Remote workers from San Francisco flocked to Lake Tahoe during the pandemic. Now, thousands of people are being forced to evacuate as the Caldor fire bears down on the serene Northern California enclave.

Avery HartmansAug 31, 2021, 23:54 IST

A chairlift at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort sits idle as the Caldor fire moves through the area.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate parts of Lake Tahoe amid the spread of the Caldor fire.
Lake Tahoe saw an influx of residents amid the pandemic as remote workers fled the Bay Area.
The region is also an enclave for tech billionaires like Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg.

As the Caldor fire continues its relentless spread through Northern California, it's bearing down on one of the region's most serene - and exclusive - enclaves: Lake Tahoe.

On Monday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection issued an evacuation order for all of South Lake Tahoe, an area that borders the Nevada state line and is in the path of the encroaching fire, which ignited on August 14 near Little Mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to KCRA in Sacramento.

The fire has since burned more than 191,000 acres, and Cal Fire said on Tuesday that the fire is 16% contained, a decrease from 19% on Sunday, according to KCRA. Firefighters say that the blaze could take another two weeks to contain.

Smoke from the blaze began impacting the region's residents last week, many of whom had begun decamping for San Francisco or Southern California, The New York Times reported last week.

Lake Tahoe has long been a vacation destination for residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, but in recent years, tech billionaires have began putting down roots along the shores of the lake. During the pandemic, Bay Area residents followed suit, snapping up real estate on the lake and its surrounding towns.

Now, they may be in the direct path of a wildfire.

Here's how Lake Tahoe became an oasis for wealthy residents, particularly amid the pandemic, before becoming the latest region threatened by the effects of climate change.

Lake Tahoe was a popular vacation destination as far back as the late 1800s, but tourism began booming in the middle of the 20th century due to a combination of factors, including the construction of casinos on the Nevada side of the lake and the 1960 Winter Olympics at nearby Squaw Valley.

Figure skating practice in the rink at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Lake Tahoe was a popular vacation destination as far back as the late 1800s, but tourism began booming in the middle of the 20th century due to a combination of factors, including the construction of casinos on the Nevada side of the lake and the 1960 Winter Olympics at nearby Squaw Valley.

In the 1950s and '60s, Lake Tahoe drew the likes of John F. Kennedy, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as Frank Sinatra, who owned the Cal-Neva Hotel and Casino. The region has continued to draw a mix of musicians over the years, including Cher, Gene Simmons, and Mike Love, and actors like Jeremy Renner.

Bathers by a pool at the Tahoe Tavern on the shore of Lake Tahoe in 1959. Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In the 1950s and '60s, Lake Tahoe drew the likes of John F. Kennedy, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as Frank Sinatra, who owned the Cal-Neva Hotel and Casino. The region has continued to draw a mix of musicians over the years, including Cher, Gene Simmons, and Mike Love, and actors like Jeremy Renner.

In recent years, as Silicon Valley has minted a new generation of multi-millionaires and billionaires, those ultra-wealthy techies have flocked to Lake Tahoe as well.

An aerial view of Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe near Incline Village, Nevada. James Glover II/Reuters

In 2018, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison purchased the Cal Neva Lodge - the resort previously owned by Frank Sinatra - for $36 million. Ellison plans to turn it into a Nobu hotel and restaurant, but the project has been put on hold during the pandemic.

Guests at a swimming pool at the Cal Neva Lodge on the shore of Lake Tahoe in 1959. Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 2018, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison purchased the Cal Neva Lodge - the resort previously owned by Frank Sinatra - for $36 million. Ellison plans to turn it into a Nobu hotel and restaurant, but the project has been put on hold during the pandemic.

Ellison also owns several additional multimillion-dollar properties in Tahoe, including a 7.6-acre compound in the wealthy area of Incline Village, Nevada. The compound, which was compiled in three separate deals, has 420 feet of lakefront, two piers, and a private beach. There's also a pool and spa and several separate dwellings, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Incline Village, Nevada, offers views of Lake Tahoe, pictured above. George Rose/Getty Images

Ellison also owns several additional multimillion-dollar properties in Tahoe, including a 7.6-acre compound in the wealthy area of Incline Village, Nevada. The compound, which was compiled in three separate deals, has 420 feet of lakefront, two piers, and a private beach. There's also a pool and spa and several separate dwellings, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought two adjacent properties near Tahoe City for a total of $59 million. The combination of the two properties provided Zuckerberg with 600 feet of private waterfront on the lake.

A view of lakefront properties and piers on Lake Tahoe. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought two adjacent properties near Tahoe City for a total of $59 million. The combination of the two properties provided Zuckerberg with 600 feet of private waterfront on the lake.

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom owns a home on Lake Tahoe's north shore. The lakefront property has vaulted ceilings in the living room and a secret pub, and mid-century-inspired luxury interiors.

The clear waters of Lake Tahoe. Scott Sonner/AP

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom owns a home on Lake Tahoe's north shore. The lakefront property has vaulted ceilings in the living room and a secret pub, and mid-century-inspired luxury interiors.

But it's not just tech CEOs who have descended on Lake Tahoe. As the pandemic hit the Bay Area in the spring of 2020, many local residents fled to the vacation town.

Gondolas at Heavenly Mountain Resort near Lake Tahoe. George Rose/Getty Images

Local school enrollment boomed last year. Lake Tahoe School, a private school for kids in pre-K through eighth grade, hit its maximum enrollment in 2020, and its sister schools in nearby Truckee and Reno, Nevada, saw 10% to 20% jumps in enrollment, Insider reported.

A group of boys tumble as they sled down a hill on the Mount Rose summit near Incline Village, Nevada. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Local school enrollment boomed last year. Lake Tahoe School, a private school for kids in pre-K through eighth grade, hit its maximum enrollment in 2020, and its sister schools in nearby Truckee and Reno, Nevada, saw 10% to 20% jumps in enrollment, Insider reported.

One local realtor told Outside Magazine that the Tahoe-area real estate boom was "absolutely bananas" in 2020. Clients converged from Los Angeles and the Bay Area as their companies shifted to remote work. Buyers snapped up homes, sight unseen, and some made unsolicited offers to local homeowners.

Skiers and snowboarders at Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe. George Rose/Getty Images

One local realtor told Outside Magazine that the Tahoe-area real estate boom was "absolutely bananas" in 2020. Clients converged from Los Angeles and the Bay Area as their companies shifted to remote work. Buyers snapped up homes, sight unseen, and some made unsolicited offers to local homeowners.

Truckee, California, a town just north of Lake Tahoe, saw an 88% jump in home sales from December 2019 to December 2019, according to Outside, citing Zillow data.

A man clears snow from his driveway after a heavy winter storm near Lake Tahoe. Bob Strong/Reuters

In Incline Village, the median home price reached $2.175 million, about 2.5 times higher than the year prior, according to SF Gate.

A snowplow clears the Mount Rose Highway near Incline Village, Nevada. Bob Strong/Reuters

Overall, more than 2,350 homes were sold in the Tahoe region in 2020, totaling $3.28 billion in sales - a jump from $1.76 billion the year prior, according to Outside, citing data from local realtor Sierra Sotheby's.

Highway 89 passes through the Hope Valley on its way north to Lake Tahoe and Truckee. George Rose/Getty Images

Overall, more than 2,350 homes were sold in the Tahoe region in 2020, totaling $3.28 billion in sales - a jump from $1.76 billion the year prior, according to Outside, citing data from local realtor Sierra Sotheby's.

The influx of Bay Area residents was particularly high in Truckee, which saw a 1,082% increase in residents migrating from San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, citing United States Postal Service data. Many of the new Tahoe-area residents worked for tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple.

A kite-boarder takes advantage of high winds to surf waves on Lake Tahoe. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

The influx of Bay Area residents was particularly high in Truckee, which saw a 1,082% increase in residents migrating from San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, citing United States Postal Service data. Many of the new Tahoe-area residents worked for tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple.

But now, as the fires descend on Tahoe, many of those new residents are fleeing once again, The New York Times reported. Smoke from the Caldor fire began overwhelming the region last week, shrouding the lake in a dense haze that sent the air quality past hazardous levels.

Boats are surrounded by smoke at South Lake Tahoe as the Caldor Fire blazes nearby. Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

But now, as the fires descend on Tahoe, many of those new residents are fleeing once again, The New York Times reported. Smoke from the Caldor fire began overwhelming the region last week, shrouding the lake in a dense haze that sent the air quality past hazardous levels.

"This is what climate change looks like," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Nature Conservancy, told The Times. "It's overlapping crises. People try to escape one crisis and stumble into another one."

Smoke and ash fill the air in South Lake Tahoe. Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

"This is what climate change looks like," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Nature Conservancy, told The Times. "It's overlapping crises. People try to escape one crisis and stumble into another one."

On Monday, thousands of residents on southern and western shores of the lake were ordered to evacuate as the fire burned a few miles from South Lake Tahoe, leading to standstill traffic on local highways. Officials said more than 20,000 structures are at risk as the fire bears down on the region, according to The Times.

Flames rip across a hillside behind a barn as the Caldor fire pushes into South Lake Tahoe. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

On Monday, thousands of residents on southern and western shores of the lake were ordered to evacuate as the fire burned a few miles from South Lake Tahoe, leading to standstill traffic on local highways. Officials said more than 20,000 structures are at risk as the fire bears down on the region, according to The Times.

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Remote workers from San Francisco flocked to Lake Tahoe during the pandemic. Now, thousands of people are being forced to evacuate as the Caldor fire bears down on the serene Northern California enclave.

Lake Tahoe was a popular vacation destination as far back as the late 1800s, but tourism began booming in the middle of the 20th century due to a combination of factors, including the construction of casinos on the Nevada side of the lake and the 1960 Winter Olympics at nearby Squaw Valley.

In recent years, as Silicon Valley has minted a new generation of multi-millionaires and billionaires, those ultra-wealthy techies have flocked to Lake Tahoe as well.

In 2018, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison purchased the Cal Neva Lodge - the resort previously owned by Frank Sinatra - for $36 million. Ellison plans to turn it into a Nobu hotel and restaurant, but the project has been put on hold during the pandemic.

In 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bought two adjacent properties near Tahoe City for a total of $59 million. The combination of the two properties provided Zuckerberg with 600 feet of private waterfront on the lake.

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom owns a home on Lake Tahoe's north shore. The lakefront property has vaulted ceilings in the living room and a secret pub, and mid-century-inspired luxury interiors.

But it's not just tech CEOs who have descended on Lake Tahoe. As the pandemic hit the Bay Area in the spring of 2020, many local residents fled to the vacation town.

Local school enrollment boomed last year. Lake Tahoe School, a private school for kids in pre-K through eighth grade, hit its maximum enrollment in 2020, and its sister schools in nearby Truckee and Reno, Nevada, saw 10% to 20% jumps in enrollment, Insider reported.

One local realtor told Outside Magazine that the Tahoe-area real estate boom was "absolutely bananas" in 2020. Clients converged from Los Angeles and the Bay Area as their companies shifted to remote work. Buyers snapped up homes, sight unseen, and some made unsolicited offers to local homeowners.

Truckee, California, a town just north of Lake Tahoe, saw an 88% jump in home sales from December 2019 to December 2019, according to Outside, citing Zillow data.

In Incline Village, the median home price reached $2.175 million, about 2.5 times higher than the year prior, according to SF Gate.

Overall, more than 2,350 homes were sold in the Tahoe region in 2020, totaling $3.28 billion in sales - a jump from $1.76 billion the year prior, according to Outside, citing data from local realtor Sierra Sotheby's.

But now, as the fires descend on Tahoe, many of those new residents are fleeing once again, The New York Times reported. Smoke from the Caldor fire began overwhelming the region last week, shrouding the lake in a dense haze that sent the air quality past hazardous levels.

"This is what climate change looks like," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Nature Conservancy, told The Times. "It's overlapping crises. People try to escape one crisis and stumble into another one."