More Fire...

California's Tamarack Fire threatening Markleeville balloons amid high winds

Amy Graff

Fanned by high winds, California's Tamarack Fire south of Lake Tahoe ballooned to 39,045 acres and triggered new evacuations Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The blaze that is threatening the small town of Markleeville had no containment. 

Thunderstorms brought sporadic heavy rain and lightning to the northern Sierra Nevada Monday and kicked up high winds, pushing the blaze northeast toward the California-Nevada border and Highway 395 corridor. 

The Mesa Verde area was put under mandatory evacuation Monday afternoon as flames spread. Markleeville, Grover Hot Springs and campground area, Shay Creek, Marklee Village, Alpine Village, Woodfords, East Fork Resort, Hung A Lel Ti, Blue Lakes Road, Upper and Lower Blue Lakes are also under evacuation orders.

An evacuation shelter is open at the Douglas Co. Community and Senior Center at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville.

There are 700 people evacuated in Alpine County due to the fire, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

Highway 89 is still closed at the intersection of Highway 4 and 89.

The fire was sparked by lightning on July 4 and is chewing away at forestland that is parched after two, consecutive dry winters. 

More than 1,000 fire personnel are assigned to the blaze, "focusing on preserving life and property with point protection of structures and putting in containment lines where possible,” the U.S. Forest Service said.

The blaze led Forest officials on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to close a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. The fire is burning northeast of the trail near Raymond Peak (around mile 1060) in the Pleasant Valley Creek area and the trail is closed between California State Route 88 and California State Route 4 (Ebbetts Pass), according to the Forest Service.

Smoke from the fire poured into Reno and the Lake Tahoe Basin. Ash coated cars in South Lake Tahoe. The gondola at Heavenly Ski Resort was shuttered due to smoke from the blaze and thunderstorms.