Evacuations lifted for thousands in Tahoe as wildfire stalls
Source: AP
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) Tens of thousands of people who fled South Lake Tahoe in the teeth of a wildfire were returning home as crews finally managed to stall the advance of flames scant miles from the resort.
But authorities warned that residents of the scenic forest area on the California-Nevada state line werent out of the woods yet, with risks ranging from smoky, foul air to belligerent bears.
Evacuation orders for South Lake Tahoe and other lakeside areas were downgraded to warnings on Sunday afternoon and California Highway Patrol officers began removing roadblocks along State Highway 50 from Nevada to the city limits.
The threat from the Caldor Fire hasnt entirely vanished but downgrading to a warning meant those who wish could return to their homes in what had been a smoke-choked ghost town instead of a thriving Labor Day getaway location.
FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, file photo, a shopping mall is empty after a mandatory evacuation was ordered due to the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. State fire officials said evacuation orders for the area were reduced to warnings as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 5. Some 22,000 people had been forced to flee the popular resort and nearby areas last week as the Caldor Fire roared toward it. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
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