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Fire raging in California's Tahoe National Forest threatens community
A wind-whipped wildfire in the Tahoe National Forest, 20 miles north of Truckee, has forced more than 500 people to leave their homes in a small Sierra Nevada community, officials said. The Bear Fire spread rapidly Monday afternoon amid blustery weather and calmed overnight with winds easing and temperatures lowering, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The Bear Fire was first reported at 2 p.m. Monday off Bear Valley Road on the east side of the Tahoe National Forest south of Sierra Brooks in Sierra County. By Tuesday morning, it had grown to 1,391 acres and was zero percent contained, according to the Forest Service.
“The fire is threatening Sierra Brooks with 286 structures and 536 residents under mandatory evacuation orders issued by Sierra County Sheriff’s Office,” the Forest Service said. Get updates on evacuations from the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page. There are 760 residences and businesses in the area without power.
The fire exploded on Monday with winds ranging from 30 mph to 40 mph in the afternoon, said Brittany Whitlam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Amid high-risk wildfire conditions, the weather service issued a red-flag warning that was in effect through 8 p.m. Monday.
“We had gusty conditions and low relative humidity, which can lead to what we saw yesterday with the wildfire spreading out of control,” Whitlam said. “We had a weather system come through yesterday, so that was the cause of the wind. We’re now on the back side of that system, so we’re expecting lighter winds, more typical breezes this afternoon and more dry conditions.”
Whitlam said winds of 10 mph to 15 mph are expected Tuesday.
Overnight firefighters started to build fire lines, creating breaks in the vegetation to slow the fire's spread. The work is challenging the Forest Service said, as some areas of the fire are in steep, rocky terrain and difficult to access.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/bear-fire-california-tahoe-national-forest-19739395.php