Emerald Fire Burns 200 Acres In South Lake Tahoe
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) - The storm packing powerful winds that are fueling dangerous wildfires in the Sierra and near Reno has started to drop some rain on the flames at Lake Tahoe.
The El Dorado County sheriff has ordered 500 homes evacuated on the south end of Lake Tahoe. That fire has burned about 200 acres and forced the closure of California Highway 89 between Camp Richardson and Meeks Bay.
California Fire officials say that blaze, dubbed the "Emerald Fire," is now estimated to be 25 percent contained.
Slick roads in the area are slowing support from fire stations outside the area.
Highway 89 is closed from the Placer and El Dorado county line in Tahoma to the Y in the city of South Lake Tahoe.
That covers the following roads:
- Cathedral Road
- Baldwin Beach Road
- Mt Tallac Road
- Spring Creek Road
- Alliklik Road
- Cahuilla Road
- Hupa Road
- Karok Road
- Mattole Road
- Maidu Road
- Nicoleno Road
- Nicolena Court
- Pomo Road
- Pomo Court
- Wiyot Road
- Yurok Road
- Cascade Road
- Sugar Pine Road
- Cascade Lake Road
- Upper Eagle Point Campground
- Lower Eagle Point Campground
An evacuation center has been established at South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.
The fire is burning primarily in the "Cascade" area, just south of Emerald Bay in the Lake Valley Fire Protection District.
High winds of about 60 to 70 mph are blowing the fire east toward Fallen Leaf Lake.
The fire continues to grow in all directions. There is no information on the cause of the fire at this time.
