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A burning wildfire in Alpine County, California exploded on Saturday, tearing 6,600 acres in one day and threatening county seat Markleeville.
The Tamarack fire, which was started by lightning on July 4, fell from 500 acres to 6,600 acres on Saturday, according to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. He has now burned a total of 18,299 acres, or about 30 square miles, and has skipped Highway 89. There is 0% containment. The Forest Service said on Saturday the fire had burned 21,000 acres, but revised that total down early Sunday morning; this usually happens when they get better satellite mapping.
The blaze has destroyed at least three structures, authorities said, and is burning near the Alpine County Airport, about 30 miles off Highway 89 from South Lake Tahoe.
“Thunderstorms are forecast today afternoon which could cause erratic winds in the fire area,” Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest said in its most recent incident report. “Today, the firefighters will continue to actively extinguish the fire where it is safe to do so. The teams will focus on the preservation of life and property with occasional protection of structures and the installation of lines. containment to the extent possible. “
The blaze burned in remote territory for weeks before gusts of wind blasted it into a dangerous conflagration on Saturday. On July 10, as the blaze spread over a quarter of an acre wide, the Forest Service said it had made a “tactical management decision not to insert fire teams for reasons. of security. [The fire] is surrounded by granite rocks, a small lake and sparse fuels. The fire poses no threat to the public, infrastructure or the value of resources. “
The Tamarack fire in Alpine County has escalated, forcing evacuations.
Courtesy of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
But everything changed on Saturday. High winds, low relative humidity, and incredibly dry wood and brush created dire conditions along the fire lines. A huge column of smoke can be seen throughout the area, creating smoky conditions in the Tahoe and Carson Valley areas. The National Weather Service is warning that more fires are likely over the next two days with dry lightning forecast across California.
This weekend was to mark the 40th Death Ride, which annually attracts thousands of cyclists to the region to cross three mountain passes in the so-called California Alps. It was canceled last year during the coronavirus outbreak. A notice posted on the 103 Mile Death Ride website said several communities in the area had been evacuated and ordered all riders to clear the area. The blaze left thousands of bikers and spectators stranded in the small town and scrambled out.
Kelli Pennington and her family were camping near town on Friday so her husband could go on his ninth hike when told to leave. They had watched the smoke build up during the day, but were taken aback by the rapid spread of the fire.
“It happened so fast,” Pennington said. “We left our tents, our hammock and some food, but we got most of our stuff, pushed our two kids into the car and drove off.”
Alpine is the least populated county in California with approximately 1,200 residents. Hundreds of them are now subject to compulsory evacuations.
Current evacuation areas include: Grover Hot Springs, Shay Creek, MarkleeVillage, Markleeville, Carson River Resort and the Poor Boy Road area, Wolf Creek Campground, Silver Creek Campground, Sierra Pines, Upper and Lower Manzanita, Crystal Springs, Alpine Village, Diamond Valley Route and Hung-a-lel-ti.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Latest updates on California wildfires
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