Firefighters remove tree branches along Highway 50 near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, as the Caldor Fire approaches Lake Tahoe. A huge firefighting force gathered Tuesday to defend Lake Tahoe from the raging wildfire that forced the evacuation of California communities on the south end of the alpine resort and put others across the state line in Nevada on notice to be ready to flee. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)