Family pets killed in early morning fire in Round Hill that displaces residents

1/1/17 update 3:20 p.m. - A local restaurant manager has been identified as one of the victims in the South Lake Tahoe New Year's fire that destroyed both sides of Round Hill duplex.

Joanna Janowicz, manager of Casey's, an American Cantina at the Round Hill mall, her five-year-old son and boyfriend were out to dinner when fire broke out in their home, destroying all of their belongings and killing their three pets.

A Go-Fund-Me page has been set up to help the family with expenses. It can be found HERE.

There is no information on the other victims at this time.

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A New Year's Eve fire destroyed a Round Hill duplex, leaving six people without a home and killing three family pets.

At 8:00 p.m., a neighbor at the duplex on McFaul Way smelled smoke and went to investigate. They saw flames through a glass door of a neighboring unit and called 911. Nobody was home in Unit A where the flames were seen.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) firefighters responded to a fully engulfed fire, one that resulted in major damage to both units according to TDFPD Fire Marshall Eric Guevin.

Firefighters from East Fork Fire, North Lake Tahoe Fire District and South Lake Tahoe Fire also responded, while deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office came to evacuate neighboring structures.

Crews responded quickly and were able to knock the fire down in 20 minutes.

Two dogs and a cat that were in the unit succumbed to the smoke.

The residents displaced by the fire were assisted by the Red Cross who provided funds and found them accommodations.

Investigation into the cause of the fire is still in progress, and the cause remains unknown at this time. Smoke alarms were installed and help to notify occupants of the fire.

TDFPD is thanking NV Energy, Round Hill GID, and Southwest Gas for the additional assistance at the fire.

It was a long night for the TDFPD firefighters and paramedics. Guevin said they had a large volume of calls into the casino corridor and assisted South Lake Tahoe. They responded all night long to people overindulging in the New Year's Eve festivities.