Caldor Fire
The Caldor Fire was a large wildfire that burned 221,835 acres (89,773 hectares) in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador, and Alpine County, California, in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported on Saturday, August 14, 2021, and was fully contained on Thursday, October 21, 2021. The Caldor Fire destroyed 1,003 structures and damaged 81 more, primarily in the US Highway 50 corridor and in the community of Grizzly Flats, 2/3 of which was destroyed by the fire.
| Caldor Fire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | Northern California |
| Coordinates | 38.584°N 120.534°W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $1.2 billion (2021 USD) |
| Date(s) |
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| Burned area | 221,835 acres 347 square miles; 898 square kilometres; 89,773 hectares |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Buildings destroyed | 1,003 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 21 |
| Evacuated | >53,000 |
| Map | |
The Caldor Fire's footprint spanned the Sierra Nevada, largely between Highways 50 and 88 | |
The general location of the fire in Northern California | |
On August 30, it became the second fire known to cross the Sierra Nevada mountain range, following the Dixie Fire, which crossed a few days earlier on August 18. It then threatened the communities of Meyers and South Lake Tahoe, causing evacuations to be ordered for more than 20,000 people before the fire's progress was halted. The Caldor Fire was the third-largest and second-most-destructive of the 2021 season in California, and the 15th-largest and 16th-most destructive in recorded California history.
The U.S. Forest Service determined that the fire was caused by a bullet. A father and son who had called 911 to report the fire were accused of starting it by reckless use of firearms. In January 2024, a judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to try them.