In a true display of teamwork across formats, beats and states, the AP drew on resources throughout the West to dominate coverage of the high-profile Northern California wildfires that threatened an international gem, Lake Tahoe.
With the Caldor Fire approaching, traffic on Highway 50 is at a standstill as people in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., try to evacuate, Aug. 30, 2021.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
A firefighter monitors the Caldor Fire burning near homes in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Aug. 30, 2021. As the winds returned, the Caldor Fire roared over the Sierra crest and bore down on the southern end of Lake Tahoe.
AP Photo / Jae C. Hong
Seen from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., flames from the Caldor Fire consume three homes, Aug. 30, 2021.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
Seen from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., flames from the Caldor Fire leap along a hillside above Christmas Valley, Aug. 30, 2021.
AP Photo / Noah Berger
Striking photos by Noah Berger and Jae Hong captured the drama as the fire raged toward the resort city and a vast swath of the Sierra Nevada. Report for America journalist Sam Metz was indefatigable on the ground, interviewing rescue workers, residents and firefighters, then capturing the chaos of the evacuation. Reporters John Antczak, Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker worked the phones from Los Angeles and San Francisco providing detail and context as they wrote the spot stories. Video journalist Terence Chea and Michelle L. Price reported on people who refused to leave.
For this latest in a series of major blazes, the West region dug to identify wildfire-related stories of interest beyond the breaking news, including Tom Verdin’s story on the special sites that were threatened, Don Thompson’s assessment of what went wrong in fighting the blaze (resources already stretched thin by the Dixie Fire, wind conditions), Brian Melley’s report on canceled vacations nationwide and a piece by Metz and Scott Sonner on price gouging. Among others who made significant contributions to the coverage: Olga R. Rodriguez, Daisy Nguyen, Robert Jablon, Amy Taxin, Christopher Weber and Haven Daley.