SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A nearly 2-week-old wildfire erupted in size and ferocity Friday evening in Alpine County zooming to the outskirts of Markleeville, the county seat, and has prompted the evacuation of several hundred residents and vacationers.
The Tamarack Fire leaped to 6,600 acres from 500 acres overnight, according to the U.S. Forest Service’s Humboldt-Toiyabe unit.
“The fire continues to burn in a northerly direction backing towards Highway 89 south of Markleeville towards the Carson River,” the Forest Service said in an latest incident update. Authorities said the fire was burning in timber and brush, and that aerial resources would support the on-the-ground effort to build hand lines and defend structures.
About 75 firefighters were at the blaze, according to Saturday morning’s update, but officials said “additional suppression resources have been ordered and will be arriving throughout the day.”
Reports have surfaced of some structure loss in Markleeville. The Alpine County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that three structures have been destroyed, but did not have information where the properties were.
The fire was sparked by lightning on July 4, but remained small and relatively inactive until Friday, when it exploded. Forest Service officials previously said they were monitoring the fire but would not be sending crews to put out the blaze.
“The tactical management decision is not to insert fire crews due to safety concerns, however, this is not an unresponsive approach,” the Forest Service said on July 10, when the fire was just a quarter-acre wide. “(The Tamarack Fire) is surrounded by granite rocks, a small lake and sparse fuels. Fire poses no threat to the public, infrastructure or resource values.”
The Alpine County Sheriff’s Office has issued mandatory evacuations for Markleeville, Marklee Village, East Fork Resort, Grover Hot Springs, Shay Creek and several other areas around 8:30 p.m. Highways 4, 88 and 89 are closed in the area of the fire.
“The Tamarack fire is moving fast and aggressively. ... This is a serious situation. Please get out when advised to,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a social-media post.
An evacuation center was set up at the Alpine Early Learning Center, 100 Foothill Road.
Towers of smoke from the blaze were seen Friday evening across Alpine County, California’s least-populous county with about 1,200 residents, as well as the south shore of Lake Tahoe.
Because of the fire, the annual Tour of the California Alps – Death Ride endurance race, in which 2,500 cyclists were to complete, has been canceled.
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