Angora Fire Update: Weather warning issued for Wednesday

11 p.m.

A red flag warning has been posted beginning at 1-9 p.m. Wednesday. A fire weather watch has also been issued for Thursday afternoon and evening as a strong low-pressure system begins to settle off the West Coast. Winds will be 10-20 mph increasing Wednesday and are expected to increase Thursday and Friday. Gusts of 30-35 mph or stronger are expected Wednesday afternoon. Winds could decrease by Saturday.

A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are possible, and a red flag warning means critical fire weather conditions will occur.

A third American Red Cross evacuation shelter has been set up at Incline High School, 499 Village Blvd. and a hotline has been set up for residents to find out if they can return to their homes. Call (530)-621-5866. The other shelters are at Carson High School, 1111 N. Saliman Road and at the Lake Tahoe Recreation Center, phone: (530) 542-1556. Call the Red Cross at 856-1000.

Evacuations remain in effect for those living southwest of Highway 89. Those living to the northeast are under voluntary evacuations. Officials report that as many as 2,000 people may be affected.

9:50 p.m.

Some residents evacuated from the Tallac Village area of South Lake Tahoe may now return home after being evacuated Tuesday afternoon, a federal official announced this evening.

Fire crews were gaining the upper hand on the blaze as winds died down after gusty winds whipped a back-fire out of control Tuesday. Two firefighters were forced to seek refuge in emergency shelters as the wildfire headed toward the upscale residential neighborhood of the Tahoe Keys. The firefighters were uninjured.

Fire officials said they were optimistic about containing the fire tonight, but "concerned" about Wednesday, when forecast calls for gusty winds and prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning.

Highway 89 remains closed. Earlier, authorities had stopped all traffic from entering South Lake Tahoe.

8:30 p.m.: The U.S. Forest Service is reporting that the Angora fire now stands at 3,100 acres. Estimated containment date has been pushed back to Tuesday and at this time the fire is 44 percent contained.

There are 1,889 firefighters.

Angora fire evacuations include West Way, Gardner Street, 15th and Venice and Camp Richardson.

Highway 89 is closed from the Highway 50 junction to Emerald Bay.

6:50 p.m.

Highway 50 is being reopened in Stateline. The spot fires north of State Route 89 are under control, temperatures and winds have dropped and fire behavior is beign described as moderate, according to Rex Norman of the U.S. Forest Service.

6:45 p.m. Update: Public information officer: At least one home burns following Gardner Mountain flare-up

At least one home had burned in the Gardner Mountain area as a result of this afternoon's flare-up, Chuck Dixon, public information officer assigned to the Angora Fire, told the Tahoe Daily Tribune.

6:40 p.m. Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center may be taking evacuees from Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe.

Cheri Glockner, spokeswoman for Carson Tahoe, said the hospital can take "anything and everything.

"We've also offered to take their high-risk, ICU and new babies," she said.

Glockner who just traveled through South Lake Tahoe said it is very smoky in the basin and that she can see smoke over Mount Tallac.

Evacuations continue on Gardner Street in South Lake Tahoe.

The two evacuation centers include the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center and Carson High School. If you are trying to locate an evacuee, call the rec center at (530) 542-6056.

A meeting is set for 7 tonight at Lake Tahoe Community College, 1 College Drive.

6:10 p.m.

The Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross has been asked to set up a shelter at Carson High School, 1111 N. Saliman Road, said Caroline Punches of the Red Cross.

Volunteers are on the way to the high school. The shelter should be up and running by 7 p.m., she said.

Neither volunteers nor donations of clothing, food other items are needed at this time, however, monetary donations are needed. Donations are accepted at all Bank of America branches.

5:45 p.m.

Westbound Highway 50 has been opened at Stateline and Loop roads to local residents only. IDs will be checked.

Residents are being allowed in and are being advised to prepare to evacuate.

Hotel occupants will also be allowed in.

5:35 p.m.

Two U.S. Forest service firefighters are uninjured after surviving being burned over this afternoon fighting the Angora fire, said Chuck Dickson, lead information officer with Management Team I, stationed at Heavenly Valley.

Dickson said the two firefighters deployed their emergency shelters, but were able to walk out after the fire burned over. The two where checked out at the hospital and are unhurt.

The two firefighters were part of a group working to protect the Tallac Village development in South Lake Tahoe when the wind picked up and sent the backfire swooping down on them, Dickson said.

The spot fire has erupted at the fire will amount to several hundred acres, Dickson said in a television interview.

He said today's turning point came when winds picked up this afternoon.

"I was looking at the weather forecast that called for light winds," he said. "Then an hour later the winds came up. It's tricky to predict those winds."

Dickson said the El Dorado Sheriff's department said the evacuation is going well. He said as many as 500 homes, 2,000 residents are affected by the most recent evacuations.

He said he is unsure if the reports of a structure fire near South Tahoe High School is related to the Angora fire or if it was a typical structure fire.

5 p.m.

Highway 50 has been closed to all traffic at the Loop Road and Stateline east of the casinos cooridor.

Highway 50 in Stateline is gridlocked. Deputies, transportation workers and highway patrol troopers are turning traffic around. Motorists are advised to stay away from the South Lake Tahoe area all together.

Mandatory evacuations continue, Camp Richardson evacuated.

Mandatory evacuations continue for Gardner Mountain area, West Way, Lukins Way and Venice Drive and have been "strongly suggested" for surrounding areas.

4:40 p.m.

Scanner reports are that Highway 50 is being closed at Stateline to all but South Lake Tahoe residents.

Nonresidents are being advised to avoid the Lake Tahoe area if at all possible.

Mandatory evacuations continue for the Gardner Mountain area and voluntary evacuations are called for in the Tahoe Keys.

4:30 p.m.

The Angora fire is now burning on both sides of State Route 89. Officials are calling this a spot fire, meaning it was started by ash and burning embers.

Voluntary evacuations are being called for residents living north of SR89, and west of 13th Street.

Voluntary evacuations have been called for at Camp Richardson. Highway 89 has been closed.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents along West Way, Lukins Way and Venice Drive and have been "strongly suggested" for surrounding areas.

The Angora fire has jumped Highway 89 at West Way. Traffic on roads into the Tahoe Keys is clogged likely by people trying to grab possessions. Vehicle traffic is blocked at the "Y."

Reportedly, no structures have been damaged. Evacuees were gathering at 15 Avenue and Highway 89 but are being told to leave the area, likely to the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center on Rufus Allen Boulevard. There is no report of acreage burned.

Winds that were at 10 mph this morning are now at 20 mph at the top of Slide Mountain with gusts of 30 to 35 mph reported.