Firefighters are working to stop the Caldor Fire wildfire from spreading as it nears the tourist town of Lake Tahoe. Thousands of residents of the town have already been evacuated as the fire heads towards the region of Sierra Nevada.

So far the wildfire, which has been fueled by strong winds, has already destroyed more than 191,000 acres of land, mountain cabins and hundreds of homes. Authorities now fear that as many as 34,000 structures may be at risk if the fire continues on its path.

Following the evacuation order, over 20,000 residents and tourists in the area rushed to leave, which had caused clogged roads.

There are now fears that weather conditions that consist of low humidity, dry fuel and wind gusts up to 30 mph on Wednesday will provide even tougher conditions for the thousands of firefighters who are tackling the blaze.

Air firefighting operations had begun but were forced to be temporarily put on hold last week as thick smoke prevented helicopters and air takers from dousing the flames.