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Bear Fire near Tahoe sends hundreds to flee from their homes

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Published  September 3, 2024 11:24am PDT
Wildfires
KTVU FOX 2
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The Bear Fire in Sierra County has spread to almost 1,400 acres as of Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.  (U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest )

The Brief

    • The Bear Fire broke out on Monday in the Tahoe National Forest in Sierra County.
    • As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had charred 1,578 acres.
    • More than 500 residences were under a mandatory evacuation order.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A wildfire in Tahoe National Forest in Sierra County has exploded to almost 1,600 acres as of Tuesday afternoon and prompted hundreds of evacuations in the area.

The U.S. Forest Service said almost 300 structures and more than 500 residences were under a mandatory evacuation order. The fire has left 760 homes without power.

SEE ALSO: Man testing fireworks charged with arson in Butte County's Thompson Fire

The Bear Fire broke out on Monday afternoon, off Bear Valley Road, south of the community of Sierra Brooks in Sierra County. Fire officials said crews faced challenging conditions. 

"Significant air and ground fire resources were immediately deployed to the fire. Due to dry and windy conditions, fire behavior has exhibited rapid rate of spread," forestry officials said. 

They said that cooler temperatures and decreased winds overnight helped moderate fire activity.

But by the afternoon, temperatures were rising again, and strong winds were picking up, intensifying the situation.     

Officials said that crews continued "working tirelessly" to draw fire containment lines and focus on protecting structures. 

"In addition to full suppression efforts, significant structure defense resources are working to triage and defend structures in and around Sierra Brooks. Primary and contingency lines will be constructed as necessary in order to protect the community," the Forest Service said. 

Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for Sierra Books. Emergency officials expanded evacuation warnings to include more areas on Tuesday. 

The Forestry Service advised residents to get detailed evacuation notifications here. 

Residents can also find what zones they're in through this site.  

At this point, the cause of the fire remained under investigation, according to forestry officials.  

Containment of the fire was at 0% as of Tuesday evening. 

View of the Bear Fire from incident command post on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2024. (U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest )

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The Bear Fire broke out Monday afternoon in Tahoe National Forest in Sierra County.  (U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest )

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The Source

  • Updates and information were provided by the U.S. Forest Service-Tahoe National Forest and Cal Fire. 

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.