Tahoe ablaze
The week's news at a glance.
South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
A massive wildfire near Lake Tahoe destroyed 276 homes this week, and firefighters say the blaze still threatens more than 800 others. The fire roared out of control over the weekend, stoked by dry conditions and 40-mph winds and feeding on the trees and undergrowth around the lake, a major tourist destination. “The flames were above the trees,” said local student Chase Grant. “It was just plain scary.” Fire officials, who say overdevelopment around the lake made the devastation inevitable, estimate the fire has burned 2,500 acres.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Scorching hot sauces that pack a punch
The Week Recommends The best sauces to tingle your lips and add a fiery kick to your food
-
Syria’s strange post-Assad election
The Explainer Sunday’s limited vote ‘suited the phase Syria is undergoing’, says interim president
-
Why did the China spying case collapse?
Today’s Big Question Unwillingness to call China an ‘enemy’ apparently scuppered espionage trial