Official reports progress in defending Lake Tahoe from fire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Officials are reporting progress in the battle to save communities on the south end of Lake Tahoe from a huge forest fire.

Operations section chief Tim Ernst said in a briefing that firefighters "lucked out" when winds did not come up a strong as expected on Tuesday and an inversion layer early Wednesday "put a real damper on things."

Ernst said the fire did not make as strong a push toward Tahoe as it did the previous day and there has been progressing in using bulldozers to create fire lines.

Forecasters warn, however, that there will be swirling, gusty winds all day Wednesday.