A wildfire that was reported above Cascade Lake on the South Shore late Wednesday afternoon continued to burn into Thursday, consuming about 35 acres as of 7 a.m. Thursday morning.
The blaze, now being called the Cascade Fire, grew since Wednesday evening, when it was reported to be about 0.25-to-0.5 acres, according to a U.S. Forest Service press release.
Firefighters have been combating the flames with a helicopter-repelling crew to fight the fire using hand tools, chainsaws and pumps capable of pumping water out of nearby water sources. They are also performing helicopter bucket drops over the blaze.
The fire was reported to be burning in the Snow Lake area of the Desolation Wilderness near Emerald Bay. It is not believed to be related to the King Fire currently burning west of Lake Tahoe.
No threat to structures has been reported.
The Forest Service has closed Bayview, Eagle Falls, Tallac, Glen Alpine and Stanford Camp trailheads, as well as Bayview Campground, to ensure public safety and to allow for suppression operations.
Forest Service, CAL FIRE and other agency resources responded. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but has been determined to be human-caused.
The Forest Service asked that people traveling through the area refrain from pulling over to view the firefighting operations. Highway 89 is very narrow at that point and lacks sufficient shoulders, so pulling over can create a safety hazard and may hamper fire response.
With the King Fire still burning, the Forest Service is asking people to remember that fire restrictions are still in place in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Fire restrictions mean that no open fires or campfires are allowed outside of campgrounds with an outside host. Campfires are never allowed in the Desolation Wilderness, only portable stoves are allowed with a valid campfire permit.
