sltfr

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An early morning fire damaged the second floor of a South Lake Tahoe home on Springwood Avenue Monday.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue received the emergency call just before 5:00 a.m. December 14. Upon arrival they found a home with heavy smoke coming from the second floor. The homeowners were able to get out safely after trying to extinguish the flames.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the support of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR), the Al Tahoe neighborhood has begun the process of becoming a certified Firewise USA ® recognized neighborhood.

As part of the application process, SLTFR and Al Tahoe community volunteers will be walking in the Al Tahoe neighborhood October 27-30 and performing random wildfire risk assessment/evaluations on 20 percent of the 1520 properties from the street.

The volunteers will have bright yellow vests on so they can be easily identified

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue recently held ceremonies for the hiring of three new firefighter/paramedics and the promotion of three to the rank of captain. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ceremonies were small and held at the fire station during their shifts.

Captain/Paramedic Mike Taormina

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The smoke filling the Lake Tahoe Basin and Northern Nevada Monday morning is from the Hog Fire burning west of Susanville.

The fire is now 5,800 acres and is 0 percent contained.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue has been receiving calls since early this morning about the smell of smoke in neighborhoods throughout South Lake Tahoe.

The cooler nighttime temperatures pushed the smoke down.

The National Weather Service in Reno said a dense smoke advisory is in place for areas closers to Susanville

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Just after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, a strong cell moved over Meyers and South Lake Tahoe bringing warnings of frequent lightning, heavy rain, half dollar sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph.

During the system a bolt of lightning struck a home on Inverness Drive in the Tahoe Keys.

Simultaneously, alarms went off at South Tahoe Middle School and in a condo on Ala Wai Blvd.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Members of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) now make up the city's Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), giving them the ability to help change homelessness through relationship building and ongoing collaborative efforts while protecting the whole community.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A homeless man suffered burns over 50 percent of his body after he fell asleep next to a warming/cooking fire in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday.

On June 4 at approximately 3:42 p.m., South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue responded to a call of a fire between Smart & Final and Christian Science Church on Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

The unidentified man was airlifted to the burn unit at UC Davis. His current condition is unknown at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two men were pulled from the chilly waters of Lake Tahoe after their kayaks capsized late Saturday afternoon.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on June 6, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue's Marine 17 was dispatched to the water off of Baldwin Beach for possible kayakers in distress. One of the kayakers was able to make a call and the GPS coordinates put the two men several hundred yards off the shore between Baldwin Beach and Emerald Bay.

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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - People at Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe heard a man's calls for help about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, and their call to 911 brought out multiple agencies.

The 36-year-old man from Richmond, California had been kayaking about 400-500 yards offshore when his kayak starting taking on water through a hole.

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. - Fire crews are still on the scene of a house fire tonight.

At 10:30 p.m.. October 9, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) was called to a home on Warr Road. Nearby residents calling into the 911 dispatch center said flames were visible, and due to the number of calls, SLTFR Battalion Chief Jay Manning called for Tahoe Douglas and Lake Valley fire departments to come assist as he was en route.

Upon arrival, they found the one-story home fully engulfed in fire. Firefighters could see "heavy fire involvement" on the right side of the home.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Construction crews hit two different gas lines this week near the Y in South Lake Tahoe, causing a break in the line and evacuations.

On Monday, a contractor's crew hit a gas line on Julie Lane, followed by another crew in the area of D and Dedi Streets breaking a line on Tuesday.

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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Emergency personnel were called out to a home on Springwood Drive in South Lake Tahoe early Monday morning after a vehicle crashed into it, severing the gas meter.

Upon arrival just before 3:00 a.m. July 15, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) found a car still running and on its side after it hit the unoccupied home. The driver was nowhere to be found.

Update 4:30pm: Highway 50 has reopened.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A crew working on the new Highway 50 project struck a gas line Tuesday at 2:44 p.m., prompting evacuations of businesses at 2717 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue has two engines and a battalion chief at the scene, and as of 3:30 p.m. they are waiting for Liberty Utilities to arrive to shut off the power. According to SLTFR Battalion Chief Karl Koeppen, there is a large electrical box adjacent to the gas line and they wanted power clamped off before addressing the gas issue.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since its arrival, the 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck the City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) purchased has been been a "lemon," and now they have reached a settlement with the manufacturer, Ferrara Fire Apparatus of Holden, Louisiana.

In 2014, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) took possession of a 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck at the tune of almost $1,050,000. It was purchased to replace the aging ladder truck SLTFR had from 1982 and was paid for with funds from California sales tax money devoted to public safety.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Besides shoveling snow from walkways and driveways, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) is reminding residents to shovel out their gas meters.

Twice in a 24-hour period, SLTFR had to respond to two gas leaks caused by snow piled on top of gas meters. While this is a normal occurrence during a storm like what South Lake Tahoe is experiencing now, it is entirely preventable.

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 at 9:00 a.m. 1/12/19: One man has been arrested in connection with this fire. To see more: http://southtahoenow.com/story/01/12/2019/one-arrested-south-lake-tahoe-honey-oil-explosion

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UPDATE at 8:45 p.m. 1/11/19: The South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue is still on the scene of an earlier fire on Kyburz Avenue. The cause of the fire is under investigation by both the fire and police departments.

New Detective Sgt. Travis Cabral said he did not expect any further updates tonight.

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A home in South Lake Tahoe is most likely a total loss after a fire ripped through it Friday evening.

At 5:08 p.m. on November 2, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) was dispatched to a home in the 1800 block of Delta Street in the Y area of town. Upon arrival they found an 800-square-foot home fully engulfed with flames.

The two residents of the house were not at home when the fire broke out.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If all goes as planned, the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Station 2 will once again be a fire station by the end of 2019.

Since December 2015, the station has housed the Cal Tahoe JPA ambulances and staff. This move decreased response times by the paramedics and EMTs, but increased response time by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) whose other two stations are at the "Y" and Ski Run Blvd.

11:00 a.m. update 9/11/18 - Douglas County Sheriff's Office is reporting that two men went into the water and that one, a man in his 30s, has not been found at this time. The other man was transported to the hospital.

On Monday, underwater drones and K9s were used in the water along with law enforcement boats to aid in the search.

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LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Multiple agencies spent Sunday night and most of Monday searching for a person who reportedly jumped off a boat near Nevada Beach.