Caldor Fire in California threatens Tahoe basin

Los Angeles, Aug 31 : The Caldor Fire raging Northern California has scorched 177,260 acres of land, with containment dropping from 19 per cent to 14 per cent due to the out-of-control growth, the fire officials said.

The blaze has destroyed 472 buildings in El Dorado County and threatened more than 20,000 more as it headed east toward the Tahoe Basin, where the popular tourist resorts is located, reports Xinhua news agency.

The fire burned 10,000 acres overnight as it drew closer to Lake Tahoe.

Three firefighters and two civilians have suffered injuries since the fire started 16 days ago, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

Nearly all residents of the city of South Lake Tahoe were ordered to evacuate on Monday morning due to the raging wildfire.

The city authority said on its official Facebook page that the evacuation "will be done systematically by neighbourhood", urging residents to "stay calm, gather your go bags and important items, and execute your evacuation plan".

Evacuation from South Lake Tahoe should be done eastbound on Highway 50 toward Nevada, California's firefighting and sheriff's officials said, since the main routes liking the city to other parts of the state had been cut by the wildfire which had been creeping toward the lake for more than two weeks since August 14.

Barton Memorial Hospital, the biggest hospital in South Lake Tahoe, evacuated its patients on Sunday night and would transfer its emergency services to the Lake Tahoe Surgery Center in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, on Monday.

Fire risk early this week was dire, the National Weather Service predicted, warning gusty winds which could reach up to about 25 mph (40.2 kph) were expected to sweep into the Tahoe area.