Calif. Officials Close To Containing Fire On Lake Tahoe That Destroyed 5 Homes

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (AP) _ Firefighters worked Sunday to contain a 15-acre blaze on Lake Tahoe's west shore that destroyed five homes and forced evacuations of some residents and tourists, officials

Sunday, August 19th 2007, 2:21 pm

By: News On 6

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (AP) _ Firefighters worked Sunday to contain a 15-acre blaze on Lake Tahoe's west shore that destroyed five homes and forced evacuations of some residents and tourists, officials said.

No injuries were reported.

Meanwhile, authorities strongly advised residents in about 30 rural Ventura County homes to evacuate as a stubborn wildfire inched east toward Highway 33 Sunday.

The fire that began on July 4 had burned 183,408 acres of wilderness, or more than 286 square miles by early Sunday.

The wind-whipped Tahoe fire began near the resort community of Sunnyside just south of Tahoe City, but never grew larger than 15 acres.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Barbara Rebiskie said the fire started at one home and quickly spread to four others. The fire slowed Saturday evening, allowing most of the people who were evacuated to return.

The house where the fire started was fully engulfed when crews arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. Flames were being fanned by wind gusts of up to 30 mph.

Ventura County, state and U.S. authorities planned a community meeting Sunday to brief residents about anticipated fire activity and possible evacuations.