Lake Tahoe House Fire Engulfs 5 Structures

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (AP) — A house fire sparked a blaze Saturday on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, destroying at least two other homes and forcing evacuations, authorities said.

The wind-whipped, 25-acre blaze began near the resort community of Sunnyside just south of Tahoe City, Placer County sheriff’s deputies said. No injuries were reported.

The initial house was fully engulfed when crews arrived, and the fire spread to nearby structures, causing the evacuation of an unknown number of homes and businesses, deputies said.

In all, five structures have been destroyed, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Barbara Rebiskie said. Firefighters expect to have the fire contained at just 35 acres, she said.

Meanwhile, a resort featuring a century-old hunting lodge built by Buffalo Bill Cody just outside Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming reopened as a second day of rain dampened a wildfire smoldering nearby.

Jack McDonald, weekend manager at the Pahaska Tepee Resort, said the lodge reopened Friday night and had a few guests Saturday.

Rain on Friday and Saturday stalled the blaze and the park on Friday reopened its east gate, which had been closed for several days. However, the rain caused a mud slide 40 feet wide and 5 feet deep that closed the highway leading to the gate.

The fire has burned close to 30 square miles in the park and in neighboring Shoshone National Forest.

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