SIERRA-AT-TAHOE — Authorities issued new evacuation orders for residents in South Lake Tahoe area early Monday as the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County continued to bear down on them.

Fire crews continued to stage in the Sierra-at-Tahoe resort area in their attempts to slow down the massive wildfire that by Monday morning had burned 177,260 acres and was 14% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Authorities issued the new orders at about 9:30 a.m. to these areas of El Dorado County:

  • The section from Emerald Bay north to the Placer County line in Tahoma, extending west to the border of Desolation Wilderness
  • The area from Sawmill Road at Lake Tahoe Boulevard, extending north to Pope Beach, and along the water’s edge to Eagle Point west to Desolation Wilderness across Emerald Bay
  • The area of the Elks Club along Highway 50 and the west side of Pioneer trail. This area includes the streets of Hekpa Drive, excluding the residences west of the airport. It also includes all the residences accessed from Jicarilla Drive, Washoan Boulevard and Glen Eagles Road; as well the neighborhoods of Cold Creek Trail, High Meadows and Marshall Trail
  • Gardner Mountain, northwest of the South Lake Tahoe Airport and west of Highway 50/Lake Tahoe Boulevard and the Highway 89 intersection to include the South Lake Tahoe High School, Tahoe Verde, and the streets accessed from 5th and 15th streets south of Highway 89.
  • The area east of the Pioneer Trail to the Alpine County line stopping south of the Heavenly Ski Resort, including all residences off the Pioneer Trail

Authorities urged those leaving the area from Fallen Leaf and Tahoma to go north on Highway 89 toward Truckee, and told all others to go east on Highway 50 toward Nevada.

Barton Memorial Hospital officials also were notifying families of patients that they were being transferred to “regional partner facilities” and leaving its emergency room “open for health needs only,” according to a social media post.

When the sun rose Monday, the two-mile road into Sierra-at-Tahoe was surrounded on both sides by blackened forest land, and the hillsides up into the resort’s wilderness were charred.

Many of major buildings at Sierra-at-Tahoe were still standing Monday morning, along with with ski lifts in their immediate vicinity.

The fire has been pushing northeast toward the Lake Tahoe basin, and the Sierra-at-Tahoe resort — located between Strawberry and Echo Summit — was transformed this weekend into a key staging ground for Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service crews working to stop the flames. Thousands of homes, vacation getaways and natural wilderness around the lakeshore were threatened.

Dozens of bulldozers, vegetation masticators, water tenders and trucks filled the central parking lot of the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, waiting to ease their way up the slopes and broaden containment lines in the surrounding 2,000 acres of federal forestland.

Several other areas were under evacuation warnings. Those included:

  • Christmas Valley from Highway 89 West to Echo Summit
  • Highway 89 due West to Watershed Ridge/Echo Summit and South to the Amador/El Dorado County line
  • The area from Luther Pass Road, north along the El Dorado/Alpine County line to Armstrong Pass. West from Armstrong Pass to Upper Apache at Meyers. West on Upper Apache to Highway 50. West on Highway 50 to Highway 89. South on Highway 89 to the El Dorado/Alpine County line, including all homes on both sides of Highway 89
  • The area from Upper Apache at Meyers, north along Highway 50, to Elks Club Drive. East on Elks Club Drive to Pioneer Trail, extending due south to Upper Apache at Meyers, including all homes off of Oneidas, Mandan, Apache, Ottawa and Player.
  • The area North on Highway 50 from Highway 89 to Saw Mill Road. West on Saw Mill Road to Angora Ridge, extending to Echo Summit
  • Shenendoah Road at the Amador County line west through the River Pines community, continuing west through on Shenendoah Road to Ostrom Road.
  • Highway 88 at Tiger Creek road and east of it.
  • South of the El Dorado-Amador County line with a western border of Highway 88 due south to the east end of Salt Springs Reservoir. The northeast border is the line from Dufrene Road east to Amador/Alpine county lines. The southern border is the Amador/Calaveras County line, and the eastern border the Amador/Alpine County line.

To help with those who are evacuating, officials opened a new shelter at the Truckee Veterans Hall at 10214 High Street in Truckee. A Red Cross shelter also was open at the Douglas County Community Center at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville, Nev.

The weather wasn’t cooperating. The National Weather Service said increasing west-to-southwest winds were expected Monday to provide more energy to the Caldor blaze and the Dixie Fire, as well. The latter blaze has consumed 765,635 acres by Sunday night and was 48% contained.

A red-flag warning for critical fire conditions will begin at 2 p.m. Monday and stay in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday, with steady winds of 15-20 mph and gusts up to 35 mph expected, according to the National Weather Service. Ridgetop winds may also get up to 50 mph overnight Monday into Tuesday, according to the weather service.

The air-quality index reading in South Lake Tahoe on Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. was 97, meaning it was moderately healthy. Readings through the weekend got into the very unhealthy category (with fine particulate matter between 200 and 300), and were expected to rise again.

Highway 50 remained closed between Pollock Pines and Meyers and will remain that way indefinitely, according to officials.

Please check back for updates.