South Lake Tahoe motel suffers damage in fire
Submitted by paula on Mon, 01/24/2022 - 3:59pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A very quick response by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) Monday morning helped keep fire damage to three rooms at the Pinewood Inn.
At 11:34 a.m. Monday, the report of a structure fire at the South Lake Tahoe motel came into emergency dispatch. The Pinewood Inn is located at 3818 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
SLTFR Battalion Chief Jay Manning was just two blocks away when the call came in and as he pulled into the motel parking lot he saw smoke coming from one of the rooms on the east wing.
Three SLTFR engines were just heading into a training session on Ski Run Blvd., so they too were very close and were able to respond to the fire quickly.
The fire had extended from one main room into two adjoining rooms. The cause of the fire is under investigation but Manning said the room's heater and an electrical outlet are probably the culprits. Nobody had been staying in the room and it was just cleaned by staff on Sunday.
Manning said the cause is accidental.
Motel staff thought at first the fire was outside and took a fire extinguisher to the area of the building where the gas line is located.
SLTFR was able to knock the fire down quickly. Crews from Lake Valley and Tahoe Douglas fire departments also were called.
The first fire hydrant responders tried to tie into had no water coming out, so SLTFR called for a water tender from Lake Valley. Before it arrived they were able to get a second fire hydrant in use.
Manning said South Tahoe Public Utility District arrived to check the hydrant. For hydrants not having an updated drain under them, freezing is common. Many of the City's 2,200 fire hydrants do not have drains and are prone to freezing. Manning said the first hydrant was able to get water flowing after chunks of ice broke free.
The motel suffered structural damage and is closed until the electrical and gas meters can be brought back online and building permits pulled for repairs.
One room suffered heavy damage, moderate damage to the two rooms on the side, and some smoke that traveled through the common attic space got into other rooms.