tahoe douglas fire department

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. - 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.

One apartment was heavily damaged during an afternoon fire in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday.

At 4:00 p.m. on July 25, 2018, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) was called out to the Rockwater Apartments in the 700 block of Emerald Bay Road. A fire had erupted on the deck of one of the apartments, apparently at a propane tank.

11:47 p.m. update: Eastbound lanes on Highway 50 have reopened. The westbound lanes are still closed and traffic must use Lake Parkway instead.

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10:45 p.m. update: Limited traffic will soon be allowed back on two lanes of Highway 50 through Stateline after NV Energy has re-energized their lines and power is back on in the area. As of 10:30 p.m., Douglas County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said it should be about an hour longer until open.

Explosion holes are being patched temporarily and traffic will not be allowed to drive on the plates.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department is holding their annual Labor Day Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, September 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Station 23 at 193 Elks Point Road.

Meet TDFD Chief Scott Baker and the firefighters, tour the station, play fire safety games, learn how to use an extinguisher, see bomb squad demonstrations and learn how to properly install a car seat.

Since its a pancake breakfast, they are also serving up breakfast! A $5 donation is suggested for adults and kids over 12, those under 12 are free.

Funds raised go to community causes such as youth scholarships.

The Pony Express Re-Ride 2017 is almost in the history books. The mochila (mailbag) was transferred to a rider at the Nevada/California state line at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday night. That rider then went down Pioneer Trail to Echo Summit.

Kingsbury Grade was closed for several hours Friday after a collision between a motorhome and a Nissan Pathfinder sent several victims to area hospitals and resulted in the death of one of the drivers.

At 1:30 p.m., the two vehicles collided about 1.5 miles down from the summit on the valley side of the road. One person from each vehicle had to be extricated according to Fire Marshall Eric Guevin of Tahoe Douglas Fire Department.

Care Flight landed at the bottom of Kingsbury Grade to transport the victims.

A 63-year-old man diving in Lake Tahoe near Glenbrook Bay died on Monday, September 5.

Marine Patrols from Douglas County Sheriff, Washoe County Sheriff and El Dorado County Sheriff, along with Tahoe Douglas Fire all responded to the distress call of a scuba diver in trouble just after 10:00 a.m.

ZEPHYR COVE, NV - Investigators and vessel inspectors from Coast Guard Sector San Francisco are on the scene of Tuesday's fire on board the 119-foot passenger Lake Tahoe paddle wheel boat, the Tahoe Queen.

"Most of the damage is limited to the boat's pilot house and second deck," Lt. Jake Aulner of the U.S. Coast Guard told South Tahoe Now. "This can be attributed to the great response by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department."

Aulner and the team from USCG Yerba Buena Island will be at the scene until the cause of the morning blaze is determined.

Retired Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Ben Sharit can now rest assured that his former fire department is in good hands with the promotion of Scott Baker to Fire Chief. Baker took over the controls in July 1.

He came to the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department in December as Assistant Chief as a nation-wide search, but it turned out they didn't have to look far as Baker was Division Chief of Fleet and Facilities for the Reno Fire Department.

Tens of thousands of people will be enjoying the Lights on the Lake fireworks show over Lake Tahoe Monday, most of them unaware of the hundreds of hours of work put into their enjoyment.

"We love out job," said Zambelli Fireworks Western Region Project Manager John Hagan. "We can use explosives to make people happy."

Zambelli is the company hired to produce the 25 minute pyrotechnic show over Lake Tahoe on July 4, starting at 9:45 p.m.

The Zephyr Fire Crew no longer has to call the old landfill on Upper Kingsbury Grade's Logging Road Lane as their home. The Tahoe Douglas Fire Department's wildland fire/fuels reduction team was officially welcomed into new digs with an open house this week. The Tahoe Chamber was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony, but it wasn't any normal ribbon. Zephyr Fire crew members cut through a wooden ribbon with a chainsaw.

Every year, South Lake Tahoe fire agencies prepare to fight fires around the basin but they rarely get to practice evacuations of residents.

That opportunity came on Monday when the Tahoe Douglas Fire District and Skyland Fire Adapted Community executed an inter-agency wildfire evacuation drill in the Skyland neighborhood.

The drill simulated a real evacuation event to give residents the opportunity to practice evacuating from their homes and getting to the designated safe zone.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Department is holding a blood drive in honor of Fresno Fire Department Captain Pete Dern who was burned over 70% of his body while responding to an house fire in March.

Not only will donations show support for first responders who put their lives on the line to aid and protect us, donors also earn a chance at winning one of two $750 Southwest Airlines gift cards.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary has been a part of the South Shore community since 1962, and, as are the other 1.2 million Rotarians in the world, are bound by a commong purpose, Service Above Self. The club felt it was an ideal fit to recognize police and fire professionals in the community who make sacrifies every day to serve and protect.

For the next six days, South Tahoe Now will highlight each of this year's winners of the inagural First Responder Community Hero Award.

Inventories of some blood types have taken a dip in recent weeks and are needed in the community. United Blood Services watches their inventories closely to ensure they have the necessary blood products on the shelf for people in our community in need of a blood transfusion for elective and trauma surgeries and other serious medical conditions.

They are holding a blood drive at the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department at 193 Elks Point R on Thursday, September 25 from noon to 5 p.m. to help fill those shelves with blood.

Summer months can be very challenging for our community blood program, so roll up your sleeves and show your support. To meet local hospital commitments blood banks need the help of about 125 donors per day.

7:45 pm update: According to Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire District's Fire Marshall, the cause of the fire by Kingsbury Middle School was human caused and is under investigation. Due to quick response by the Zephyr Fire Crew and Tahoe Douglas Firefighters, along with favorable weather, the fire only burned a 50' x 50' area. A resident in the area, Dr. Jeff Behar, rode his bike to the scene when he saw the smoke and found the crews distinguishing the fire and provided South Tahoe Now with photos.

A Wednesday night house fire in South Lake Tahoe has turned into a criminal investigation.

South Lake Tahoe Police officers and fire fighters responded to a residential fire in the 1100 block of Long Valley Avenue at 6:10 pm. They found the home fully engulfed in flames with fire starting to spread to nearby trees, though they were able to contain the fire to the area of the burning home. It appears the house is likely to be a total loss.

The house has received the attention of the police and fire department prior to Wednesday night's fire.