EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. and#8212; A fire that broke out in a popular hiking and backpacking destination near Lake Tahoe has been contained.
On Sunday at about 10:15 a.m., a fire sparked in Desolation Wilderness, just southwest of Lake Tahoe, said Ann Loeffler, assistant manager at the Camino Interagency Dispatch Center.
The fire, which was about a half-mile from Duck Lake, burned 2.8 acres in the wilderness before crews officially contained the fire at 7:50 a.m. Monday, Loeffler said.
U.S. Forest Service crews executed a couple of water drops from a helicopter while two 20-person crews were hiking to the fire from the Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park.
Crews will continue to monitor the fire overnight into Tuesday.
and#8220;They won't leave until it is good and cold,and#8221; Loeffler said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Desolation Wilderness is a 70,000-acre federally protected wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada.
The wilderness features extensive areas of bare granite and a landscape dotted with small alpine lakes, making it a popular backpacking destination.
