valley fire

Miss me? I have been working for the last year on The Children’s Memorial Tree and I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to the community of South Lake Tahoe for their support in rebuilding the memorial. I wanted to keep the Skibum as well as my alter ego out of the publicity due to the fact that there would be resistance to the idea from those that do not always agree with my views and I wanted no distractions. We had to play good cop / bad cop with the city in order to push the memorial through and guess which role I played.

A single engine Mooney airplane crashed shortly after take off from the South Lake Tahoe airport at approximately 11:10 AM today.

The plane was observed by numerous witnesses begin to lose altitude after take off, and bank sharply into a wooded area east of the airport. The plane crashed into some large pine trees and flipped over.

The male pilot, Steven Lefton 67 years of age of Palo Alto, CA was killed on impact. His wife, Karen Lefton sustained moderate injuries and was pinned in the wreckage of the plane.

Lake Tahoe Home and Garden Show will be in the Gym at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex, 1182 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe Saturday, April 27, 10 am to 6 pm.

Event to feature live music by Fabrizio both days and Cal Poly Pomona Jazz Band Saturday afternoon; landscaping and defensible demonstrations by the South Lake Tahoe and Lake Valley fire departments; door prizes, plenty of vendors and more.

Go here to learn more.

In a world of aerial drones, stun guns and surveillance cameras, an electric eraser doesn’t seem like much of a crime-fighting tool.

For Leona Allen, a spokeswoman for Lake Valley Fire Protection District and certified composite sketch artist, the handheld device is a cherished part of a crime-fighting kit that includes pencils, a blending stump and a sketch pad.

Go here to read the full story.

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.

South Lake Tahoe will not consider consolidating its fire department with Lake Valley Fire Protection District following a Tuesday vote by the City Council.Council members unanimously voted down a ...

Lake Valley Fire Protection District has announced that grants are available for homeowners who would like to replace hazardous wood roofs. The Hazardous Wood Roof Replacement Grant program is desi...

Ted King, Captain Engine 41 and firefighter Skylr Penna-Couttenye are shown mopping up the Luther Fire, south of Big Meadow trailhead off Highway 89 Tuesday. In addition to Forest Service crews, Lake Valley Fire Protection District assisted in suppressing the fire, which was contained at a half acre. The cause is under investigation.
Photo credit: Steve Burns, U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Investigators looking into the cause and origin of the fire that destroyed two South Lake Tahoe homes last week have determined that the fire was accidental, according to Lake Valley Fire Protection District Fire Chief Gareth Harris.

UPDATE 8PM: The U.S. Forest Service reports Friday night that the fire burning on the Douglas County side of Lake Tahoe on public land off of Elks Point Road has been contained at 2.6 acres. Cheva Heck, spokeswoman for the Forest Service, said local government resources assigned to the fire are being released. An engine will remain at the fire site overnight. The cause of the fire is under investigation. "We have no reports with lightning or problems with power lines. The fire is believed to be human caused," she said.

A new name and new partnership fashioned after health, recreation and fun; South Lake Tahoe’s inaugural Lake Tahoe Lifestyle Festival drew nearly 2,000 attendees on Saturday, September 8 to Bijou Community Park. This new festival was crafted by Barton Health and the City of South Lake Tahoe to bring children, families and individuals together for health education and non-stop excitement.

10:51PM: Peter Darvas, the South Lake Tahoe artist whose home burned in the fire off of Pioneer Trail on Tuesday, was listed in fair condition at Barton Memorial Hospital on Tuesday night, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

UPDATE 3:27PM: KOLO Reno Channel 8 reports the brother of the registered owner of the Piper that crashed in South Lake Tahoe Saturday night says all five people aboard died. Javier de la Mora says his brother, Francisco de la Mora, of Fresno was in the airplane when it crashed. Francisco's wife and daughter and two other people were on board as well. Go here for the full story.

UPDATE 2:56PM: The City of South Lake Tahoe issued the following news release and photos this afternoon:

A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Saturday, August 25th at 9:48 pm from Lake Tahoe Airport. The crash ignited a fire in the meadow just past the airport off of Winnemucca Avenue. The fire burned approximately one acre and took an hour and a half to extinguish.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department reports that the plane had been heard by witnesses to have apparent engine problems, and was seen to dip downward into the ground while attempting a turn.
According to Federal Aviation Administration, there were multiple victims and no survivors of the crash. The names of victims are not being released until notification of families is confirmed.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those that perished in this tragic accident. Thanks to the quick and cooperative efforts by multiple agencies; the fire caused by this crash was put out quickly,” said Mayor Claire Fortier.
Earlier in the day, the 23rd Annual Lake in the Sky Air Show was held at Lake Tahoe Airport. This plane was not affiliated with the air show in any way.
The location of the plane crash is within El Dorado County limits and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department is the lead agency of this investigation. FAA and National Transportation Safety Board officials arrived on site today to perform an investigation and to identify the cause of the crash.

UPDATE 1:46PM: There are multiple victims to Saturday night's plane crash in South Lake Tahoe, confirmed El Dorado Sheriff's Office Lt. Pete Van Arnum. Investigators were processing the wreckage to confirm how many victims and their identities. Investigators do not believe the victims to be locals from the South Lake Tahoe area, he said. No information concerning the identity of the victims, or the plane will be released until positive confirmation has been made, he said. Investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are assisting with the investigation.
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10:36AM: Lake Tahoe News is reporting that it has exclusively learned from federal authorities that up to five people died in the plane crash on Saturday. Go here for the story. Meanwhile KOLO TV Channel 8 in Reno reports that an FAA official confirmed the plane was a Piper PA32.

UPDATE 6:55AM: A small airplane crashed in the Barton Meadows area in South Lake Tahoe sparking a wildland fire on Saturday night. Presumably there are no survivors. The crash was reported at 9:48 p.m. after the plane took off from Lake Tahoe Airport, said El Dorado County Sheriff's Lt. Pete Van Arnum early Sunday morning. Witnesses reported the plane was experiencing engine trouble and was seen moving downward before it crashed into flames, he said.

UPDATE TUESDAY: A 39-year-old Sparks man died while participating in Saturday's Sierra Recon obstacle event at Sierra-at-Tahoe resort near Lake Tahoe, event officials confirmed.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board passed a resolution in support of Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Week and thanked the Tahoe Basin Fire Chiefs for their service during a ceremony at their May 26 Governing Board meeting.

A Lake Tahoe Fire Academy cadet cuts into a car during a drill at Emerald Bay Towing in South Lake Tahoe Monday. More than 40 cadets participated and instructors from Lake Valley Fire Protection...

Projects for the Meyers community will be discussed tonight, Wednesday, April 18, at the Lake Valley Fire Protection District office. The Meyers Roundtable Committee will take up the following:

— Presentation of Road Runner Canopy Project
— Government reports
— Report on the Meyers Community Plan Update
— Public Forum – discussions are to be no longer than 5 minutes per issue due to time constraints

All attendees are encouraged to park on Keetak Street due to limited on-site parking. The meeting will be held in the mobile unit located behind the fire station.

On Sunday, February 12, 2012, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team hosted a joint training with the 1-168th Medevac Wing of the California National Guard and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. Training was conducted in and around Emerald Bay State Park. The 1-168th Medevac Wing, based at Mather Army Air Field Base near Sacramento, brought two Blackhawk helicopters equipped for search and rescue operations with hoists as well as their crew of Chiefs and Medics.

A public meeting to discuss plans by Caltrans to increase speed limits within the Meyers area will be discussed at a public meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 5:30 p.m. at the Lake Valley Fire Department.
Last fall Caltrans had announced it was reviewing speed limits between Meyers and South Lake Tahoe, with the idea of increasing the speed limit by 5 mph.
The meeting is being hosted by the Meyers Roundtable Committee and the Meyers Business Group. The public is encouraged to attend and should park on Keetak Street due to limited on-site parking.

Officials reported this morning that the Washoe Drive Fire destroyed 26 homes, and has currently consumed 3,900 acres.
At a 9 a.m. press conference, officials reported the blaze is 50 percent contained, and that 700 firefighters are working to extinguish hot spots in advance of the high wind that are forecast for this afternoon.
There were 20 homes reported lost last night, but in the light of day, personnel working the fire were able to get a better count of the structures that burned.