CA Fires Latest: 3 New Fires Spark; Evacuations Lifted In Tahoe

CALIFORNIA — Evacuees of South Lake Tahoe were able to return to the summer destination over the weekend, but authorities warned that residents and visitors were not out of the woods yet in the smoke-ravaged town.

As tens of thousands fled the area from the threat of the Caldor Fire, bears emerged from the woods to wreak havoc in town, throwing trash everywhere and running amok. Authorities were warning residents to keep an eye out for belligerent bears.

"The delicate balance between humans and bears has been upset," and anyone who thinks a bear may have entered their home should call law enforcement, El Dorado County sheriff’s Sgt. Simon Brown said.

The Caldor Fire jumped to 216,358 acres but was 44 percent contained. It is now the 15 largest and 20th most destructive wildfire in state history, Cal Fire officials said.

On Labor Day, more than 14,500 firefighters were working to quell some 14 major fires smoldering across the Golden State. On Sunday, firefighters were up against 40 new blazes that erupted, three of which ballooned into larger fires.

One of those new fires, the Bridge Fire, sparked in Placer County and had scorched 300 acres with 5 percent containment as of Monday morning.

In Northern California, hot and dry weather was expected to remain, with light winds flowing through Monday. Gusts were expected to pick up Tuesday, with the potential of lightning later in the week.

Meanwhile, in the Southland, temperatures were expected to remain 5 to 10 degrees above normal through next weekend. As warm and dry conditions persist, the potential for fire will remain elevated away from the coastal areas through next week, officials said. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms were possible for the mountains and deserts of Southern California Wednesday and Thursday.

SEE ALSO: Southland Heat Wave To Continue Through Labor Day

The first death of the 2021 wildfire season was reported Sunday, after a firefighter assigned to the Golden State's largest wildfire — the Dixie Fire — died of an undisclosed illness, authorities said Sunday. No other details were available.

The Dixie Fire and the Caldor Fire broke records last week, with both fires burning from one side of the Sierra Nevada to the other, the Los Angeles Times reported.

This year's fire season has already seen more than 7,100 wildfires and 2 million acres burned.

During Labor Day weekend, all national forests remained closed to bolster public safety as crews continued to respond to new fires cropping up each day. On Monday, 35 small wildfires ignited, but all were contained.

"CAL FIRE urges all Californians to use extreme caution when outdoors during this warm holiday weekend," Cal Fire said in a statement. "A wildfire that is sparked under these conditions can spread rapidly, threatening lives and homes."

SEE ALSO: CA Wildfires: How To Check If Your Home Was Damaged

Fires Of Interest Burning In The Golden State

Bridge Fire, Placer County — Northeast of Auburn

• 300 acres, 5% contained
• Evacuation warnings remain in place
• Road closures in the area

Caldor Fire: El Dorado County, South Of Grizzly Flats – El Dorado National Forest

• 216,358 acres, 44 percent contained.
• Nearly 27,000 structures threatened.
• 729 structures destroyed.
• Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place, new evacuation orders issued.
• Repopulation is ongoing where it's safe to do so.

Chaparral Fire: Riverside And San Diego Counties — Southwest Of Murrieta – Cleveland National Forest

• 1,427 acres, 95 percent contained.
• Evacuation orders and warnings in place.
• Unified Command Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.

Dixie Fire: Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Tehama And Shasta Counties

• 910,495 acres, 57 percent contained.
• Nearly 6,000 structures threatened.
• More than 1,282 structures destroyed (14th most destructive wildfire).
• Evacuation orders and warnings in place for multiple communities.
• Unified Command of Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service.

French Fire, Kern County, Sequoia National Forest

• 26,702 acres, 52 percent contained.
• Evacuation orders in place.

Monument Fire: Trinity County, Five Miles West Of Big Bar, Shasta-Trinity National Forest

• 181,617 acres, 37 percent contained.

Federal Incidents

Antelope Fire: Siskiyou County, Five Miles South Of Tennant, Klamath National Forest

• 71,508 acres, 83 percent contained.

Knob Fire: Humboldt County, Two Miles South Of Willow Creek, Six Rivers National Forest

• 2,414 acres, 82 percent contained.
• Evacuations in progress.

McFarland Fire: Shasta, Trinity And Tehama Counties, Shasta-Trinity National Forest

• 122,653 acres, 98 percent contained.

River Complex: Siskiyou County, Seven Miles West Of Callahan, Klamath National Forest

• 121,371 acres, 21 percent contained.
• Complex comprised 23 fires; 16 fires contained
• Evacuation orders in place.

McCash Fire: Siskiyou County, Ten Bear Mountain McCash Creek, Six Rivers National Forest

• 54,385 acres, 13 percent contained.

Walkers Fire: Tulare County, 16 Miles Northeast Of Springville, Sequoia National Forest

• 8,719 acres, 58 percent contained.

Beckwourth Complex: Lassen/Plumas Counties, Northeast Of Beckwourth, Plumas National Forest

• 105,670 acres, 98 percent contained.
• 23 structures damaged.
• 148 structures destroyed.

South Fire: San Bernardino County, North Of Fontana – San Bernardino National Forest

• 819 acres, 85 percent contained.
• Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place.

Tamarack Fire: Alpine County, South Of Gardnerville, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

• 68,637 acres, 82 percent contained.

Extended Attack Incident

Aruba Fire, San Diego County — Southeast of the community of Rainbow

• 54 acres, 30% contained

• 19 acres, 75% contained

Lawrence Fire, Amador County — Northeast of Fiddletown

• 46 acres, 60% contained

Railroad Fire: San Bernardino County, Off Interstate 15 In The Cajon Pass – San Bernardino National Forest

• 61 acres, 50 percent contained.

Roadside Fire: San Bernardino County, Cajon Pass – San Bernardino National Forest

• 50 acres, 60 percent contained.

Washington Fire, Tuolumne County, West Of Sonora

• 100 acres, 85 percent contained.

Historic drought and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires more difficult to quell on the West Coast. Rising temperatures have made the American West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive, scientists have said.

And the explosive pace of new wildfires showed no sign of slowing.

The Dixie fire is the Golden State's largest wildfire so far this year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. equipment may have ignited that fire, according to a report released by the utility last month.

Last month, a repairman reportedly spotted what he suspected to be a blown fuse while he was responding to an outage in Feather River Canyon off state Route 70 in Oroville. Because of rough terrain and roadwork, the worker could not reach the pole for several hours, the utility said. By the time he reached the area, two or three blown fuses may have sparked a fire at the base of a healthy green tree leaning on the pole that held the conductor.

The combination of worsening drought, rising temperatures and arid fuels pointed to another devastating wildfire season, Gov. Gavin Newsom warned in May.

"You're already feeling the temperature shifts," he told reporters. "You already saw those red flag warnings, which are earlier in May than we've seen in many, many years because of the winds that are coming earlier. "

READ MORE:

• Tenaja Evacuations Remain Monday For Chaparral Fire Near Murrieta
• San Rafael Blaze Triggers Evacuations
• Free Air Filtration Device Program Expands To Entire Bay Area
• Bay Area Air Quality Advisory Issued For Monday
• Massive Fire Threatens Lake Tahoe, More Ordered To Flee
• 4 Key Things To Know About CA's 2021 Wildfire Season
• PG&E Says Its Equipment May Have Sparked NorCal Fire

Patch Editor Paige Austin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.