A firefighting helicopter prepares to drop water on a hot spot above Highway 88 on the hill northeast of Caples Lake on Thursday morning. Highway 88 reopened to travelers at 4 p.m. Thursday. Motorists are asked to watch for firefighters who are still working to extinguish the Caldor Fire.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
Highway 88 reopened at 4 p.m. Thursday after being closed due to the Caldor Fire after more than two weeks.
Fire officials said they expected the Highway through the Sierra from Kirkwood to Jackson to open at some point today.
As of 7 a.m. Thursday, the Caldor Fire is 71 percent contained at 219,267 acres. The number of firefighters working on the blaze has decreased to fewer than 2,948.
During the morning update, Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Brian Mackwood said crews are still clearing large timber along the route between Carson Valley and Jackson, Calif.
“We have a bunch of crews working in that general area trying to get the larger timber off the highway,” he said.
Highway 88 has been closed since the fire threatened Kirkwood late last month.
He said that Highway 50’s reopening will likely be extended and that officials want to reopen 88 to provide access to Lake Tahoe.
“There’s going to be a lot of fire engines working in there, so keep your speeds down in that corridor,” he said.
Lake Tahoe beaches and other shoreline amenities on U.S. Forest Service land reopened effective Wednesday night, though the back country and Eldorado National Forest remain closed.
The Nevada Division of State Parks plans to open Cave Rock 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The trails and back country at Spooner Lake will also reopen, though the main entrance, parking lot and picnic area will remain closed for the construction project there.
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