The Caldor Fire first broke out Aug. 14 in El Dorado County south of Pollock Pines. CapRadio reporters were on the scene as the fire exploded in size two days later and thousands were forced to evacuate, and the fire has now burned more than 120,000 acres.
The town of Grizzly Flats was ravaged by the fire, and nearly 500 buildings have already been confirmed as destroyed in total by the fire. Further north, Mormon-Emigrant Trail was burned in parts and nearby Jenkinson Lake was a source of water for firefighting helicopters.
Here is a collection of images shot over three days by CapRadio’s Visual Journalist Andrew Nixon.
Helicopters draw water from Jenkinson Lake to drop on the Caldor Fire Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
A truck has pink fire retardant used in air drops covering it at the Caldor Fire on Monday Aug. 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
A home west of Grizzly Flats is covered in pink fire retardant Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Firefighters watch over a burn operation as it winds down west of Grizzly Flats Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
A burned sign greets travelers in Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Walter Tyler Elementary in Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Walter Tyler Elementary in Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Fire crews manage a back fire in Sly Park, Calif., fighting the Caldor Fire on Monday, Aug, 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Heidi Waterman of Fort Collins Colorado's Roosevelt Hotshots lights a back fire with a drip torch in Sly Park, Calif., fighting the Caldor Fire on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Fire crews manage a back fire in Sly Park, Calif., fighting the Caldor Fire on Monday, Aug, 23, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Grizzly Flats, Calif. Tuesday, August 17, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioCapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.