night pictures of the flames in the distance. Fire is still about 10 miles away but winds are blowing it towards southeast part of town, near the airport and highschool. This is already very bad. News later.

[Denis]

Latest update here:

Tahoe Daily Tribune (http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20070624/BREAKING/70624001)

[Denis]

Latest tally: 165 homes burned.

[Denis]

Nightime pics of the fire moving over the ridge into town. I saw about 4-5 houses burst into flame from this vantage.

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4243.jpg
http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4246.jpg
http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4247.jpg
http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4249.jpg
http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4250.jpg
http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4251.jpg

[Denis]

Pics from earlier in the day, shortly after the fire broke out. These are from a different vantage point than the nighttime photos above:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0430.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0433.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0434.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0438.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0443.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_0445.jpg

[MosportGreen66]

Be safe Denis! Horrifying photos...

[budnate]

Dang...165 homes, horrible, it is amazing how fast these can burn,to watch a fire like this in person is really scary.

grab the cats and the wife and head out if it gets close!

Bud.

[Xplantdad]

Denis...keep us posted! We're hoping for the best...

Nasty situation http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[427TJ]

Another hot, dry California summer begins. Funny how these fires start almost by clockwork. Perhaps someone tossed a butt out their window on highway 50? Good luck Denis.

[Denis]

this morning's stats:

over 220 homes gone
over 2500 acres burned
hundreds of homes still in danger
only 5-10% contained
9 helicopters & 2 tanker planes in service

[Late BrakeU2]

Unfortunately this will be potentially one of the worst years ever for wildfires out west.We are a week away from the lowest recorded rainfall ever in L.A,the fuel moisture is already like it is normally in November.I've lived here all my life and never seen anything like it-we have had fires in Malibu,Beverly Hills,Griffith Park,and even Catalina island-all through the dead of winter and spring.While we are in this continued drought(The Sierras have the lowest snow pack since 1989)fire season it seems is no longer seasonal,but year round.When the Karabatic winds of fall arrive it's going to be very bad,i've cut down all my bark beetle infested Pines and cleared brush five hundred feet back of my house(double the county requirement)My cousin is the head arson investigator for a neighboring city,they have been advised by the Rand corp that one possible terrorist scenario will be involving planned starts,and along with the home grown whack jobs(like the one who killed the five firefighters in the Esepranza fire last fall)the writings on the wall.

Here's a very thought provoking article on the fire regime in So Cal,but certainly applies to No Cal as well.
http://www.radicalurbantheory.com/mdavis/letmalibuburn.html

[Denis]

Morning photo. Overnight temps blanketed the basin with low-lying smoke from the fire. Can't even make out the ridge in the distance that was shown burning last night.

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4253.jpg

We're in no imminent danger and the winds have died down but the situation is still out of control. I'll ride my mtn bike over later to see how close the fire is getting. It's not so much the leading wall of flames that you have to worry about, it's rather the spot fires that are started far downwind due to blowing embers.

[Denis]

Pics from today.

I rode down to the airport (Meyers) area where everyone seemed okay, no evacuations yet. Couldn't see the fire due to the heavy smoke.

Meyers golf course:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4264.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4266.jpg

Firefighters coming off the graveyard shift:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4267.jpg

The active part of the fire is shockingly close to town. These are pics of the hillside just south of town near where the high school is located:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4256.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4261.jpg

Access roads are secured. Even homeowners whose house was spared will have to wait several days to re-enter due to downed power lines.

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4258.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4259.jpg

Finally, a couple of pics from the Stateline area, looking south towards the area near the high school pictured above:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4271.jpg

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/IMG_4272.jpg

[Denis]

(professional) pics of the fire damage:

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20070625/NEWS01/70625008

[Denis]

Better picture of that ridge on fire last night:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/Angora-2.jpg

Here's a map of the fire:

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/yenko.net/tahoefire/Angora-1.jpg

[Mr70]

A friend of mine called to say he is being moved to even safer territory after he was just evacuated to safe territory a few days ago.

[Charley Lillard]

Not looking good. Winds are supposed to kick up for the next 3 days.