MEYERS, Calif. — Firefighters trying to tame a raging wildfire that has destroyed some 200 homes near Lake Tahoe Tuesday suffered a setback when the blaze jumped a fireline near a densely populated area, forcing a new round of evacuations, authorities said.

Firefighters were working to protect a development outside South Lake Tahoe when the blaze jumped their fireline, prompting the evacuation of the entire subdivision. It was unclear how many homes were subject to the order.

"It's a fairly populated area," said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Tim Evans. "That certainly is not good news for our firefighting efforts here."

Authorities also issued a voluntary evacuation order for a pricey waterfront subdivision on the lake, according to Evans.

The danger to homes diminished overnight as firefighters got a badly needed advantage on the inferno. But it was still burning throughout the day along rugged, uninhabited slopes and authorities had cautioned that strong winds forecast to arrive Wednesday could fan the flames.

The flare-up is about three miles from where the fire started Sunday near the south end of Lake Tahoe. By Tuesday afternoon, the blaze had consumed more than 2,700 acres and was about 40 percent contained, fire officials said. One minor injury was reported.

Officials said the blaze jumped the fireline because firefighters set a backfire as part of their efforts to keep the main blaze from reaching more houses. When the wind picked up, embers crossed the fireline.

Meanwhile Tuesday, other families whose homes were in the path of the wildfire returned to their property, finding some houses reduced to charred ruins and others largely unscathed, except for the odor of smoke and a blanket of ash.

In the most heavily damaged neighborhoods, firefighters doused pockets of lingering flames. Smoke hung thick over blackened piles of rubble that were once homes to nurses, police officers and teachers.

"I didn't save hardly anything in the house," said retired firefighter John Hartzell, who lost his home of 20 years. Along with his wife, adult son and a daughter, he sorted through the rubble in search of any mementos.

"I got out with the clothes on my back, my fire coat and my helmet," he said.

Elsewhere, a beautiful home stood nearly untouched, even though all the sod in its yard had burned.

"It picks and chooses," said Lynn Cisl, whose home along the edge of the most damaged area also survived. "It's sort of like a disease. It's devastating."