June 26, 2007
Fire Ravages Hundreds of Homes
near Lake Tahoe
Sacramento (US)
A wildfire destroyed over 225 homes and structures near Lake Tahoe,
one of the most famous scenic regions of the US, and forced over
1,000 residents to evacuate.
A state of emergency was declared in Lake Tahoe as a wildfire blazed
out of control Monday through the area. But lighter winds helped
firefighters contain 40 percent of the fire by early Tuesday,
authorities said.
More than 750 firefighters were fighting the fire but huge palls of
black smoke hung throughout the Lake Tahoe basin and prevented air
tankers from dousing the flames for much of the day.
"The circumstances of this wildfire, by reason of their magnitude,
are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and
facilities of any single county," California Lieutenant Governor
John Garamendi said in a statement.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Europe when the
fire broke out.
The fire began in the heavily forested area just south of the lake
Sunday afternoon. Fanned by strong winds, it quickly spread through
the tinder-dry undergrowth to threaten the many homes dotted
throughout the pinewoods in the popular recreation spot.
The flames destroyed 225 homes and structures and had burned over
800 hectares by early Monday morning when firefighters dug
firebreaks to stop the spread of the flames.
The fire reinforced fears of a devastating wildfire season this
summer in the US west, following a prolonged drought. The blaze,
said to be the worst in the area for 50 years, also demonstrated the
growing threat of massive damage to property caused by continued
construction of homes in wild-lands.
"This is the worst fire I can recall," said South Lake Tahoe Mayor
Kathay Lovell. "It just shows you the power of this. It is
heartbreaking. It is absolutely heartbreaking. We've got
firefighters who are fighting the fire and who have lost their own
homes."
The area, which is famous for its ski resorts, is dense with
multi-million-dollar vacation homes and lush woodland, which
provided nearly limitless fuel for the flames that were unchecked in
a region where the spring snow runoff was 40 percent less than usual
this season.
The cause of the blaze is believed to have been human activity, but
authorities have not said whether it was accidental or arson.
"The wind just pumped up a bunch of ash and sprinkled it through the
neighbourhoods and started a bunch of spot fires," one firefighter
told CNN. "There just weren't enough people to go around and put
them out."
The smoke from the fire could be seen 150 km away in Sacramento, the
capital of California, as high winds kept firefighters from
deploying helicopters to fight the blaze.
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