A red flag warning has been issued by the National Weather Service starting at 1 p.m. today and lasting through 9 p.m. tonight. A strong low pressure system is expected to sit off the coast and bring gusty winds of up to 35 mph into Western Nevada. Those winds will become more widespread and slightly stronger Thursday and Friday, which is very bad news for the people of South Lake Tahoe struggling with the Angora fire.
The Angora fire claimed another 1,000 acres to grow to 3,100 by late Tuesday night. The California Division of Forestry is reporting about 200 homes and 75 commercial structures have been destroyed with another 500 homes threatened. Highway 89 is closed from the junction with 50 to Emerald Bay.
Smoke from the fire was creeping over into Carson Valley on Tuesday and pooled on the west side. But that's nothing compared with the Tahoe Basin itself, which looked like a bad day in L.A. on Monday. Still conditions this morning will trap much of the smoke in the basin and then when the winds come up, the plume will come over the Carson Range.
Lots of folks are gathering donations for fire victims including The Record-Courier, Carson Valley Christian Center, Douglas County Parks & Recreation, the Greater Genoa Business Association, Miss Douglas County and Tahoe-Douglas Rotary. We'll repost a combined list in an hour or so of places to donate. Valley boutiques are donating new items as well.
