A burned-out pickup truck from the Caldor Fire on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Flames erupt in trees on a nearby ridge above Caples Lake as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Helicopters scoop up water from Silver Lake to go drop on a nearby ridge as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A helicopter drops water from Silver Lake on a burning ridge as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Division of Forestry wildland firefighters lay water lines as flames erupt on a nearby ridge above Red Lake as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Division of Forestry wildland firefighters gather as flames erupt on a nearby ridge above Caples Lake as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Flames burn in the trees on a ridge above Caples Lake as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The sun casts a shimmering glow on Red Lake as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, outside Kirkwood, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The fire danger is still rated extreme as Smokey the Bear stands by off of SR 207 as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, about Upper Kingsbury, Nevada. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A burned-out pickup truck from the Caldor Fire on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A home in the Phillips Park neighbor wrapped in tin foil is left untouched by the Caldor Fire as others around are destroyed on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Water runs from a faucet at a home destroyed by the Caldor Fire in the Phillips Park neighborhood on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A bedspring and few other possessions remain but destroyed in a home from the Caldor Fire on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The entire Ridgeline has been burned from the Caldor Fire on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Twin Bridges, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Boats are anchored off the shoreline on a smokey Lake Tahoe as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in South Lake Tahoe. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
One of the many vehicle check points into the evacuation zone in South Lake Tahoe due to the Caldor Fire on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Clark County Fire Chief Kenny Holding and his crews are currently based with the Tahoe Douglas Fire department while assisting them on emergency calls as the Caldor Fire continues to burn on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, near Zephyr Cove, Nevada. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A helicopter from the Ventura County Fire department returns for more water to drop on a ridge along SR 89 from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Christmas Valley. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Fire burns amongst the pines on a ridge along SR 89 from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Christmas Valley. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Horses eat grass along SR 207 as the Caldor Fire rages over the next ridge on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, west of Gardnerville, Nevada. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A fire crew hikes up a ridge along SR 207 from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, west of Gardnerville, Nevada. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A sign is hung on the garage of an evacuated home from the Caldor Fire in Tahoe Meadows on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in South Lake Tahoe. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Firefighters mop up spot fires along SR 89 from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Christmas Valley. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A tree still burns from the Caldor Fire along California State Route 50 at Sierra Pines Road on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, outside Strawberry, Calif. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A sprinkler douses of evacuated home from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Kingsbury, Nevada. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Jim, left, and Alicia Halloran with dog Billy Budd prepare to leave from the MontBleu now evacuating due to the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Stateline, Nev. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Guests sit outside awaiting a shuttle as the MontBleu is now evacuating due to the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Stateline, Nev. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
Smoke fills the sky about the MontBleu and Harrah’s from the Caldor Fire on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Stateline, Nev. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — 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 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.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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