fire

I have been a resident in Lake Valley Fire District's jurisdiction for 29 years. Fortunately, my family has never had to use their services. But even so, I appreciate the value of quality, highly-trained Firefighter/Paramedics. I would guess that those many individuals whose lives they have saved would agree. To effectively perform their jobs, they need the best equipment possible and the funding to obtain it.

I am fully in support of Measure B and encourage all residents to vote YES!

Jamie Rhone, Meyers

We would like to urge voters to vote YES on Measure B.

Our Lake Valley Fire Protection District is vitally important to our daily lives, and their firefighters deserve to have safe equipment and apparatus. They are only asking for $52 per year, which is just $4.33 per household per month. Most of us spend more than that in one trip to Starbucks. Let’s help our firefighters!

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The public is invited to explore the future of Lake Tahoe's West Shore during one of three public opportunities offered by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and Tahoe Transportation District. The State Route 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan outlines the projects needed to improve the visitor experience, reduce traffic congestion, and preserve the environment from South Lake Tahoe to Tahoma.

We would like to respond to a recent "Letter to the Editor" on 2/17/20 in which the author infers that we may not have reached out to Lake Valley Fire for information. We have had multiple conversations with LVFPD Board Member, Leona Allen. Ms. Hall sent a letter seeking information and clarification to Chief Alameda which was published in a local newspaper and went unanswered.

If you live in Tahoe, the threat of fire is constantly ping-ponging around in the back of your mind – a dull nagging feeling that’s tough to pin down.

This letter is in response to Toni Hall and Tom Yant whose letters were printed on 2/14/20 (“Why I will be voting ‘No’ on Measure B” and “LVFPD needs to budget for equipment from its big lard pot”). I want to begin by saying YES on Measure B!

I have to wonder if either of them contacted Lake Valley Fire Protection District with their questions, as their information is misleading and incorrect. Our Fire District is available to talk with you about Measure B (530-577-3737), or you can go to their website (lakevalleyfire.org).

Measure B is up for a vote. I am voting NO because the Lake Valley Fire Protection District spends most of its revenue on salaries and benefits leaving nothing to pay for new equipment.

On March 3, 2020, the Meyer’s community will need to make some difficult decisions about the services that we need and want in our community. Not only do we need to support our Lake Valley Fire Fighters through Measure B, but we also need to decide whether timely, safe and efficient snow removal is vital to our safety, our economy and our ability to live and work in Meyers. For the Meyer’s Advisory Council, the answer is a resounding YES.

Welcome to the ninth year summary of the SnowGlobe Music Festival. This is the first year the TRPA has done any monitoring and the event continues to violate TRPA’s pre-existing rules. We can add air pollution to the list of accomplishments for this event given the recent successful lawsuit by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). Onsite inspections for building and fire continue to find violations (they have had violations every year) and the fireworks were moved to an open undeveloped area in the forest of Bijou Park this year.

Members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT), which includes local, state and federal land management agencies, will continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Tahoe Basin as conditions, staffing and weather allow. Smoke may be visible.

The following 12 areas are on the schedule:

Aspen Lily Lake 1011 - USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
Location: Powerline Road (Forest Road 12N08), off Pioneer Trail near South Lake Tahoe. Burn Type: Hand Piles - Total Acreage: 14.00 - Planned ignition: 1/25/20

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On Sunday a sharp cold front will rapidly push through the region, bringing strong winds and a quick burst of snow. The widespread southwest winds Sunday morning will be shifting to the northwest behind the front.

A Lake Wind Advisory is up for Lake Tahoe until 7:00 p.m. Sunday. The strongest winds are anticipated to be near and south of US-50, with US-395 possibly seeing travel restrictions for high profile vehicles.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A home on Idaho Avenue in South Lake Tahoe had two fires overnight, resulting in damage to both the house and garage.

At 5:52 p.m. February 1, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) was called out to the home after what appears to be ashes placed in the garage caught on fire. The fire was knocked down and after being cleaned up, the fire crew left.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fog is normally associated with San Francisco and the coastal cities of California, not with Lake Tahoe.

On Friday and Saturday, a strong inversion was in place at around the 7,000-7,500 foot level, compressing the molecules that normally evaporate off of the lake and keeping them trapped closer to the ground and the lake.

Inversions exist on a fairly common schedule, but the experience the past two days was different for a couple of reasons:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Eastbound Interstate 80 is currently closed after there were multiple collisions involving semi-trucks near Nyack, Calif. Given the number of trucks involved, it could be several hours until the road reopens to eastbound traffic. Alternate routes are advised for the time being though caution is urged on the major bypass, SR20 due to scheduled tree work and increase in traffic.

According to the CalTrans maintenance superintendent, a full closure of eastbound I-80 is expected for at least 4-6 hours. or between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On March 3, 2020, voters in the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) boundaries will decide if Measure B should pass, a measure that would give the fire department funds for much-needed equipment, apparatuses, and supplies.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following are the 182 incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and Cal-Tahoe JPA ambulances to from December 18 - December 31, 2019.

12/18

EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury - 1800 block Lake Tahoe Blvd
EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury - 700 block Merced Ave
EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury - 3900 block Pioneer Tr
EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury - 3100 block Lake Tahoe Blvd

The Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) firefighters are our friends; they are our neighbors, they are kids we went to school with, they are our softball teammate, and most importantly, they are our saviors in times of need. During the Angora Fire in 2007 some of them sacrificed their own homes to save ours, and more recently they provided vital help and support at the Camp Fire and prevented the oil tanker fire from spreading further than Hwy 50. Our community is safer because of LVFPD firefighters, but these firefighters are not safe in their jobs.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Douglas County 9-1-1 Emergency Services, which represents the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and fire agencies in Douglas and Alpine Counties, have instituted a "Text-to-9-1-1" service, giving those in an emergency situation the ability to text via mobile phone to get help.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A overflowing crowd was at Tuesday's City Council meeting to take part in what has become a hot topic in the South Lake Tahoe community - cell towers.

Before the Council was an appeal to the Planning Commission's June 13, 2019 approval of a Special Use permit for a Verizon Wireless Monopine planned for installation at 1360 Ski Run Boulevard on the site of Hansen's sledding hil

The Tahoe National Forest will be hosting several public information meetings this month to discuss a proposed amendment to the Tahoe National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.

Presentations and discussions at the public meeting will cover:

- The historic and present role of natural fire within the Tahoe National Forest

- Details of the proposed amendment that would expand opportunities to use naturally ignited, lightning-caused wildfires (natural fire) to achieve multiple resource benefits

Members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, which includes local, state and federal fire and land management agencies, are scheduled to continue prescribed fire operations in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next few weeks, weather permitting.

The 13 areas currently on the planned operations:

The old Tahoe Pines Campground near the intersection of US Hwy 50 and South Upper Truckee Rd. by the California Tahoe Conservancy. 8 acres of Machine Piles.

Upper Kinsbury, Valley Side by the Tahoe Douglas Fire District. 40 acres of Hand Piles.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Many head to the Sierra to experience snow in all forms, from the ski slopes to sledding and building snowmen. With the fun and excitement awaiting, many seem to have forgotten the laws of being safe on the roadway and parking on the highways, and not observing "no parking" zone rules,

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - USFS Fire Captain Dave Soldavini from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is currently assigned to Australia as part of an interagency group helping with fire suppression efforts.

Soldavini is part of the third group of fire resources the country has deployed to Australia.

On Dec. 30, 2019, the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior sent 44 personnel to Australia. An additional 21 personnel were mobilized on Jan. 4, 2020, and will replace a previous group of American firefighters mobilized in early December.

Clarity was originally a name reserved for Honda’s venture into fuel cells which still exists in the Clarity Fuel Cell. But at a price approaching $60,000, its sales are very small at about 625 units for 2018. While that is a percentage increase of about 35 percent, the actual number of increased unit sales was under 200 year over year. See how percentage increase figures can be misleading? However, the new Clarity Plug-in Hybrid is having robust sales in comparison (over 18,0000 units sold) and for many a good reason.