Plane battles new California wildfire as residents return to Lake Tahoe

A plane can be seen dropping fire retardant on one of several new wildfires which have sprung up in California in recent days just as fire crews were getting on top of the Caldor Fire.

Dubbed the Bridge Fire by local fire crews, the new blaze is reported as already covering some 300 acres and is just five per cent contained as it stands.

The news of the new fires came as tens of thousands of people began to return to their homes in the Lake Tahoe area following the positive news in the fight against the Caldor Fire.