Caldor Fire threatens Lake Tahoe, shrouds area in toxic smoke

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A large part of Cal Fire's offensive in battling the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County is focused on the eastern side, where Lake Tahoe is most threatened. 

Firefighters have been working to keep the flames out of that area at all costs. On Tuesday evening Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service held a joint meeting where they discussed issues facing the communities of Meyers and Lake Tahoe Basin, which is covered in a thick, yellow blanket of smoke and ash is raining down. 

Tourists ducked into cafes, outdoor gear shops and casinos on Lake Tahoe Boulevard to escape the hazardous air. Visitors wore masks outdoors because of the toxic air and inescapable stench of campfire.

Several Lake Tahoe resorts are closed due to the threat from wildfires. 

But the direction the fire is heading in is causing some rattled nerves for residents. 

"Evacuation warnings aren't in the Tahoe Basin area yet. They're not in South Lake Tahoe, so we don't want anyone to panic," said Clive Savacool, South Lake Tahoe's fire chief. 

But a heightened sense of awareness is advised, because the Caldor Fire is close. 

By Tuesday evening the fire had burned 122,980 acres in 10 days and was 11% contained. The fire has destroyed 461 residences and is threatening more than 17,000 structures. 

The flames crossed Highway 50 over the weekend, but an army of firefighters is working continuously to keep the flames back. City officials are ready to declare evacuation orders at any moment because access is limited in and out of South Lake Tahoe. 

"Our emergency evacuation plan, should we have to implement that, which is not the case at this moment, takes a look at where the emergency is and then would direct our population that needs to leave South Shore, in the right direction," said Joe Irvin, South Lake Tahoe's city manager. 

Across state lines, Nevada's Washoe County school district had to close all public schools to its 67,000 students due to the smoke. 

The fire has broken an air pollution record for South Lake Tahoe, exceeding the air quality index's scale. 

South Lake Tahoe resident Kevin Cooper struggled to not cough during an interview with KTVU, explaining that there was a lot of ash in the air. He's been taking proactive measures to protect his property from flames, including raking flammable pine needles. 

"If it does get into Echo Summit, there is a good chance that we will see embers falling in this area," Cooper said. 

Associated Press contributed to this report.