Empty beaches and eerie skies as Caldor fire looms over Lake Tahoe – in pictures

Scenes from South Lake Tahoe as the raging Caldor fire bears down on the popular resort city and fills the skies with orange smoke. Thousands of firefighters are battling to slow the blaze, which has already consumed an area larger than Chicago

• Caldor fire: thousands of firefighters aim to stop blaze from reaching Lake Tahoe