by Bob Walsh
The Dixie Fire and the Caldor Fire are both major concerns in NorCal.
The
Dixie fire has forced the authorities to issue a preliminary evacuation
warning to the city of Susanville. Susanville is about 60 miles north
of Reno on Hwy 395. This is a city of over 15,000 that exists primarily
to service two large state prisons on the area though there is
significant hunting-fishing-outdoorsman activity in the area. There is
also some lumber harvesting still in the area I believe.
This
fire has burned well over 500,000 acres and is only about 1/3
contained. The smoke from this fire is creating a major health risk in
the area. It has been burning about 33 days.
The
Caldor Fire exploded in size last night and is now well over 50,000
acres. It is threatening several good size towns in El Dorado County
and is threatening both Hwy 50 and Hwy 88, though the latter not as
immediately as the former. Authorities believe the fire will probably
jump Hwy 50. The smoke is significant down into the central valley.
2 comments:
I retired from High Desert State Prison in Susanville in '07. It's a beautiful area. While the physical structures of the town and prisons are probably safe from the flames, that smoke must be rolling in real thick. There's nowhere close for residents and prison employees to evacuate to. Reno is an hour an a half away but the fire is between Susanville and Reno. This is a tough one.
Due to the fact that Denise and I often visit Lake Tahoe, we are on a local FB page. Pics and comments of the area are heartbreaking. The pristine beaches are covered in dark ash. So far the fire hasn't made it to South Lake Tahoe but it's getting closer.
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