Structures, lives saved in Calif. Nevada border fire

The Tamarack Fire south of Lake Tahoe has burned more than 90 square miles of timber in national-forest land and remains at four percent containment. It ignited July 4 and was one of nearly two dozen blazes sparked by lightning strikes.

More than 1,200 firefighters are battling the Alpine County blaze, which has destroyed at least 10 buildings, forced evacuations in several communities and closed parts of U.S. 395 in Nevada and California.

Crews used chainsaws to remove vegetation along CA-88 to prevent the fire from jumping the highway. Fire officials expect extreme fire behavior this weekend as high winds and temperatures continue.

A request for voluntary evacuations was issued for portions of Douglas County, Neveda. An evacuation center was aset up at a community center in Gardnerville, Neveda. Evacuees Bill and Andrea Miller from Markleeville, California have been staying outside the center in a tent.

They say they've been dealing with a rollercoaster of emotions, including the panic surrounding the initial evacuation and then finding out that their home has likely been spared.

They thanked the community for helping those who've been displaced and stressed that the most important thing is that there have been no reports of injuries due to the fire.

Extremely dry conditions and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight.

Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced Thursday evening that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection acquired 12 additional firefighting aircraft and nine were immediately dispatched to fires. Cal Fire now has more than 60 airplanes and helicopters.

Extremely dry conditions and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

IMAGE: AP