Caldor Fire

Caldor Fire
  • Top: A stump continues to burn vigorously as the Aravipa hotshot crew works on the fireline
  • Bottom left: A firefighter monitors the control line during night-time burning operations
  • Bottom right: A ski lift near South Lake Tahoe among stands of burned trees after the fire
Date(s)
  • August 14 (14-08) –
  • October 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)
  • (69 days)
Location
Coordinates38°35′02″N 120°32′02″W / 38.584°N 120.534°W / 38.584; -120.534
Statistics
Burned area221,835 acres (89,773 ha; 347 sq mi; 898 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries21
Evacuated>53,000
Structures destroyed1,003
Damage$1.2 billion (2021 USD) [1]
Ignition
CauseUnder investigation
Map
A map of the Caldor Fire shows it burned southwest of Lake Tahoe, primarily in the Eldorado National Forest, south of Highway 50 and north of Highway 88
The Caldor Fire's footprint spanned the Sierra Nevada, largely between Highways 50 and 88
Caldor Fire is located in Northern California
Caldor Fire
The general location of the fire in Northern California

The Caldor Fire was a large wildfire that burned 221,835 acres (89,773 hectares) in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador, and Alpine County, California, in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season.[2] The fire was first reported on Saturday, August 14, 2021, and was fully contained on Thursday, October 21, 2021. The Caldor Fire destroyed 1,005 structures and damaged 81 more, primarily in the US Highway 50 corridor and in the community of Grizzly Flats, 2/3 of which was destroyed by the fire.[3][2][4]

On August 30, it became the second fire known to cross the Sierra Nevada mountain range, following the Dixie Fire, which crossed a few days earlier on August 18.[5] It then threatened the communities of Meyers and South Lake Tahoe, causing evacuations to be ordered for more than 20,000 people before the fire's progress was halted.[6] The Caldor Fire was the third-largest and second-most-destructive of the 2021 season in California, and is the seventeenth-largest and sixteenth-most destructive in recorded California history.

The U.S. Forest Service determined that the fire was caused by a bullet. A father and son who had called 911 to report the fire were accused of starting it by reckless use of firearms. In January 2024, a judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to try them.

  1. ^ Global Catastrophe Recap: October 2021 (PDF) (Report). Aon Benfield Inc. October 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Caldor Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Johnson, Julie (September 26, 2021). "The Caldor Fire destroyed nearly two-thirds of Grizzly Flats. Burned-out residents are determined to reclaim their town". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  4. ^ "Caldor Fire Incident Information". InciWeb. September 5, 2021. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Reinhard, Scott; Patel, Jugal K. (September 6, 2021). "Caldor Fire's March to the Edge of South Lake Tahoe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  6. ^ McGough, Michael (October 21, 2021). "Caldor Fire 100% contained, nearly two months after South Lake Tahoe evacuations". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2022.