road

It has taken firefighters 10 days to contain 98 percent of the Boot Fire. The remaining open line is in the northern reaches of the fire area. Very steep slopes and thick timber made it unsafe for firefighters to work, thus delaying containment.

The fire burned 6,974 acres and at times closed US 395 between Walker and Bridgeport.

With the increased containment of the Boot Fire, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is now able to reopen some of the closed area on the Bridgeport Ranger District.

Due to extremely dry vegetation and very high fire danger, recreational target shooting is prohibited in the Eldorado National Forest until at least October 9, 2018. In the Lake Tahoe Basin, it is not prohibited but they suggest those wishing to target shoot go to one of the legal ranges in Carson City or Gardnerville for safety reasons.

The 2018/19 flu season almost upon us and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending an annual influenza vaccination for everyone six months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine.

They said flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses (the B/Victoria component was changed and the influenza A(H3N2) component was updated).

9/14/18 Update: The KOA Farewell Sale continues on Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23. Everything in the store is an additional 20 percent off the already deeply discounted prices.

Saturday's hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday is from noon to 6:00 p.m.

You'll find: RV Parts (Sewer hoses @ cost, propane supplies)
Camping Supplies, (Flashlights, sleeping bags, bug repellents, etc)
Fishing Equipment (Poles, bait, lures, etc)
Kitchen Gadgets (Pots & pans, BBQ supplies, utensils galore
Toys, Games, Jewelry, Tee Shirts & Souvenirs, and a BUNCH of other stuff.

Firefighers now have a containment line around three percent of the Boot Fire as 6,873 acres have burned. Fire activity moderated yesterday with little fire growth occurring. More than 570 firefighters and numerous helicopters are making headway.

1:00 p.m. update 9/8/18 - Firefighters now have a containment line around three percent of the boot fire which has now grown to 6,873 acres. US 395 nd SR 108 are now open. For a complete update: http://southtahoenow.com/story/09/08/2018/us-395-and-sr-108-open-near-boot-fire-forest-closed-public
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As of Wednesday afternoon, 4,142 acres are burning between the North Fire, Sliger Fire and Boot Fire.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a K9 team captured a suspect wanted for the armed carjacking of a woman who was leaving the Burning Man event late Tuesday afternoon.

8:20 p.m. update 8/4/18: The North Fire acreage has grown to approximately 700 acres. It continues to burn in the North Fork of the American River Canyon, and area characterized by steep, rugged terrain. The Helibase has been been moved to Truckee. It remains at 10% contained.
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9:00 a.m. update 9/4/18: Updated mapping has shown the North fire has burned 500 acres. Hand crews, dozers, and engines worked through the night establishing an anchor point and starting to flank the fire with handline, hose lays, and dozer line. 10 percent contained.

It's always fun for the whole family at the annual Firehouse Pancake Breakfast at the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Station on Elks Point Road in Round Hill. This year join them on Saturday, September 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for pancakes, fire station tours, fire safety games, bomb squad demonstrations, learn defensible space and much more. People can even dress like a fire fighter, take photos with the trucks and meet the fire chief.

A motorhome being driven recklessly through South Lake Tahoe and Stateline led law enforcement on a high-speed ride along Highway 50, over Spooner Summit and into the Carson Valley before it crashed into a building in Gardnerville, Nev.

At 10:30 p.m. Sunday, August 26, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) was alerted about the 1997 Airstream motorhome speeding through South Lake Tahoe, running red lights and traveling without headlamps on. They saw it as it crossed into Nevada traveling 55 mph in a 35-mph zone when an enforcement stop was initiated.

The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Valley Division and Golden Gate Divisions, having jurisdiction over the Sacramento regions and San Francisco Bay Area, are partnering with the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) to participate in an “I-80 Challenge.”

This effort aims to reduce distracted and reckless driving along the 615 miles of Interstate 80 from San Francisco, Calif. to the Nevada/Utah Stateline from Monday, August 27 – Labor Day, September 3, 2018, by enhancing traffic safety, enforcement, and education along this section of the National Highway System.

There are still several fires burning in California but firefighters have gained the upper hand on many of them.

Ferguson Fire: The Ferguson Fire is now at 96,901 acres with 100 percent containment and 881 personnel currently engaged on the fire. During the most critical time in the fire, over 3,000 people were assigned to the incident from all over the world. There have been 2 fatalities and 19 injuries. 10 structures have been destroyed.

There ought to be a compromise letting city homeowners rent out their houses to vacationers, but the topic is controversial. The city once felt residents should know what was permissible in their neighborhoods and maintained an online database listing. This has been removed. Maybe residents shouldn't know about rentals allowing 22 guests?

Location

The following is a list of the Caltrans roadwork projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County for the week of August 19 - August 25, 2018.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

On Tuesday, August 14, parts of the Terrace View neighborhood off Kingsbury Grade were closed off as emergency responders investigated possible explosives at a home.

A homeowner called 911 when he found wires coming out of a hole in rocks. With all of the blasting that occurred in the granite around the lake in the past, he was unsure if the wire led to active explosives.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (RDFPD) arrived to investigate, shutting down Terrace View Drive from Kingsbury Grade to Kingsbury Circle.

We've all seen them. Trailers and vehicles of all types parked on the side of the road for days, and even weeks or months with no apparent owner. Have you ever wondered what the process is?

In July, a white Mustang was abandoned on the side of Gardner Street behind Les Schwab Tires. It was stripped of everything of value, including tires and parts of the motor. Some remains of this once nice car, along with computer parts were strewn about, left for someone to take care of.

Who is that someone?

With a goal of being sustainable, Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) is changing the way they provide transit in Lake Tahoe starting November 1, 2018.

"This is a reboot, not an end," said Carl Hasty, TTD District Manager at the District's board meeting Friday. "We'll all feel some pain but it's not the end."

There will be some cut routes, reduced hours, elimination of winter shuttles along with an addition of service to Meyers. Buses will now operate 14 hours a day instead of the current 20 hours.

The West Shore service (Emerald Bay Shuttle) and its connections to TahoeTruckee

The annual Lake Tahoe Summit held this week at Sand Harbor State Park marked the 22nd time government officials, public agencies, non-profit environmental groups, the public and other groups came together to renew their focus and commitment on preserving the beauty of Lake Tahoe.

A cub hit and killed by a car on Keller Road Monday night makes three bears who have died in the same manner in just 10 days on the South Shore. In the last three weeks, there have been a total of five hit by cars between Tahoma, South Lake Tahoe and Meyers according to Toogee Sielsch, South Lake Tahoe bear advocate.

In Monday's incident, a vehicle hit one of the three cubs born to Hazel, a neighborhood bear that residents have named and watched over. The speed limit in the area is 25 mph.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

7/25

8:20 a.m. - Lost Property - Cornelian Dr - LOST CELL PHONE

Due to the 22nd annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Tuesday, the South Lake Tahoe City Council has moved their bi-monthy meeting to Monday, August 6, 2018 at 4:00 p.m.

Council will continue their discussion on cost recovery methods when attempting to collect fines from homeowners, as well as new agenda items covering a tree thinning project on airport property and payment plans on parking violations due to changes in California law.

An update for recent fires in El Dorado County, Yosemite, Pyramid Lake and Redding, Calif.

The Ferguson Fire near the western border of Yosemite is now in its 22nd day. It has consumed 73,560 acres and is now 41 percent contained. Yosemite National Park announces Yosemite Valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, and other areas will remain closed to all visitors through Sunday, August 5, 2018 due to continued unhealthy smoke impacts and ongoing firefighting operations.

8:00 p.m. update: Omega Fire is 10 percent contained, reported at 80 acres with 1 destroyed residence and two damaged residences. The evacuation center has been relocated to Northside Elementary School, 860 Cave Valley Road, Cool, Calif.

The Bumper Fire is 80 percent contained and it has burned 67 acres according to CalFire.

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Three fires started in El Dorado County Wednesday, prompting law enforcement to evacuate residents from several streets in the areas as firefighters fought the fire from both the ground and the air.