Changing winds provide hope in California wildfire battle

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Better weather on Thursday helped the battle against a huge California forest fire threatening communities around Lake Tahoe, but commanders warned firefighters to keep their guard up against continuing dangers.

Strong winds that drove the Caldor Fire east through high elevations of the Sierra Nevada for days had faded after forcing thousands of people to flee, but very localized gusts were likely and the forest remained extremely dry even though humidity levels had improved slightly, officials said at a morning briefing.

“We lost the winds aloft,” incident meteorologist Jim Dudley said. “It’s a good day today to not have gusty winds up on the ridges. What we are going to have are terrain-driven winds” that happen as the sun heats the ground.

The Caldor Fire covered more than 328 square miles (849 square kilometers) and was 25% contained early Thursday. Its northeast tip was south of the city of South Lake Tahoe and nearing the California-Nevada state line.

Fire crews from around the country were joining the fight against the fire, which was just 23% contained after destroying at least 700 homes and other buildings since it broke out on Aug. 14.

Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent, destructive and unpredictable, scientists have said.

The Caldor Fire, named after the road where it started, threatened at least 33,000 more homes and structures. On Wednesday, firefighters were ferried by boat to protect cabins at Echo Lake, a few miles south of Tahoe.

Heavenly Mountain Resort, Tahoe’s largest ski area, was being used as a staging area by firefighters. The resort also brought out its big guns — snow-making devices that were...