High winds and dry fuels and conditions caused the fire the grow rapidly to 21,000 acres (8,498 ha) by July 17.

[3] The Tamarack Fire was first reported July 4 on a rocky ridgetop in the Mokelumne Wilderness, approximately seven miles southwest of Markleeville in Alpine County, California.

[4] The Forest Service reported that the fire was growing rapidly, fueled by dry grass, timber, chaparral and low relative humidity.

By 9 PM, mandatory evacuations were put in place for Grover Hot Springs State Park, Shay Creek, Markleeville Village, and East Fork Resort.

[4] The fire jumped the east fork of the Carson River, resulting in the evacuation of Alpine Village and Woodfords.

[4] The Tamarack Fire grew to 21,000 acres (8,498 ha) by the evening of July 17 and threatened the Highway 89 corridor.

[8] That day, crews began building fine lines around Markleeville, portions of Highway 89, and other threatened, evacuated areas.

[9] Dramatic fire activity sent a pyrocumulonimbus into the sky, which created its own weather, resulting in lightning strikes.

[4] Heavy smoke, thunderstorms, wind and lightning caused the fire to expand northeast towards the state line of California and Nevada.

Additional mandatory evacuations were put in place for Mesa Vista, California and Blue Lakes Road.

[12] By the morning of July 21, the fire had crossed over the state line into Douglas County, Nevada, three miles west of Highway 395.

[16] Additionally, voluntary evacuations were put in place for portions of Lyon County, Nevada, in Smith Valley, out of concern of the fires growth.

During this time, crews continued to build containment lines, put out hot spots, and implement structure protection, including in and around Washoe tribal land, neighborhoods around Highway 395, and at Leviathan Mine.

Evacuation orders were lifted for communities in both Alpine and Douglas Counties, with over 2,000 residents returning home.

[21] Heavy rain was expected for the area, resulting in a flash flood warning for region in California and Nevada.

[4] Steady rain and thunderstorms helped improve firefighting conditions overnight, leading to 54 percent containment by July 27.

The Tamarack Fire resulted in the evacuation of rural communities and recreational areas in California and Nevada.

[26][31] The Forest Service also closed all areas, including campgrounds, trails, and roads, in the Tamarack Fire footprint within the Carson Ranger District.

[32] Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe suffered extremely poor air quality due to the fire's activity and growth, including smoke and ash fall.

[35] NV Energy turned off power for a portion of the Douglas County fire area on July 22.

[36] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Forest Service.