A massive wildfire spreading in California crossed into Nevada this week, as over 1,200 firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
Burning through more than 68 square miles of national forest woodland just south of Lake Tahoe, the Tamarack Fire started on July 4 due to lightning strikes.
A bolt of lightning hit a single tree on top of a rocky ridgetop, which started the fire, according to forestry officials. High winds on July 16 caused the fire to quickly spread down the slope.
Over 1,200 firefighters are battling the blaze. Officials are concerned with the weather forecast, as 14 mph winds and high temperatures mean the blaze could worsen before the situation improves.
The latest footage shows firefighters struggling to tackle huge walls of flames as everything around them burns.
On Thursday evening, the fire was still going strong and the outlook appeared rather bleak, as the night into Friday was not expected to be particularly humid.
When the humidity drops, fire behavior increases, according to the National Park Service. This is because fuels like grass and pine needles become drier and more likely to ignite.
Firefighters are currently doing their best to protect people’s homes and other buildings in affected communities.
The fire has so far burned through over 50,000 acres of land, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
Only four percent of the perimeter has been contained, and the National Wildfire Coordinating Group estimates it will take until Aug. 31 to contain the fire.
The flames crossed the border into Nevada on Wednesday evening, reaching Highway 395.
Officials issued evacuation notices and urged people to seek shelter at the local community center.
The Tamarack Fire burns as California’s wildfire season hits its stride and as a string of blazes spread along the West Coast in the past month.
The Dixie Fire, located north of The Tamarack Fire in Butte County, has burned through over 100,000 acres since it started on July 13. Though 18 percent of the perimeter has been contained, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group estimates containment will take until the end of the month.
In Oregon, The Bootleg Fire continues to burn in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. Over 2,000 personnel have been deployed as the flames cover 400,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire in the U.S. so far this year.
Smoke continues to be a problem, and even the Midwest and the East Coast have experienced hazy skies as smoke travels from the wildfires in the West.
Edited by Ali McCadden and Kristen Butler
