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Dear friends,
 
Yesterday afternoon, City of South Lake Tahoe residents were notified that they could return to their homes.
 
With several days of better weather, firefighters made big gains on the fire’s eastern flank, allowing incident commanders to downgrade the south shore’s mandatory evacuation order to a warning. For those who have been away from their homes for nearly a week including most of our team at the League the news was a wonderful gift to get on the eve of this Labor Day holiday.
 
As of this morning, the Caldor Fire has burned 216,000 acres and is 44% contained, marking significant progress in firefighting over the past few days. Again, we send our deepest appreciation to the thousands of people protecting our Sierra Nevada communities.
 
Firefighters are quick to mention that we’re not out of the woods just yet. As people return to their homes, it’s crucial they maintain enough food, medicine and supplies to be self-sufficient for three to five days while businesses and medical providers get back up and running. And of course, everyone must stay prepared in case a flare up changes evacuation warnings back to evacuation orders. Here is helpful guidance if you’re returning to your home.
 
Please continue to stay informed with the latest fire information, and consider supporting the ongoing fire relief efforts with a donation.
The Caldor Fire is a wake-up call: climate change is real, it’s here, and without a concerted effort, the Lake Tahoe community and environment we know and love could change forever. The League is ready to tackle this latest challenge to Keep Tahoe Blue, first by supporting rapid response science to learn from this tragedy.

Extreme wildfires are going to be part of our lives in this changing climate, so we must prepare. The study of smoke generated from 2021 fires presents a unique opportunity to understand how major disturbances outside of the Tahoe Basin influence short and long-term water quality dynamics in Lake Tahoe. Understanding these effects will guide our advocacy as we pound the pavement in Sacramento, Carson City and Washington D.C. We will work to secure funding and urge coordinated, regional action so crucial, large-scale forest management and restoration work gets on the ground without delay. 

Wildfire doesn’t care about political boundaries. To preserve Lake Tahoe for future generations, we can’t let those boundaries stop us either.
 
Together we will heal. Together, we will Keep Tahoe Blue.
 
Stay vigilant and stay safe everyone.
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League to Save Lake Tahoe | 530.541.5388 | keeptahoeblue.org