The Caldor Fire in El Dorado County has already burned more than 125,000 acres. CAL FIRE is calling it the “number one priority in the nation” for firefighters.
“We've had the worst air quality in the nation when generally we have the most pure mountain air here,” says Mike Peron, who’s been overseeing Caldor Fire coverage for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and the Sierra Sun. “And it is putting a lot of people in panic, even though we get these messages from CAL FIRE, from Eldorado County representatives, from our local city officials that are all working in tandem. And it's tough to keep people calm right now.”