15,000-acre blaze south of Lake Tahoe threatens historic town

The Washington Fire south of Lake Tahoe scorched 8,000 acres by the end of the weekend. The Washington Fire south of Lake Tahoe scorched 8,000 acres by the end of the weekend. Photo: Courtesy Of The U.S. Bureau Of Land Management Photo: Courtesy Of The U.S. Bureau Of Land Management Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 15,000-acre blaze south of Lake Tahoe threatens historic town 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Firefighters along the California-Nevada border were working Monday to protect the small Sierra community of Markleeville from a fast-growing wildfire that by the evening had consumed nearly 15,000 acres but was said to be burning away from the town.

Gusty, hot winds whipping through tinder-dry forest south of Lake Tahoe helped push the blaze within about 2 miles of the mountain town on Highway 89, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

About 500 firefighters were trying to take advantage of slightly more-favorable weather Monday to slow the rush of the fire, which at one point was throwing flames more than a mile in front of the main inferno, said Elizabeth Kenna, a bureau spokeswoman for the Carson City, Nev., district.

“It’s been extreme fire conditions here,” Kenna said.

Markleeville, the seat of Alpine County, is a popular tourist destination about 25 miles south of South Lake Tahoe near much-visited Grover Hot Springs. The picturesque community dates back to the raucous silver-mining boom of the mid-1800s. Its founding father, Jacob Marklee, is said to have died in a gunfight.

The 200 or so residents in the area remained on high alert Monday afternoon, and Highway 89 and nearby Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass were closed to traffic. Highway 8 was the only open route to Markleeville.

“It’s very surreal,” said Amy Pedroli, whose eyes were burning from smoky air during her shift at the Markleeville General Store. “But everyone’s still doing what they do. This morning was garbage day, so everyone was taking out the garbage.”

Several campgrounds and cabins along Highway 4 were evacuated, and visitors to the eastern Sierra were advised to avoid the area.

The blaze, called the Washington Fire, was about 10 percent contained Monday afternoon, but strong winds forced some crews to stand down in the afternoon and containment was back to zero by Monday night, according to the bureau.

The fire ignited with a lightning strike Friday night about 8 to 10 miles south of Markleeville on the California side of the state border, federal officials said. Parts of both states were burning.

Meanwhile, California’s largest active fire, the Lake Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, grew to 17,405 acres over the weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Hundreds of homes and outbuildings have been threatened by the blaze, but because of its remote location, none have burned, officials said.

The fire was estimated to be 24 percent contained Monday evening.

Firefighters south of Yosemite National Park made gains on a pair of wildfires that started near the community of Oakhurst (Madera County) late last week. On Monday, the 500-acre Sky Fire outside Fish Camp was 60 percent contained, while the 920-acre Corrine Fire in the North Fork area was 75 percent contained.

State fire officials have warned of a potentially big fire season this year after four years of drought dried up much of California’s forest and grasslands.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander