tahoe douglas fire

A 33-year old Zephyr Cove woman was injured in a Wednesday morning accident near Cave Rock.

According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, Jocelyn Hernandez Mata was driving a Chrysler Sebring convertible eastbound on Hwy 50 through the tunnel at a speed too fast for conditions. She lost control on the wet and icy road, went off the roadway edge and struck a rock embankment. Mata's car then overturned and came to rest on its right side.

She was transported to the Renown by a Tahoe Douglas Fire ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

The accident occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m.

Mark A. Novak, the current assistant chief for the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, has been named to head the Vail Fire Department.

Novak, 48, will begin full-time employment with the town on Feb. 2. He was selected from a field of 105 candidates during a national search process which included six finalists.

High winds kept emergency personnel busy throughout the day on Thursday. Downed power lines and trees wrecked havoc on the South Shore where many residents were without power for much of the day and evening.

A 200 ft tall tree fell at St. Theresa's Catholic Church just before noon. A photo of the tree barely missing the statue of St. Theresa in front of the church made it to the national news via Associated Press according to Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Marshall Eric Guevin. Most of the damage was to the tree.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire District is holding a community blood drive on Thursday, November 20 from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the fire station located at 193 Elk Point Drive in Round Hill.

Celebrate the season by giving the best way you can, with life.

The process is made easier with on line registration and appointment scheduling on the United Blood Services website.

I’ve lived in South Lake Tahoe for 22 years, and I’m the Dean of Career & Technical Education and Instruction at Lake Tahoe Community College. I'd like to share a few stories about students I’ve known through my work at LTCC, and how Measure F will provide new pathways to create many more great stories like these – stories about young people whose lives were changed because of the programs and opportunities available through our local community college.

It's that time of year again for flu shots!

All South Lake Tahoe residents on both sides of the state line are invited to stop by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Station on Saturday, October 25 for a free flu vaccination.

The flu vaccinations are being provided by Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHHS) and Tahoe Douglas Fire.

Shots, mist and high dose for seniors are all available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Tahoe Douglas Fire Station #23 located at 193 Elks Point Road.

The nomination period for the 2014 Blue Ribbon Awards ended on Friday, October 10 at noon. TahoeChamber’s prestigious awards program that recognizes exceptional South Shore businesses received over 175 nominations for eight separate award categories. The finalists and winners will be announced at the 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Awards dinner and ceremony on November 13 at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Tickets for the awards ceremony are now available for purchase at www.tahoechamber.org.

The Nominees:

Update 9-14-14 12:00 p.m. - The outside deck of a home located at 111 Tramway caught fire Saturday evening, causing the closure of Kingsbury Grade. The two alarm fire moved onto the home's siding and was extinguished by a Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District engine company.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but it may be related to construction activity at the home.

Original Story:

If you're looking for a fun event to attend in South Lake Tahoe over the Labor Day weekend, head over to the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department's annual Firehouse Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, August 30.

The firemen and fire chief will conduct station tours, allow everyone to take photos of the engines, play fire safety games, learn how to use a fire extinguisher, watch bomb squad demonstrations, car seat safety and fireman dress up for the kids.

Summer months can be very challenging for our community blood program, so roll up your sleeves and show your support. To meet local hospital commitments blood banks need the help of about 125 donors per day.

As they were preparing to power up the hotel and casino during Sunday's power outage, MontBleu's generator had a malfunction, sending smoke billowing out of the resort.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department responded. "We responded to a generator malfunction," said Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall. "The generator unit was producing a substantial amount of smoke and we had to shut it down."

MontBleu got another generator up and running and emergency power was sent to the casino and hotel.

"It's a challenge to make sure they are all safe," said Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall. He was commenting on the increased number of calls his department received on the the 4th of July when tens of thousands of visitors come to the Lake Tahoe basin to celebrate. When more people come to Lake Tahoe the fire department sees a large increase in service calls.

"Our rescue crews were kept busy," according to Guevin.

Can you survive the next wildfire in Lake Tahoe? Yes, if your community is prepared.

The Lake Tahoe Basin's firefighting agencies and UNR Cooperative Education have come together to promote the "Fire Adapted Community Concept." This type of community has five elements:

1. Community Protection - Well-designed fuelbreaks and safe areas protect the community.
2. Defensible Space - Proper management of vegetation surrounding the home reduces the wildfire threat.
3. Access - Good access helps emergency responders arrive in a timely manner.

Free Drop Off of Combustibles For Nevada Residents

Clear out the combustibles from your yard and drop them off for free at the kickoff event being held for “Compost Your Combustibles 2014” at
Heavenly Boulder parking lot this Saturday, May 24th in recognition of Wildfire Awareness Month.” Drop off days will be held through the first Saturday in August.

Rake and remove pine needles and yard combustible waste to prepare your home in the case of wildfire.

They’ve been called unpleasant names that can’t be printed. They’ve received death threats. For a few days one may even assume they were hated. That was then.

They’re being called courageous. They’re being called heroes. They’re being thanked for caring about our environment and bringing the effect of fireworks in the lake to the forefront. That is now.

A Wednesday night house fire in South Lake Tahoe has turned into a criminal investigation.

South Lake Tahoe Police officers and fire fighters responded to a residential fire in the 1100 block of Long Valley Avenue at 6:10 pm. They found the home fully engulfed in flames with fire starting to spread to nearby trees, though they were able to contain the fire to the area of the burning home. It appears the house is likely to be a total loss.

The house has received the attention of the police and fire department prior to Wednesday night's fire.

The reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives, following the Senate’s introduction of the bill in August.

Lake Tahoe organizations whose collaborative work over the past 15 years has been a driving force for advancing Lake Tahoe restoration efforts applauded congressional leaders Thursday for introducing a $415 million reauthorization of the federal Lake Tahoe Restoration Act.

UPDATE: One person died in a vehicle crash in Zephyr Cove across from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Station Sunday afternoon, confirmed Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Barbara Stapleton.

At least three others were injured, according to NHP dispatchers. Both lanes of Highway 50 were closed.

One victim was taken by ground ambulance to Carson City where they were transported by Calstar. The crash was reported to NHP at 2:55 p.m. at 875 Highway 50. The vehicles involved were blocking both lanes, according to the dispatcher.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office authorities have arrested a 29-year-old Minden man for making a bomb threat during a traffic stop late Saturday at Highway 50 and Kahle Drive.

At 10:58 p.m. a Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a black Dodge SRT8 at Hwy 50 and Kahle Drive, said Sgt. Pat Brooks.

The driver, Adam Smith, 29, of Minden was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. At the time, deputies noticed a wire from the front seat to the trunk. They asked Smith about the wire and, he told them, “It’s a bomb.”

Sylvia Lee has been hired as Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District's new fire inspector.Lee has relocated from Las Vegas, where she was previously the entertainment coordinator for the Bellagio. F...

Firefighters in South Lake Tahoe knocked down a deck fire Jan 12 that was started by hot ash.
Karl Koeppen, shift commander for the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, said minimal damage was done to the structure and interior of the home, located in the Pioneer Village area. The fire burned the deck structure but did not creep into the interior. The residents were allowed to stay in the house after the fire was knocked down.

A life-saving thanks to Tahoe Douglas Fire Chief Ben Sharit and his entire team for hosting a successful series of blood drives. I spoke with the chief earlier this year about the lack of a consist...

The Nevada Highway Patrol, Tahoe Douglas fire and Carson City EMT personnel responded Saturday to a motorcycle crash with injuries on Spooner Summit. The accident happened in the eastbound lane and was reported at 5:22 p.m. Motorists can expect delays. NHP also responded to vehicle accident with injuries near the valley side of Kingsbury Grade at the intersection of Foothill and Mottsville. This accident was reported at 5:20 p.m.