Authorities issued evacuation alerts for residents in South Lake Tahoe early Monday as the Caldor fire expanded toward the Lake Tahoe Basin around Echo Summit.

The Caldor fire has been ablaze for 16 days and has scorched 177,260 acres of land across El Dorado County, the heart of one of California’s most prominent recreation wilderness areas. High winds expected on Monday make the challenge of extinguishing the flames even more difficult for firefighters, as the fire is just 14% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.