California: thousands of evacuees in a tourist area threatened by flames – franceinfo

It has been devastating the region for more than two weeks. A fire threatens, Monday, August 30, the southern shore of Lake Tahoe, California, a tourist area, and thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. Called Caldor Fire, the forest fire has already covered more than 700 km2, destroying several hundred buildings and emitting thick smoke that pollutes northern California.

Thanks to an extreme drought and sustained winds, the flames continued to progress on Monday towards South Lake Tahoe, a town on the shores of the largest alpine lake in North America, on the border with Nevada. “Conditions and fuels are historic”, lamented to the San Francisco Chronicle Fire Commander Jeff Veik. “We are going to put out this fire. But it will not be today”, did he declare.

The Caldor Fire is just one of dozens of blazes ravaging the chronic drought-stricken western United States further exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Over 7,000 km2 of vegetation has already burned, more than double the average area at this time of year.

Tens of thousands of residents had to flee the flames, often without knowing when they could return or even if they would find their homes intact.