Massive wildfire grew closer to iconic Lake Tahoe Thursday, spurring the first evacuation warnings to those inside the Tahoe basin. The Caldor Fire has grown to more than 213 square miles on a trek that also destroyed the small town of Grizzly Flats. It was 12% contained Thursday morning and its growth toward Lake Tahoe, the popular vacation spot featuring picturesque beaches, emerald-blue waters, rocky shorelines and stunning landscapes in the Sierra Nevada, made the blaze the No. 1 priority nationally for firefighting resources.

Assigned resources have grown to nearly 2,900 firefighters, 21 helicopters, 245 engines and dozens of bulldozers since the early days of the fire, which began Aug. 14,  The edge of the Caldor Fire was less than 15 miles southwest of the lake, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES satellite published by Google. Fire officials issued new evacuations Thursday that included the Lake Tahoe basin. Christmas Valley, which sits beneath the steep summit in the basin, was given an evacuation warning while those in the nearby Twin Bridges and Echo Summit areas, a little more than 10 miles south of Lake Tahoe, were told to leave immediately. 

Ongoing damage assessments have counted 637 homes, businesses and other structures destroyed so far. Another 17,000 structures were still in danger. The normally stunning views of the freshwater lake were replaced by a thick, suffocating yellow haze and ash that pelted visitors.  Ramona Trejo said she and her husband came to Tahoe to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They escaped the unhealthy air to play the slots inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. 

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