California state: Thousands flee forest fire

In the excursion area around Lake Tahoe, California, thousands of people are fleeing forest fires. If the heat and drought persist, it burns in several places on the US West Coast.

Thousands of people have fled their homes because of a huge forest fire near the popular tourist area of ​​Lake Tahoe, California. You have been asked to leave the southern edge of the huge mountain lake in the Sierra Nevada. The fire department had ordered the evacuation of the US region threatened by the so-called Caldor fire as a precautionary measure.

“Bigger and more destructive fires”

There were hours of traffic jams on the main thoroughfare in the El Dorado district on the California and Nevada border. The fire, which had been raging for more than two weeks, had eaten its way east to the vacation area in northern California at the weekend. “We now have bigger and more destructive fires,” said fire department chief Chris Anthony. The ongoing drought and the effects of climate change exacerbated the situation.

More than 3,700 firefighters are fighting the Caldor fire, but the fire was only 15 percent under control on Monday. This has already covered an area of ​​more than 700 square kilometers west of Lake Tahoe and destroyed almost 500 houses in the mountain region, as the authorities announced. The fire brigade pointed to dangerous conditions due to extremely dry vegetation and strong winds.

More than 15 major forest fires in California

Environmental authorities have been warning of unhealthy air quality for weeks. Due to the risk of forest fires and smoke pollution, the El Dorado national forest was closed to hikers and other visitors. The closure is initially planned for the end of September. Lake Tahoe, which is visited annually by millions of people, is known for its deep blue and pure water. The region with the famous ski areas Squaw Valley and Heavenly Valley is also one of America’s winter sports locations.

There has been a series of forest fires in the western United States and Canada for weeks. On Monday, the authorities in California listed more than 15 major fires, more than 15,000 firefighters and helpers were in the west coast state. The so-called Dixie Fire in Northern California has been raging since mid-July and has burned more than 3,100 square kilometers of land there, according to the fire protection authority Cal Fire. The second largest fire in the history of California in terms of area is only half under control even after weeks of deployment by the fire brigade.