Update on the King Fire

Last night I attended the two community meetings at Truckee Town Council and then in Olympic Valley. There was an amazing turn out at Olympic Village Lodge last night to hear the latest about the King Fire. The King Fire is the #1 fire in the nation right now, as it relates to size and priority. As of today, it has grown to 92,960 acres and there are more than 7,600 fire fighters from all around the country, including Alaska.

Listening from northern Lake Tahoe, our focus was on the northern part of the fire, but the communities just south and east of us in El Dorado County and western Placer County have been hit the hardest. To date, other than smoke and poor air quality, our region and community have been relatively safe.

After hearing from the leadership across so many coordinating agencies, it gave me a new sense of peace and hope that this fire will be tamed. We learned of the front-line fighters working to contain the perimeter, who are working hard every minute. We also heard from fire strategists and fire scientists who are working to predict the fire through complex data analysis systems involving local authorities’ understanding of terrain and up to the minute weather forecasts. We also heard from the Placer County Sheriff’s Department about the information and timing that goes into voluntary and mandatory evacuations. They shared how the public would be notified, and the types of instructions associated with the decision, including road closures, evacuation routes, shelter locations, and the “re-population process.” Finally, the Health Department provided excellent information about our air quality, who is at risk, and how to cope.

The next several days are big days for the many people working on containment. Let’s hope they make good progress! In the meantime, we have updated our website to provide a list of resources to obtain the latest information. In addition, we are directing donations for relief and recovery to the Red Cross or our sister communities at the El Dorado Community Foundation or Placer Community Foundation.

Posted by Stacy Caldwell, TTCF CEO.