California Fire Prompts Evacuations; Oregon Blaze Balloons

California Fire Prompts Evacuations; Oregon Blaze Balloons
The Tamarack Fire burns in the Markleeville community of Alpine County, Calif., on Saturday, July 17, 2021. AP Photo/Noah Berger
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SAN FRANCISCO—A rapidly growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe jumped a highway, prompting more evacuation orders and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada on Saturday as critically dangerous wildfire weather loomed in the coming days.

The Tamarack Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 4, exploded overnight and was over 32 square miles as of Saturday evening, according to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The blaze was threatening Markleeville, a small town close to the California-Nevada state line. It has destroyed at least three structures, authorities said and was burning toward the Alpine County Airport after jumping a highway.