Eldorado National Forest partially reopens as crews continue to rein in Caldor Fire
U.S. Forest Service officials have reopened part of Eldorado National Forest to the public for day use only, ending a six-week full closure brought on by the Caldor Fire.
The forest remains closed to the public for most areas south of Highway 50 and north of Highway 88, under a new order that took effect starting Thursday. That order replaces a full closure that had been in place since Aug. 17.
The closure extends a few miles north of Highway 50 near the summit. Northern and northeastern portions of the forest are open, including near Union Valley Reservoir. Mormon Emigrant Trail, Silver Fork Road, Wrights Lake Road and parts of the Pacific Crest Trail remain closed, the Forest Service noted.
Bans on overnight camping and on all forms of open flame remain in place, the Forest Service said in a news release.
The new closure order is set to expire March 31, 2022, “but could be lifted sooner or modified if conditions warrant,” officials wrote.
The large, once-destructive Caldor Fire is not yet fully contained, but activity has slowed significantly. Evacuation orders for thousands of residents, including the entire city of South Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas, were lifted about three weeks ago.
The Forest Service and Cal Fire reported the Caldor Fire at 221,775 acres (347 square miles) with 83% containment.
It has grown minimally in the past couple of weeks — just a single acre burned in the past 24 hours, authorities wrote Thursday morning — but the Forest Service advises that fire activity including spot fires remain possible, and that the area commonly sees wind events in October.
“The Caldor Fire threat is not over yet,” Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais said in a prepared statement. “We are still engaged in fire suppression and there are many hazards in the burned area.”
Dixie Fire
Lassen Volcanic National Park also announced Thursday that areas of the park not being impacted by the Dixie Fire will reopen to the public next Monday.
That includes the southwest and Manzanita Lake areas of the park, park superintendent Jim Richardson said in a news release.
The eastern portion, including Summit Lake, Butte Lake, Warner Valley and Juniper Lake, remain closed.
The Caldor Fire ignited Aug. 14 south of Pollock Pines, and largely destroyed the town of Grizzly Flats in its earliest days. It is the 15th-largest and 16th-most destructive wildfire in California’s recorded history.
The Dixie Fire, reported Thursday at 963,309 acres (1,505) with 94% containment, is the state’s second-biggest fire ever and its 14th-most destructive.
