smoke

Drug task force agents investigating the alleged sales and use of illegal narcotics in the South Lake Tahoe city limits arrested seven adults and confiscated drugs and paraphernalia.

Agents from the South Lake El Dorado Narcotic Enforcement Task Team (SLEDNET) served a search warrant at a home located in the 800 block of Tallac Road on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.

Inside the home, they found 11 adults, seven of them who claimed to reside at the location.

8 p.m. update 8/18/15:

The Walker Fire has now burned 3,715 acres and is now 35% contained. It has been determined that the fire is human caused and is under investigation.

There are 484 firefighters working on the fire along with 4 helicopters, 2 Air tankers, 34 Engines, 10 Crews, 6 Water Tenders, and 4 Dozers.

235 structures remain threatened but none have burned so far.

A new vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance will take effect in South Lake Tahoe on October 1, 2015.

The new ordinance will require all homeowners who want to rent out their homes to get it inspected by the Zoning Administrator prior to being issued a license. Since the real estate community told City Council that not having a permit prior to escrow may cause homeowners to lose sales, the current homeowner may now get it inspected prior to the sale in order to take as much uncertainty away from sales as possible. This inspection will be valid for one year.

Smoke from the Lowell Fire and Willow Fire will continue to hang around the Lake Tahoe basin and surrounding areas on Monday according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. West winds will transition to northeast winds on Monday afternoon, allowing for areas of dense smoke to push west of the Sierra crest.

The South Lake Tahoe forecast from the NWS:

Monday - Widespread haze before 11am. Areas of smoke after 11 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the morning.

Monday evening - Clear, with a low around 40. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Just a day after people celebrated the opening of highways through the Washington Fire area south of Markleeville, a mudslide has closed Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass. The road is closed 2.4 miles south of town.

A strong thunderstorm formed over the northwest half of the fire Wednesday, bringing heavy rains and frequent lightning.

Firefighters on the Washington Fire lines south of Markleeville enjoyed lighter winds as they fought the flames on Tuesday, but the winds were just strong enough to push some smoke into the Lake Tahoe basin.

Temperatures near Markleeville were 81-85 degrees with winds in the fire area moving up slope/up valley at 5 mph to 10 mph. Ridge top winds were light in the morning.

Calm winds are expected for the rest of the week with temperatures in the 90s.

There is a slight chance for thunderstorms and showers through Monday, June 29.

The National Weather Service has issued a dense smoke advisory for areas downwind of the ‪Washington Fire burning a few miles south of Markleville.

Dense smoke is expected in Smith Valley, Mason Valley, and Antelope Valley. Other areas may also be impacted by smoke.

Please take precautions to avoid activities outdoors when there is smoke present. http://goo.gl/KLpcln

The warning is in effect until 5 a.m. Monday. Visibility is at 1/2 mile to 1 mile.

The impact of vacation rentals, a popular option for tourist lodging, is a big, and controversial topic in South Lake Tahoe.

A one-half acre parcel of land that once held two South Lake Tahoe businesses will soon be restored to open space after a land purchase by the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC). The two buildings, located at 2122 Lake Tahoe Blvd, will be razed in the next few weeks according to Joe Pepi, Program Coordinator/Associate Environmental Planner with CTC.

Tahoe Psychic and Heads Up Smoke Shop have both been cleared out and a fence has been placed around the property. The smoke shop has relocated a block away.

Prescribed fire operations may continue around Lake Tahoe this week if weather permits. There are just two areas planned for burning: Off Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore.

Smoke from the fires is normal and may continue for several days after materials have been ignited.

The Heavenly Valley fire area has 70.25 acres of hand piles to burn. There are 23 acres of hand piles and machine piles left to burn.

Firefighters late Sunday sought to control a Southern California wildfire that broke out in a forested basin, prompting the evacuation of about 300 homes.

The Riverside County fire, near the Prado Basin and the intersection of Highways 91 and 71, was 1,020 acres and 35% contained, said Cal Fire. Evacuation orders had been lifted, but the agency warned nearby communities would experience low-lying smoke. The fire in the densely covered river basin had sent up huge plumes of smoke.

April 12 to 18 was national Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. Cancer from the neck up is typically associated with the tongue, throat, and voice box. But oral, head, and neck cancers can also occur in the mouth, lips, thyroid glands, nasal cavity, or sinuses.

Traditionally, tobacco and alcohol users were considered the populations at greatest risk. Now, according to new research from the American Academy of Otolaryngology, about ten percent of new cases of oral cancer is attributed to human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted infection.

Several areas around the Lake Tahoe basin are slated to be burned starting Monday, April 13, as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) continues prescribed burns.

Fire operations are scheduled in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow at the following locations:

Heavenly - 70.25 acres scheduled for fire operations
Logan Creek Drive - 20 acres scheduled for fire operations

Expect to see some smoke around the Lake Tahoe basin this week as the U.S. Forest Service continues their prescribed fire operations.

Starting Monday, March 30, 2015, weather permitting, the burning of hand piles of wood and slash will take place in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, on Luther Pass near Grass Lake, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service are expected to conduct prescribed fire operations around the Tahoe Basin next week, beginning Monday, March 16, 2015, weather permitting.

Operations are scheduled southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Edgewood Canyon on lower Kingsbury Grade and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore. Operations may last through the next several weeks, as long as conditions allow.

Smoke be seen around the lake starting on Monday, March 9 due to the Nevadd Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service fire operations.

Burning is scheduled to take place southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore, Slaughterhouse Canyon and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park north of Spooner Summit.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Joint fire operations by the Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service are resuming in the Lake Tahoe area.

Depnding on weather conditions, South Shore operations will take place on Gardner Mountain near STHS and off of Gardner Street, in Christmas Valley, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, on Ski Run Blvd. near Heavenly Valley, on lower Kingsbury near Easy Street, Logan Creek Drive and southwest of Meeks Bay. On the Northern half, activity will be seen in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park north of Spooner Summmet off Hwy 28 and at Memorial Point near Sand Harbor.

It took several more months than planned, but Soup Tahoe is now open on the South Shore.

In September, South Tahoe Now announced that SUP Tahoe would be converted into Soup Tahoe during the non-summer months where stand up paddling isn't as popular.

"There were many more regulations than we first figured into our business plan," said owner Eddie Smith of the delay in opening. Smith and his wife, Kimberly, got the doors opened to Soup Tahoe last week.

Tuesday's City Council meeting will cover a range of subjects, from commission appointments to a look at the Vacation Home Rental Policy.

At the January 20 City Council meeting, appointments were made to all boards but three spots remained opened. One should be filled at this week's meeting as there was one applicant for the Airport Land Use Commission opening. Scott Michal applied and will be appointed if Council believes he meets the qualifications.

Dr. Graham Kent (STHS class of 1980) from the UNR Seismological Laboratory will give a presentation on ALERT Tahoe . ALERT Tahoe is a new, one-of-a-kind, fire camera and multi-hazard tracking system that includes smoke investigation, prescribed fire oversight, wildfire tracking, Earthquake Early Warning, and monitoring of extreme weather events. A prototype of the fire camera system is functioning, scoring early successes during the summer of 2014.

Dr. Kent will present on the existing and planned camera system, in an incredibly interesting presentation.

Location

Kirkwood Mountain Realty, the premier real estate company for Kirkwood, CA, announces the development of Timber Creek Townhomes, showcasing sustainable design with smart home technology and modern home features.

Construction is underway on 21 new, ski-in, ski-out townhomes in the heart of Timber Creek Village. Owners will enjoy easy access to the high-speed lifts of Vail Resorts’ Kirkwood Mountain Resort, and the renowned Ski & Ride School.

It's a sunny afternoon at Kelly's Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, and Nikki Esquibel is getting stoned. But you wouldn't know it.

The 19-year-old, who has a medical prescription for marijuana, is "smoking" pot with a handheld vaporizer, or a vape pen. It's sleek, black, and virtually indistinguishable from a high-end e-cigarette.

That's the point, says Esquibel. "I use it mostly around my neighborhood. It's easy to hide." The vapor coming from the device doesn't even have much of an odor.

California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations on Monday, January 26, 2015. Operations may take place near Tahoe City on Highway 28 between Rocky Ridge and Lake Forest, near Emerald Bay at Eagle Point Campground, the Boat Camp and behind Vikingsholm, Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive and the north side of Spooner Summit. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations beginning Monday, January 12, 2015.