![]() Porter said a phenomena known as atmospheric inversion, wherein the temperature increases with altitude instead of decreasing, “put a lid on fire activity.” The benefits are temporary, Porter said, so each time the air clears it looks like a plume of steam shot out from a kettle. “It’s cedar shake roofs and shingles, so once you get these older cabins involved that becomes your significant fuel source.” “It’s quite a bit older construction,” Goodspeed said. The flip side of fighting fire closer to the roadside is the flammability of Tahoe cabins. Goodspeed said first responders can take a more assertive stand in the more densely populated areas because there is more access. “Right now they’re anticipating gusting winds which, again, is going to propel the fire forward,” Goodspeed said. Goodspeed said along with pre-existing accessibility issues, first responders must deal with weather via wind speed and direction, as well as fuel source flammability. “The east side of the fire has difficult road conditions and is burning heavy timber,” Porter said. Porter said he is proud of his team’s progress on the fire’s western front, where part of Grizzly Flat burned, but said the eastern edge is not easy to navigate. Smoke from the Caldor Fire shrouds the setting sun in South Lake Tahoe on Monday. “You have a tree, it’s burning for a week now, it breaks and rolls down, that can start many spot fires rolling down the hill. “It’s the Sierra Nevada - you have high peaks and deep gorges,” Eldridge said. Porter and Eldridge said spot fires can start in any direction, given fire’s propensity to burn upward, floating embers and rolling debris. “Fire likes to rise (and Tahoe’s) got these steep hillsides, which means rapid fire growth and long-distance spotting.” “The steeper it is, the faster it will carry the fire,” Goodspeed said. Sam Goodspeed, Nevada City/Grass Valley Fire Department chief, said the steep topography and density of South Lake Tahoe’s wooded areas are two of a few key differences between the Caldor Fire and the recent River and Bennett fires in Nevada County. “It’s chaos here, we don’t have enough people to help with everybody’s needs,” the official said. One official said they are feeling overwhelmed and understaffed. The shelter is filling up and the volunteers there are scrambling. But this fire, it’s a mega fire, once they’re at 100,000 acres, I don’t know what they can do.” “The Angora Fire was local and it was scary because our neighbors’ homes were getting annihilated, but you always had this feeling they were going to get it. Gilbert has lived in South Lake Tahoe since 1991 and has been through her share of fires, including the Angora Fire in 2007, but she says the Caldor Fire is different. A store closes for business on Monday after making final sales for the day before evacuating from South Lake Tahoe.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |