Photo: David Odisho/Bloomberg via Getty
In just over two weeks, theCaldor Firehas burned through 191,600 acres in Northern California, and fire officials are pointing to climate change as the culprit.
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimeda state of emergencyfor three counties surrounding Lake Tahoe, the popular tourist area whose residents were placed under amandatory evacuationthe same day. Photos from the evacuation showed heavy traffic along long stretches of roads.
“It was a tense few moments I think for our citizens in South Lake Tahoe today,” South Lake Tahoe Police Chief David Stevenson said, according toSF Gate. “Three and a half hours of being stuck on Highway 50. I’m so appreciative that our citizens listened to the warning and the order and evacuated the city. Their response was fantastic, and we appreciate them. I’m glad to know they are safe.”
PHOTO: Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency via GettyPHOTO: David Odisho/Bloomberg via Getty
The blaze, which is only 16 percent contained as of Tuesday morning, is expected to cross into Nevada “in the coming days,” prompting the state’s governor, Steve Sisolak, to declare a state of emergency this week.
“Today, I declared a state of emergency in Nevada in response to the ongoing Caldor Fire,” Gov. Sisolak wrote in atweet. “Thank you to our brave first responders, local government agencies, and nonprofit entities who continue to go above and beyond to assist our communities during these trying times.”
Officials from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, said they had no doubts climate change has made the Caldor fire worse for firefighters.
Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty
“These terms are no longer appropriate given the clear trends associated with drought, a changing climate, and unresilient forest stands,” he added. “Unfortunately, these factors contribute to the resistance to control that we’re seeing with the Caldor fire.”
Another Cal Fire official admitted the blaze has become “a real tough one” and has taken a toll on firefighters.
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“People are tired but they’re committed,” Captain Keith Wade with the Sacramento Fire Department toldKCRA.
On Tuesday, theU.S. Department of Agricultureannounced every national forest in California will be closed through Sept. 17 due to the risk of wildfires.
source: people.com
