Thursday, 23 August 2007 00:19
Fire at Donner Lake
Authorities reopened westbound Interstate 80 at Donner Lake late yesterday afternoon. The 170-acre fire closed westbound lanes of Hwy 80 for three hours Wednesday afternoon. Lanes reopened just before 5 p.m. Firefighters were able to keep the blaze a mile or so from about 10 to 20 homes located above the flames. CAL FIRE's spokeperson Joann Cartoceli says there have been no evacuations. Pictures show white smoke roiling above the Sierra Nevada ridgeline. The smoke is blowing away from I-80 and up the mountain. CAL FIRE representatives say the wind was not making things easy for crews. CAL FIRE is reporting that a tree feller cut a tree that hit a power line, sparking the fire. CAL FIRE had the blaze contained by 10 p.m.