Wildfire updates: Part of Highway 50 reopens as more Caldor Fire evacuations are lifted
Part of Highway 50 was reopened and more evacuation orders for the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County were lifted Sunday as fire crews continued to make headway on the blaze.
At 10 a.m., officials reduced mandatory evacuation orders along Highway 50 to warnings and said that part of the highway would be opening up.
Cal Fire said that Highway 50 from Ice House Road to 36 Mile Stone was reopened, a stretch that runs roughly from Riverton to just east of Kyburz. The highway has been closed for weeks due to the Caldor Fire, which has now charred 218,950 acres, making it the 15th biggest fire in state history, and is 65% contained.
Marco Rodriguez, a public information officer with Cal Fire, confirmed that the highway was reopened to the general public, not just residents.
The highway remains closed from 36 Mile Stone near Kyburz to Sawmill Road, about a mile and a half from South Lake Tahoe.
Evacuation orders north of the South Fork of the American River — which flows alongside Highway 50 — up to Granite Springs Road between Ice House Road on the west and 36 Mile Stone on the east were lifted. Alder Ridge Road and Silver Fork Road remain closed, according to Cal Fire.
Also on Sunday, officials lifted evacuation orders in Christmas Valley. Cal Fire said “all residences accessed from Highway 89 south of Highway 50 in Meyers through Christmas Valley and including all of South Upper Truckee” were no longer under mandatory evacuation orders as of 1 p.m.
In late August, embers from the Caldor Fire were blown into the small community of Christmas Valley, sparking fires that posed a risk to the neighborhood, but damages were ultimately minimal. Although assessments are ongoing, a preliminary map shows only a few homes in the area with damage.
Additionally, evacuation warnings for the city of South Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas along the west shore of South Lake Tahoe, including Tahoma, were lifted.
In a Sunday morning update, fire officials reported continued interior burns on the west side of the fire and little activity on the east side of the fire.
“Conditions overnight were mild,” fire officials said, but warned that weather could be an issue in the days ahead. “Southwest winds continue today through next week, challenging existing control lines and creating potential for additional fire growth.”
Fire crews have made significant progress over the past few days. Since Friday, containment has jumped by 8% and overall fire growth has been minimal, adding only about 1,000 acres since Friday.
But that doesn’t mean the fight is over for fire crews. Officials said Sunday that nearly 25,000 structures remain threatened by the Caldor Fire, which has already destroyed 782 homes and 203 other minor structures. Many evacuations remain in place in eastern El Dorado County, as well as parts of Alpine and Amador counties.
Grizzly Flats repopulating
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is keeping the town of Grizzly Flats under an evacuation order, but some residents were able to reenter the area on Sunday and more will continue to arrive Monday in staggered groups.
Officials have been sending out emergency notifications to residents selected to begin reentry at designated times. Because the evacuation order has not been lifted, residents need to provide identification documentation that verifies their address and will be given a permit prior to reentry.
Sheriff’s officials said the process is meant to “prevent those who do not reside there from gaining access to the area” and to “prevent extreme traffic jams, safety issues and hazards.” Deputies have been meeting residents at Pioneer Park in Somerset at pre-scheduled times to confirm residency and issue permits for reentry on Sunday. For residents scheduled to return home Monday, deputies are meeting at Mt. Aukum Road and Grizzly Flats Road.
Through Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office has continued to identify more locations of Grizzly Flats for repopulation.
The Sheriff’s Office said earlier in the week that the process will begin starting Sunday and “will likely be completed by the end of the day Monday.”
In mid-August, the Caldor Fire burned through Grizzly Flats, destroying much of the town. Many homes, along with a church, a school and a post office, were burned.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Wildfire updates: Part of Highway 50 reopens as more Caldor Fire evacuations are lifted."
