Small South Lake Tahoe fire spotted from Nevada Beach

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A person sitting on Nevada Beach Thursday morning saw a stream of smoke coming from the California side of the lake and called the fire department just before 10:00 a.m. The caller thought there was fire along the beach in South Lake Tahoe so a search began for the source. Other calls went into dispatch and the fire turned out to be on a strip of land near Spruce Avenue between Peninsula and Heather Lake Roads.

The fire was put out within five minutes of the arrival of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR). An area of 20' x 20' was burned.

SLTFR Batallion Chief Jay Manning said the fire is suspicious since there has been no lightning, no cigarette butts, and humidity too high to be a cause. Manning said a kid on a bike had been seen in the area but it is also an area frequented by those without legal reasons to be there.

The fire is under investigation.

Since June 30 there have now been three other fires suspicious in nature. All have been kept small and under 20 feet in size.

- A fire between the Boys & Girls Club and South Tahoe Middle School was started by a 15-year-old boy attending his sister's softball game. He was playing with matches and lit a pinecone and pine needles on fire. His father figured out what happened after fire trucks arrived and took his son to the police department.

- A late-night fire on Al Tahoe Blvd

- A late-night fire along Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Lakeview Commons

South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Shannon Laney said the number and size of fires are not unusual for the area this time of year. They are a reminder though to be careful and responsible while outdoors.