fire department

Lake Valley Fire Department (LVFD) crews responded to a roof collapse off of Nahane Street Wednesday morning. The flat roof and deck collapsed over the garage of the Meyers area home had due to a heavy snow load.

A neighbor saw the damage March 22 and called it in, but they are unsure of when the incident actually occurred.

Crews immediately shut off the gas to the property and notified Liberty Utilities, Southwest Gas, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department and Building Department.

The roof over a South Shore condominium collapsed Friday morning, destroying one of the units and damaging the other.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department (TDFD) responded to the March 10 incident on Kingsbury Grade on the lake side of its intersection with South Benjamin Drive.

"Looks like a total loss as the only thing still standing is garage, but even that ceiling is damaged," said Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall Eric Guevin.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) responded to a five car collision Sunday, February 26 on Pioneer Trail near Woodbine Road at 9:00 a.m.

One car was stopped, attempting to make a turn onto Woodbine from Pioneer trail when an oncoming driver behind them hit their brakes, couldn't stop on the icy road and went over the guardrail.

As other drivers came upon the accident, they too crashed. The final car involved was looking at the car over the guardrail and didn't see the crash in front of her, swerved, hit the guardrail and slipped.

The driver of a Pontiac Grand Am was unharmed after his car caught on fire in the Sierra Tract neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue responded to the call near the corner of Reno and Osborne streets at 1:15 p.m. Upon arrival they found flames coming from the car's engine. The driver has been heading down the street when he noticed smoke coming from the engine and pulled over.

A 13-year-old girl who became stuck up to her waist in a mud bog along a hiking trail near Combs Canyon was plucked to safety Friday afternoon by a Carson City sheriff’s deputy.

Kaitlin Schultz said she was “very cold” but “very happy” to be found safe after she had stepped into a four-foot deep mud hole and was unable to free herself along a hiking trail near Ormsby and Combs Canyon Road in northwest Carson City.

There were several areas through South Lake Tahoe that experienced flooding on Tuesday as rain from an atmospheric river hit the region, with two Meyers area streets getting the brunt of the storm.

Caltrans, El Dorado County and City of South Lake Tahoe crews, along with homeowners worked through the day to get standing water off the road, out of driveways and even homes.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter was called out to help with an injured skier who in the backcountry with three friends between Donner Lake and Boreal Ski Resort on Friday.

The victim said he and three other skiers had started their day at the Donner Pass Rest Area, hiked up the mountain for some backcountry skiing and then injured his lower leg while skiing down a shoot between two cliffs. The group used a cell phone and called 9-1-1 to request help. They were found near Flora Lake at approximately 7,500 feet in elevation.

2:00 p.m. update - Joe Zuiches, a 42 year-old resident of Olympic Valley and a member of the Squaw Valley professional ski patrol since 2012, was killed in a fatal incident at 8:35 a.m. Tuesday morning, prior to regularly scheduled operations, during avalanche control activities at the top of Gold Coast Ridge at Squaw Valley. The cause is believed to be the detonation of an explosive charge. An investigation is ongoing in cooperation with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and North Tahoe Fire Department.

Not all changes to the City of South Lake Tahoe's master fee schedule results in higher fees for residents and business owners.

During Tuesday' City Council meeting, Kevin Fabino, Director of the Development Services Department, presented the new Fire/Life Safety Inspection Program, something all South Lake Tahoe businesses must participate in annually for the safety of their customers and staff. The SLT Fire Department conducted the inspections until 2011, but they were suspended due to staffing shortages until 2015 when a fire inspector was hired for Fabino's department.

Law enforcement is preparing for the annual New Year's Eve party held at Stateline, an outdoor that at one time saw 50,000 people in the streets.

Though Highway 50 through Stateline hasn't had to close until just before midnight the past two years, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is prepared to close it to vehicle traffic in the evening if necessary for public safety. If that should occur, vehicle traffic will be diverted around the Stateline casino core area using upper and lower Lake Parkway Drive.

Carson City Fire Department, Nevada Highway Patrol and sheriff's deputies were called to two vehicle crashes on Highway 50 and Spooner west of Carson City this Friday afternoon.

One crash was reported at 3:12 p.m. to be two miles east of Carson City with injuries reported. The other crash was reported at 3:11 p.m. near the junction of State Route 28 in the eastbound lane, according to dispatch.

Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain Mark McLeod Wygant, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court today to transportation of child pornography.

Following an FBI and SLT Police Department investigation, Wygant was a
arrested on Jan. 29 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He had been immediately placed on administration leave but resigned just days after his arrest.

"I am pleased that Mr. Wygant plead guilty to his crime and the punishment will now in the hands of the criminal justice system," said SLT Fire Chief Jeff Meston.

3::45 p.m. update: The Kings Beach man killed in an accident at Northstar has been identified as 35-year-old Dennis Baltimore, a ski instructor at the resort. His Facebook page says he was also once a Zipline Guide at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe.

According to reports, Baltimore had been on his skis on Village Run about 12:00 p.m. when a snowboarder in front of him hit a patch of ice and lost control. He tried to avoid the snowboarder but he crashed into rocks and a creek bed.

The following are incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue department responded to from November 23 to December 6, 2016.

11/23/16: 9 calls: 3 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 vehicle accident no injuries, 1 vehicle vs pedestrian accident, 1 cooking fire confined to container, 1 no incident found, 1 mobile property fire

11/24/16: 11 calls: 6 EMS, 1 EMS canceled en route, 1 smoke detector activation/no fire, 1 water or steam leak, 1 unauthorized burning, 1 water problem "other"

South Lake Tahoe native Zach McAllister passed away unexpectedly on November 12, 2016. His bright smile and beautiful soul will be deeply missed by his family and friends. His passing has left a huge hole in each of our hearts.

The following are incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue department responded to from October 12 to November 8, 2016.

10/12/16: 11 calls: 4 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 woodland fire, 2 water or steam leak, 1 no incident found, 1 smoke scare/odor of smoke, 1 CO detector activation

10/13/16: 11 calls: 5 EMS, 1 police matter, 1 call to assist invalid, 1 smoke detector activation-no fire, 1 good intent call, 1 canceled en route, 1 interfacility transfer

On Friday, Dec. 2 the Meyers Community Foundation (MCF) will hold the sixth annual Tree Lighting at 5:00 p.m. in the Divided Sky/Downtown Café parking lot. The MCF will serve popcorn, hot chocolate and other goodies.

The Christmas fire truck and Santa will return via the CALSTAR helicopter (weather and circumstance permitting). The event is free and open to the public.

The Meyers Community Foundation (MCF) is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving life in Meyers, California through its support and promotion of creative and sustainable local projects and community-enhancing events.

Location

UPDATE 1:00PM 10/15/16: The Little Valley Fire in Washoe Valley has now burned 3,460 acres with 5 percent containment. Four injuries due to smoke inhalation have been reported.

The Sierra Front Type III Incident Management Team reports that 22 residences and 17-outbuildings have been destroyed. 500 structures are still under threat.

Interstate 580 is open in both directions, as is old U.S. Highway 395. Franktown Road, the area where most of the home damage is, remains closed.

Thank you Jeff Munson and CarsonNow.org for the continuous coverage and updates of the fire.

The following are incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue department responded to from September 22 to September 30, 2016

9/22/16: 9 calls - 6 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 2 police matters

9/23/16: 11 calls - 7 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 carbon monoxide incident, 2 good intent calls

9/24/16: 9 calls - 3 EMS, 1 carbon monoxide detector activated - no CO, 1 police matter, 1 wildland fire, 1 barbeque/tar kettle, 1 fire "other," 1 emergency medical service "other"

The following are incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue department responded to from September 13 to September 21, 2016

9/13/16: 4 calls - 3 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer

9/14/16: 11 calls - 4 EMS, 2 interfacility transfers, 1 interfacility psych transfer, 3 dispatched and canceled en route, 1 service call

9/15/16: 6 calls - 3 EMS, 1 sprinkler activation - no fire, 1 carbon monoxide detector activation - no CO, 1 vehicle accident with injuries

9/16/16: 8 calls - 2 EMS, 3 interfacility transfers, 1 public service, 1 smoke or odor removal, 1 vehicle accident with injuries

I was invited to take part in training with South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue in the demonstration fire trailer on Tuesday, an experience I won't soon forget, even though the temperatures I experienced were far below that of a real fire.

As I put on my fire pants, jacket, boots and head gear, my respect for firefighters instantly grew (even though it was already high on the scale). The heavy clothing protected my skin and clothing as I was exposed to 500 degrees, something most of us will never feel.

Due to a venue conflict, the 2016 FireFest will be held at Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe on Saturday, September 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The free event is open to the public.

The following are incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue department responded to from September 1 to 7, 2016.

9/1/16 - 8 calls: 4 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 2 public service, 1 smoke detector activation

9/2/16 - 10 calls: 3 EMS, 2 assist invalid, 2 wildland fires, 1 canceled en route, 1 alarm activation - no fire, 1 vehicle accident no fire

9/3/16 - 14 calls: 6 EMS, 2 interfacility transfers, 1 smoke detector activation - no fire, 1 power line down, 1 water problem, 2 unauthorized burning, 1 brush fire