We were talking about this at dinner and on the way back from Fernley.
You can't stop a fire in 40MPH + winds. It will jump any line and you don't dare get in front of it anyway. And even flying around near it in those winds could be tricky. I amazed they saved anything in it's path. Maybe it was more of a matter of diverting it around...
It is really sad, but the Tahoe basin has been ripe for a good fire for years. Lots of fuel even though they have been doing some clean up / abatement.
RGJ story.