Fire starts in Rabe Meadow at Lake Tahoe, quickly doused

STATELINE, Nev. - On a day that the high winds could have made any small fire turn rather large in minutes, the community is lucky a fire at the Lam Watah Trail in Rabe Meadows was put out quickly.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) and its Zephyr crew and new Shoreline crew wildland firefighters were able to quickly jump on the fire Monday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

"This could have had the potential to get big if the wind carried any embers across the highway (US50)," said TDFPD Fire Marshal Eric Guevin. "We really need people to be vigilant, especially during high wind events."

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Guevin said there are homeless camps in the area but at this time it is unknown how it started.

Crews were able to keep the fire at 60' x 80' in an area full of brush and willow trees.