People pictured golfing as Caldor Fire rages in California

Blaze has burned nearly 200 acres and is now just 15 miles from Lake Tahoe

The giant and destructive Caldor Fire in Northern California may have burned almost 200 square miles but that has not stopped people in its path from playing golf.

Fire officials say that as of Wednesday 461 homes and 11 commercial buildings have been destroyed, with more than 17,000 structures still threatened.

But with the fire just 15 miles away from Lake Tahoe, a golfer was pictured wearing a mask while on a smoky putting green.

Thousands of California firefighters are battling to prevent the fire reaching the iconic freshwater lake and officials say that extra resources, including large firefighting aircraft was on its way to help.

Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said earlier this week that the fire was “knocking on the door to the lake Tahoe Basin.”

(AP)

But no evacuation orders exist for the area, a popular holiday and outdoor activity destination, and Mr Porter says that he doesn’t think the fire will reach it.

But he added: “The weather has outstripped and Mother Nature has taken over and taken fires like the Dixie to places that I never thought was possible.”

The US Forest Service has temporarily closed nine national forests until 6 September because of extreme fire conditions.

The Caldor Fire began on 14 August and has burned 126,182 acres- 197 square miles, and on Wednesday was just 11 per cent contained, according to Cal Fire.

“It’s the No 1 fire in the country right now. … There’s dozens of crews and dozers and engines and others that are on their way right now,” said Jeff Marsolais, supervisor for the Eldorado National Forest.

In 2021 so far there have been 6,714 wildfires in the state, which has seen 1.6m acres burn, says the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

And nationally, 92 large fires are burning in a dozen Western states, says the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

The Biden administration has declared a major disaster in California and ordered that federal aid is made available in four counties hit by fires dating back to 14 July.