By Katie Dowd
Traffic was gridlocked throughout most of South Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon as the city rushes to evacuate ahead of the raging Caldor Fire.
By 4 p.m. Monday, the gridlock had resolved itself â with the last of the South Lake Tahoe evacuees and other vehicles exiting through Highway 50.
“It was a tense few moments I think for our citizens in south Lake Tahoe today,” South Lake Tahoe Police Chief David Stevenson said. “Three and a half hours of being stuck on Highway 50. I’m so appreciative that our citizens listened to the warning and the order and evacuated the city. Their response was fantastic, and we appreciate them. I’m glad to know they are safe.”
A woman talks on her phone while stopped in heavy traffic on Hwy 50 as people evacuate ahead of the Caldor Fire on August 30, 2021 in South Lake Tahoe.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Mandatory evacuation orders were imposed late Monday morning ahead of a red flag warning for gusting winds that is expected to last until 11 p.m. Wednesday. With highways 50, 88 and 89 all closed below the Tahoe Basin, people are being funneled out of town toward the Nevada state line. Anyone wishing to head toward Sacramento or the Bay Area cannot do it directly via Highway 50; they must drive north to connect up with I-80 near Truckee.
“The traffic that occurred during the evacuation took our residents a long time to get out. But for us that was a good sign,” South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Clive Savacool said. “It meant that the citizens were listening to the evacuation orders.”
Evacuee Mel Smothers plays violin as he waits in a miles-long traffic jam on Hwy 50 as people evacuate ahead of the Caldor Fire on August 30, 2021 in South Lake Tahoe.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Justin Sullivan, a photojournalist for Getty Images, said the line of cars on Highway 50 hadn’t moved in over 45 minutes, while a photographer for the Press Democrat said he’d been stuck in gridlock for over 90 minutes. About 20,000 people live in South Lake Tahoe.
Traffic was backed up all the way down Lake Tahoe Boulevard up to Stateline, Nev. Earlier Monday, live cameras showed an occasional Cal Fire truck or ambulance headed in the mostly empty opposite direction; those lanes, though enticing for stand-still drivers, are needed for emergency traffic. Despite the conditions, Mercury News photographer Karl Mondon said people were generally remaining patient.
“Mountain folk are damn tough,” he wrote on Twitter. “Despite horrible gridlock in South Tahoe as people evacuate #CaldorFire, everybody keeping their cool. Have heard no honking or cursing. One driver really embraced it all blasting Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire.'”
A pedestrian crosses the street as traffic backs up on Hwy 50 as people evacuate ahead of the Caldor Fire on August 30, 2021 in South Lake Tahoe.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Live updates can be found via the Twitter accounts for Caltrans District 3 and the County of El Dorado. Evacuation centers are available at:
Douglas County Community Center (Update: As of 2:30 p.m. Monday this shelter is full.)
1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville, Nev.
Truckee Veterans Hall
10214 High St., Truckee, Calif.
Fuji Park
601 Old Clear Creek Road, Carson City, Nev.
Carson City Community Center
851 East William Street, Carson City, Nev.
If you are evacuating with an animal and have questions, you can call 530-621-5795.
Traffic backs up on Hwy 50 as people evacuate ahead of the Caldor Fire on August 30, 2021 in South Lake Tahoe.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
â Maps show how close Caldor Fire is burning to Lake Tahoe
â Live cameras show blaze nearing South Lake Tahoe in real time
â Caldor Fire enters Tahoe Basin as high winds carry flames
â Traffic nightmare as South Lake Tahoe hurries to evacuate
â ‘Thereâs no way these are going to survive’: Fire threatens Berkeley’s Echo Lake Camp
â Photos show large chunks of ash raining over South Lake Tahoe
For full wildfire coverage, visit our page here.
