WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THATBREAKING NEWS OUT OF EL DORADOCOUNTY WHERE CREWS ARE WORKINGAROUND THE CLOCK TO CONTAINTORCH NEARLY 200,000 ACRES THEFIRE JUST 18% CONTAINEDTONIGHT.
THE FIRE IS NOW JUSTABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE SHOREOF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AND AS WEEVACUATED BECAUSE OF THEPOTENTIAL DEVASTATION THERE.LET'S GET YOU RIGHT OUT TOFOX FORTY'S DENNIS SHANAHANLIVE TONIGHT ALONG CHRISTMASVALLEY WITH THE LATEST ON THEFIREFIGHT THERE AND ENNIS ONEOF THE GREAT SUCCESS STORY SOFAR IN CHRISTMAS VALLEY, NOHOMES BURNED SO FAR.SO FAR SO GOOD YOU SAID ITERIC NOW CHRISTMAS VALLEY ISABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF SOUTHLAKE TAHOE WE SPENT THEEVENING THERE RIGHT NOW WE AREAT THE TOWER AIRPORT BECAUSEONE OF THE THINGS WE BELIEVETHAT HAS BEEN DESTROYED IN THEIS THE CELL PHONEINFRASTRUCTURE, SO THAT HASIMPACTED OUR ABILITY TO GETCOMMUNICATIONS OUT FROM THATAREA BUT WE CAN BRING YOU THEVIDEO WE CAN BRING YOU THESTORY AND HOPEFULLY WHAT ISSOMEWHAT SOME TENTATIVETENTATIVE GOOD NEWS FOR THEPEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE INESTATES THE ELDORADO NATIONALFOREST IS THE BACKYARD AND ITIS BURNING.
THE FLAMES WE SAWON THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON DIDNOT LOOK FEROCIOUS, BUT THEYKEPT FIREFIGHTERS ON THE MOVETHE DRY PINE NEEDLES PROVIDEFUEL FOR THE FIRE TO CREEPALONG THE GROUND FROM THERE ITDEVOURS THE SHRUBS ANDLAUNCHES UP INTO THE TREES.FOR HELICOPTERS AND AIRTANKERS, THESE BOOTS ON THEGROUND ARE EVERYTHING TO THERESIDENTS HOPING TO COME HOMETO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE SAWEVIDENCE OF THE FIREFIGHTERSHARD WORK ON EVERY STREET INTHE HEART OF CHRISTMAS VALLEY,SANTA CLAUS DRIVE AT SLEIGHBELL DRIVE AND WE WANT TO SHOWYOU HOW CLOSE THE CALDOR FIRECAME TO SOME OF THE HOMES HEREAS WE LOOK OFF TO THE RIGHTYOU CAN SEE THE CHARRED AREASMOLDERING HERE AND THERE.BUT AS WE LOOK OFF TO THELEFT YOU CAN SEE THE BACKYARDSOF THE HOMES THAT WEREIMMEDIATELY THREATENED BY THEFLAMES WHEN THEY CAME THROUGHHERE LIKELY LAST NIGHT RIGHTIN THE MIDDLE, YOU SEE A DOZERLINE SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUTFIRE FIGHTING.
THIS IS A LARGEPART OF IT THE FIREFIGHTERSMAKING THESE BREAKS BETWEENTHE FIRES AND THE PROPERTY INHERE IT WORKED.DURING OUR DRIVE THROUGHTHE AREA WE DID NOT SEE ANYDESTROYED HOMES JUST CLOSECALL AFTER CLOSE CALL.AND MANY ENGINES AND HANDCREWS STAGED OR ACTIVELYWORKING TO KEEP THISNEIGHBORHOOD SAFE.BUT AS NIGHT FALLS THEAREAS THAT ARE STILL BURNINGSTAND OUT IN THE DARKSTILL A LONG ROAD AHEAD BEFORETHIS FIRE IS CONTAINED ORCONTROLLED.FIREFIGHTERS ARE HIKINGINTO THE WOODS FROM HIGHWAY 50DRAGGING HOSES SPRAYING DOWNHOTSPOTS AND THEY'RE CARRYINGHAND TOOLS TO CLEAR THE FORESTFLOOR.
THE WINDS NEARCHRISTMAS VALLEY HAVE BEENSOMEWHAT LIGHT ON THIS NIGHT.THE FIRE APPEARS TO BE MOVINGSLOWLY.
OFFERING HOPE FOR THETAHOE BASIN.YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSEFIREFIGHTERS AND THERE ONCEYELLOW FIRE PROTECTIVE SUITSARE NOW JUST DIRT COLOR,THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD THEYLOOK EXHAUSTED, BUT THEIRDEDICATION HAS SO FAR KEPT THEHOMES AROUND THAT NEIGHBORHOODTHAT YOU JUST SAW CHRISTMASVALLEY.
JUST A FEW MILES SOUTHOF SOUTH MAKE TILE LOOKINGGOOD.
WE DID DRIVE A LITTLEBIT CLOSER TO SOUTH.
I WASWELL IN THE MYERS AREA WHEREWE WERE WE DID NOT SEEDESTROYED HOMES, BUT AGAIN ALOT OF CLOSE CALLS THERE ASWELL REPORTING LIVE FROM THESOUTH LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT.DENNIS SHANAHAN FOX 40 NEWSALL RIGHT, LET'S HOPE THAT
Homeowners who were forced to evacuate the Pollock Pines area of El Dorado County due to the Caldor Fire have been on edge waiting..
