Fire quickly put out near Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What appears to have been a cooking fire that got away in the forest near Van Sickle Bi-State Park on Saturday brought out a full response from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue with assistance from Tahoe Douglas Fire, Lake Valley Fire, Cal Fire, and the U.S. Forest Service.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Jay Manning was driving on Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Stateline when he noticed smoke from the park just after 12:30 p.m. on May 16. At that same time, a ranger from the park called into 911 to report a fire.

Units were able to get on the scene quickly and kept the fire at under a quarter of an acre.

Manning said the cause is still under investigation but it looks like the fire was accidentally caused by an illegal fire. They found a burned coat near the fire and Manning said it appears the person who started the fire tried to put it out.

Conditions are drying quickly in the Lake Tahoe Basin though a storm is heading in for the beginning of next week. Winds will be high so SLTFR said they will be staffed accordingly to keep an eye on the situation.

There is a no-burn ordinance in the City of South Lake Tahoe and it has been in place for a number of years. No backyard fire pits with wood are allowed. No open fires of any type are allowed in the city at any time Manning said.