Angora Fire, 12:30 p.m.: Weather aiding firefighters

Dan Thrift/Tahoe Daily Tribune

Dan Thrift/Tahoe Daily Tribune

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Reduced winds, higher humidity is aiding firefighters battling the Angora fire.

But entire streets have been burned to the ground.

Fire officials confirmed this morning that 220 homes have been destroyed by the Angora fire near South Lake Tahoe.

Cool overnight temperatures and little if any wind helped keep the Angora fire from rapidly spreading as it did Sunday, but has brought a blanket of thick smoke to the area that hampered efforts to get an air attack off the ground.

Air attacks on the fire have not yet begun due to heavy smoke. But there will be at least eight to 10 helicopters on the fire today and and several air tankers. There are 750 firefighters now on the fire, with another 400 firefighters on the way.

The U.S. Forest Service has the fire at 2,400 to 2,500 acres and has destroyed 220 structures in the North Upper Truckee area. The structures include homes, garages and outbuildings.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office have the latest damage estimate to be at least 220 structures, spokesman Kevin House told CNN this morning.

A state of emergency was issued for El Dorado County on Sunday and continues today. Hundreds more homes are threatened early this morning as South Lake Tahoe's worst fire in half a century sent hundreds of people fleeing for safety.

http://video.ap.org/vws/search/aspx/ap.aspx?t=m318&p=ENAPus_ENAPus&f=NVCAP&g=0625dvs_ca_evacuations

All those who own or rent homes in the evacuated areas are asked to immediately go to the theater of Lake Tahoe Community College so that properties in the burn areas can be assessed.

A list of homes either standing or destroyed is currently being compiled by state and county officials. If your home was in the evacuated area and you are out of town please call (530) 541-4660, extension 336. An El Dorado County Sheriff deputy is developing a list of which homes are either standing or destroyed.

Evacuated residents are encouraged to go straight to LTCC to report on their possible losses.

"There are some homes and entire streets of homes that have burned down, even down to the mail boxes," said El Dorado County District 5 Supervisor Norma Santiago. "Many of these areas are hard to identify and that's why we need everyone who lived in the evaucated areas to come to the college."

There are around 200 address already on the list and growing, Santiago said.

"Some of the areas are entire streets of homes that are lost," she said.

Roads remain closed at Highway 50 for eastbound traffic at Sly Park. On the Nevada side, highway patrol officers are stopping motorists in Stateline. Highway 89 is closed at Pickett's Junction to Luther Pass. Traffic in South Lake Tahoe is closed at South Tahoe High School and Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Residents of the evacuated areas are not allowed to return to their homes, officials said.

Look here for more updates as information becomes available.

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