fire department

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There have been three sets of interviews this week for the six candidates interested in being the next fire chief for the City of South Lake Tahoe.

The different interview panels consisted of a group of City department heads and area fire chiefs, another of fire department senior staff and union members, and the final interview was with City Manager Frank Rush.

All six are quality candidates according to Rush and fire personnel.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two local 17-year-olds were in a single-car rollover crash in South Lake Tahoe Friday night, resulting in the driver being arrested for a suspected DUI.

On April 5 at 10:44 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe police and fire departments were called out to Glenwood Way on a call of an overturned vehicle. Upon arrival they found a Chevy resting on its roof in the front yard of a home on Glenwood Way near the intersection with Janet Drive. '

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The City of South Lake Tahoe has launched its new
newsletter - "At Lake Level." The monthly newsletter is written by City Manager Frank Rush and prepared by Communications Manager Chris Fiore in an effort to keep the community well informed about City issues and initiatives.

New Leadership

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Back in December 2018 the owners of Bart's Tahoe Apartments were issued a formal Notice and Order to repair and abate by the City of South Lake Tahoe. As a result of ongoing issues and a lack of willingness to fix the problems, they were 90 days to address a long list of safety issues and code violations.

Those 90 days were up on Friday, March 22, 2019, and City building inspectors and development services staff conducted an inspection and found the apartment building at 1224 Ski Run Boulevard continues to have unsafe living conditions.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire Chief Jeff Meston is retiring from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) on February 28, five years and five months after he came out of retirement to head up the department.

On Friday, February 1, Meston submitted his resignation to the City.

"When I was hired by CM (City Manager) Kerry I promised to spend between 3-5 years with the City Fire Department and bring them as far as I could to be a “world class” fire department," Meston said in his resignation letter.

He feels he's accomplished what he set out to do.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - "This is a good day for the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department," said Chief Jeff Meston as he began the annual awards ceremony, celebrating the men and women of SLTFR.

To begin the afternoon, Chief Meston officially welcomed Battalion Chief Jay Manning to the department. Manning came on board at the end of November from Visalia, California where he worked for 18.5 years for the fire department. His wife Stephanie pinned his uniform as son Jacob and daughter Harley looked on. The family is wrapping up their move to the Sierra.

UPDATE 1/13/19 12:30 p.m. - Monica Quiroga of Gardnerville, Nevada has been identified as the person who died in the incident. She was in her early 30s.

Russell Swanson was injured and taken to Renown Medical Center for treatment. His current medical condition is unknown at this time.

* * *
GARDNERVILLE, Nev. - One person is dead and another critically injured in an accident involving an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.

The accident took place in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

A leak of chlorine gas at a Zephyr Cove business brought out the fire department the Quad County HazMat team and closed off Elks Point Road near Highway 50 for over three hours on Thursday afternoon.

At 3:00 p.m., first responders from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (Tahoe Fire) arrived at a research company on Elks Point Road after a call that chlorine gas had been released. Firefighters responded once it was determined that the gas was BCL3 (Boron trichloride), hazardous materials (HazMat) procedures began.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lisa Maloff, the "Angel of Tahoe", continues to support agencies, institutions and the South Lake Tahoe community with her generosity and year-round holiday spirit.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - During their annual community grant EpicPromise celebration, 93 local nonprofits were awarded a total of $1.9 million in cash as well as additional in-kind product support. Across the company, Vail Resorts will give $11.4 million in support to more than 250 community non-profits over the upcoming year.

Each year Vail gives away money and product to groups serving the communities they have resorts located. For Kirkwood, Heavenly and Northstar, support was given to support the health and resilience of the Truckee and South Lake Tahoe communities.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire that destroyed a hallway, reading room and teacher's room on Sunday, November 11 was just seconds away from engulfing all of Sierra House Elementary. Had it not been for the quick response by Lake Valley Fire Protection District the discussion would be about replacing the 44-year-old South Lake Tahoe school rather than the processes involved to get it cleaned up and opened in just two days.

Election season can be an exciting time of year with anticipation of the possibilities, but this year in South Lake Tahoe election season is full of negativity that has pitted neighbor against neighbor. One year ago I wrote an editorial "Use the election to create a community of collaboration and teamwork," and today I urge continuance of community, collaboration and teamwork.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council have answered the same ten questions given to them by South Tahoe Now. For nine consecutive days the candidate's responses have been shared in the order received.

Today is the ninth and final candidate. Cody Bass gives his responses as he makes his first bid for a seat on the South Lake Tahoe City Council:

Fire Fest 2018 will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. outside the Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe. Admission is free and it's a great opportunity for families to have fun while learning about fire safety and conservation.

Helicopters will star again this year as they land just outside the venue at the Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe. What an incredible opportunity to get a close-up look at these amazing machines. Crews will be on hand to answer questions and explain how they help us when we need them most.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A Cameron Park, California man has been identified as the swimmer who went missing in Lake Tahoe on Sunday, September 9, 2018.

Multiple agencies responded to the 5:36 p.m. call for help and a possible drowning on the lake near Nevada Beach including the Coast Guard, Tahoe Douglas Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, El Dorado County Sheriff (EDSO) and Douglas County Sheriff's Offices (DCSO).

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will be continuing their July 17 discussion and voting on the new cannabis ordinance at their next meeting on Tuesday, August 21.

If approved, the new ordinance will replace the existing medical marijuana ordinance.

To enter the cannabis industry in South Lake Tahoe, businesses will have to obtain a Use Permit, a Development Agreement and a Public Safety License.

No more than two retailers, two microbusinesses and two cultivators. No person can own more than one cannabis business, and no more than one cannabis business can exist on a lot or parcel.

The following is a copy of a letter sent to City Council, USFS, Supervisor Sue Novasel, California Tahoe Conservancy Officers, and others, and shared with South Tahoe Now:

Dear Mayor David and Council Members:

Parking areas near popular spots for local young people to hang out after dark, Party Rock and Lookout Rock, will now be off limits at night after an update to City Code was approved Tuesday.

On October 13, 2017, several residents of the upper Saddle Road area met with U.S.
Forest Service, police and fire department staff. During the meeting, neighbors
expressed their frustration over the nighttime gatherings that take place in the area. One part of this meeting included a request by the neighbors to limit nighttime activities at nearby Party Rock.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (DCSSAR) team was called to the area of the Tahoe Rim Trail south of Stagecoach Lodge on July 4 at 12:45 p.m. on the report of a missing hiker.

Earlier in the day, Aa father, his three sons, and a household assistant were visiting the area and hiking. One person of the group became separated from the others and the others called 911 for assistance when they could not locate them.

Members of the DCSSAR Mountain Bike Rapid Response Team were dispatched to search on the Rim Trail.

The author shared the following letter with South Tahoe Now that was sent to SLT Fire Chief Jeff Meston concerning fire safety and the responsibility of all public agencies to assist him and the Department in this effort. "Best wishes to you and the men and women of the Fire Department," said Jinkens.

Dear Chief Meston:

First of all, my sincere thanks to you and the men and women who serve our community in the Fire Service. I am grateful for all of your work and effort to keep our community fire safe and to respond to emergency calls for service.

UPDATE 11:09PM: A voluntary evacuation order was placed Tuesday night for the Carson Colony area off of Curry Street in South Carson City. The Voltaire Canyon area is also voluntary evacuation. Plans are in the works to open a shelter for those displaced.
***
UPDATE 10:54PM: Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said Tuesday night's fire at Voltaire Canyon was started by campers who were burning excrement and toilet paper.

There were two campers detained and were cooperative, said Furlong. There were up to eight individuals who were camping in the area who were taken off the hill.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - At 10:00 a.m. on September 13, 2015, Garden Valley Fire Department personnel responded to a wildland fire in the community of Greenwood in western El Dorado County, on Highway 193 between Cool and Georgetown. Upon arrival they found a residence still smoldering, but burned to the ground.

In the ashes were found the charred remains of Adam Buchanan, 38, his fiancée Molly McAffe, 37, and their 8-year-old son Gavin Buchanan. All three were shot before the cabin was burned down.

The new board of directors for the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS) has decided to put their building on Emerald Bay Road up for sale.

Lake Valley firefighter Larry Stewart was on his way to a fire at Camp Richardson on Friday July 3, 1964 when the water tender truck he was driving ran into a tree. He died two days later.

On Memorial Day, 2018, Stewart will be dedicated on the Public Safety Wall of Honor during a ceremony at Happy Homestead Cemetery. The ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m.

In 2017, the first ceremony was held and the names of US Forest Service-Tahoe Basin Firefighter Mikey Hallenbeck and Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) irefighter Mitch Underhill were permanently etched on the Wall.