smoke

Prescribed fire operations are scheduled to continue around the Lake Tahoe Basin on Monday, March 21, weather permitting.

The areas on the map scheduled to be burned, weather permitting:

A) Burton Creek State Park between North Tahoe High School and Rocky Ridge Properties, 35 acres of hand piles to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.
B) Sugar Pine Point State Park - Hwy 89 across from General Creek Campground, 12 acres to be burned by California State Parks starting 3/21/16.

Prescribed fire operations are set to continue this week in the Lake Tahoe Basin, as long as the weather allows burning. California State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service have projects planned near Burton Creek, Sugar Pine Point and D.L. Bliss state parks. On the East Shore, operations are scheduled to take place on Spooner Summit and near Camp Galilee. On the South Shore, operations may take place near Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, Panther Lane near South Tahoe High School and off Highway 89 near Spring Creek.

Tibetan monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery are returning to South Lake Tahoe from April 1 to April 6 with a full schedule of ancient and colorful participatory activities, Dharma talks, meditations, and cultural rituals to promote inner healing.

Events, unless otherwise noted, will be at the Blue Angel Cafe, located at 1132 Ski Run Blvd.

All events are donation based and all proceeds will go towards funding the construction of the Phukhang College House at Gaden Shartse, which houses over 600 exiled monks in the Tibetan Refugee Zone in India.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) posted a 20 day liquor license suspension notice at American Gas on Thursday, February 25. The suspension comes after an undercover operation began on November 12, 2015 after the owner of the station allegedly sold a glass pipe used for smoke methamphetamine.

The owner, Stefka Dimitrova, said she wasn't arrested for selling the pipe as the ABC report claims and didn't understand the suspension.

American Gas is located at 2762 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from January 27 to February 18, 2016.

1/27 - 6 calls: 2 EMS, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 CO2 detector malfunction, 1 water/steam leak, 1 public service assistance.

1/28 - 11 calls: 8 EMS, 1 EMS psych transfer, 1 no incident found upon arrival, 1 unintentional alarm.

1/29 - 19 calls: 13 EMS, 1 public service assistance, 1 psych transfer, 1 no incident found upon arrival, 1 cancelled en route, 1 vehicle accident with injuries, 1 smoke detector malfunction.

South Tahoe High's Principal Chad Houck made a phone call to parents last week, warning them of the increased use (and subsequent detection) among teens of what is known as "vaping."

Vaping is to "inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device." The devices are vaporizers, and what goes inside them became popular as a way to cut back on smoking cigarettes starting in 2007, but a 2014 Science News study showed that vaping did not boost quit rates.

With over 1,000 fire hydrants within the borders of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, they have unveiled the "Adopt a Hydrant" program.

It is impossible for fire crews to shovel and maintain all of them in a timely manner and since the California Fire Code requires fire hydrants to be free of obstructions and immediately identifiable, LVFPD is asking for the public's help.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from January 12 to January 26, 2016.

January 12 - 9 calls: 7 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 assist other agency

January 13 - 9 calls: 5 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 detector activation-no fire, 1 vehicle accident-no injuries, 1 "special" outside fire (downed tree on fire, no cause determined)

January 14 - 9 calls: 3 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 house fire, 2 cancelled en route, 1 unintentional smoke detector activation, 1 false alarm

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, California State Parks and the California Tahoe Conservancy are planning to continue prescribed fire operations next week beginning Tuesday, January 19, 2016 in the following areas:

Tranquility - Between Round Hill and Zephyr Cove, 3 acres of hand piles will be burned. The ignition date is planned for 1/20/16. Fire and smoke will be present during five days of burn down time with smoke expected to travel to the north/northeast. Smoke may be visible from Zephyr Cove to Round Hill.

Vendors are now being accepting for the annual Home and Garden Show held in South Lake Tahoe will be held April 22-23, 2016 at the Recreation Complex. For those that sign up before January 29, a large early bird discount is available.

Here is a list of the vendors signed up so far:

Sponsors
EverythingTahoe.com
Kadzoom.com
EverythingCarsonValley.com
South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce
Legal Shield, J. Conner, Ind. Assoc.

Vendors
Tahoe Bath and Candle Works
South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from December 11 to December 20, 2015.

December 11: 12 Calls: 4 EMS calls, 3 Interfacility transfers, 1 call for arching electrical equipment, 2 no incidents found, 1 cancelled en route, 1 vehicle accident no injuries.

December 12: 9 calls: 7 EMS calls, 1 public service assistance, 1 cooking fire.

December 13: 1 call: Smoke Detector activation, no fire.

December 14: 4 calls: 2 EMS calls, 1 cancelled en route, 1 vehicle accident no injuries.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from November 24 to December 10, 2015.

November 24, 2015: 10 calls: 2 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 EMS psych transfer, 1 EMS call canceled en route, 1 call for public assistance, 1 power line down, 1 false alarm, 1 vehicle accident with injuries, 1 car vs. pedestrian call.

November 25, 2015: 9 calls: 4 EMS calls, 2 detector activated no fire, 1 good intent call, 1 canceled en route, 1 vehicle accident no injuries.

November 26, 2015: 6 calls: 5 EMS calls, 1 EMS call canceled en route.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, the Nevada Division of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service will continue widespread prescribed fire operations beginning the week of November 30, 2015.

Operations are planned for the following areas:

57 acres on urban lots on the west side of Incline Village. Smoke expected to travel North/Northeast/East.

28 acres off Fairway Drive near Tahoe City. Smoke expected to travel North/Northeast/East.

105 acres in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park north of Spooner Lake. Smoked expected to travel Northeast.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from November 1 to November 23, 2015.

November 1, 2015: 3 calls: 2 EMS calls, 1 alarm system malfunction.

November 2, 2015: 15 calls: 4 EMS calls, 1 EMS psych transfer, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 water or steam leak, 1 vehicle accident with injuries, 1 motor accident with no injuries, 1 accident without injuries, 1 fire alarm activated with no fire, 1 electrical wiring problem, 1 dispatch canceled enroute, 1 unauthorized burning, 1 no incident found

A woman has died in a fire near Kingsbury Grade Friday morning.

Eric Guevon with the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District says the fire at the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park was reported about 12:30 a.m November 13, 2015.

A woman in her 60s was found dead; she died of fire-related causes, but a further cause of death has not been established. Her name has not been released.

The fire started with food left on a stove and is being considered unintentional, according to Guevon, who also says there is no evidence there was a smoke detector in the home.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from October 22 to October 31, 2015.

October 22, 2015: 4 calls: 2 EMS calls, 1 false alarm, 1 call for smoke detector activation.

October 23, 2015: 4 calls: 1 EMS call, 1 vehicle accident with injuries, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 malicious false alarm for multiple alarm system.

October 24, 2015: 5 calls: 1 EMS call, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 unauthorized burning, 1 call for public assistance, 1 "no incident found."

October 25, 2015: 8 calls: 7 EMS calls, 1 "no incident found."

Some have jobs. Some have families. Some are recent high school graduates. Some are retired military. Some are college graduates. They are all future firefighters.

One month into the new school year, 33 men and women are part of the tenth class of firefighters being trained at the Lake Tahoe Community College's program, the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy. This year's class started with 36 students, but some find out early on how physically demanding the program is and they find it isn't for them.

The following is a list of all 911 calls received by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) from October 8 to October 21, 2015.

October 8, 2015: 7 calls: 5 EMS calls, 1 interfacility psych transfer, 1 oil or other combustible spill.

October 9, 2015: 13 calls: 7 EMS calls, 1 interfacility transfer, 1 "no incident found", 1 outside rubbish fire, 1 dispatch error, 1 CO2 detector activation due to malfunction, 1 call for gasoline or other flammable liquid spill.

With more than 4,000 acres of land in the Lake Tahoe basin being burned by the U.S. Forest Service annually, prescribed burns have become an important part of keeping forests healthy.

On Thursday, I followed the Tallac Hotshots as well as Engines 41 and 42 from the U.S. Forest Service as they burned an eight acre parcel off Grass Lake Road in Christmas Valley.

Expect to see smoke in the Christmas Valley and Meyers areas of the South Shore as the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit begins prescribed fire operations on Saturday, October 17. They plan to start the season by burning 122 acres of hand piles near Grass Lake Road off southbound Highway 89. They will continue on the project over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Expect to see smoke travel in a north/northeast direction.

September 11 evokes a different meaning to South Lake Tahoe resident Christine O’Farrell. In 2002, on the one-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Christine was on the operating table at Barton Memorial Hospital facing a new threat: cancer.

Christine had been diagnosed with an aggressive case of breast cancer. At the time, she was 42 years old and working at Barton’s Home Health and Hospice for quality assurance and infection prevention. Her three children were 14, 12, and 9.

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT), which includes numerous fire and land management agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin, will begin fall prescribed fire operations as soon as weather conditions are favorable.

“Prescribed fire is an important tool used to maintain forest health and reduce the build-up of hazardous fuels,” said U.S. Forest Service Fire Management Officer, Kit Bailey. “Cooler, wetter fall weather is an ideal time to carry out these projects that help reduce the chance of wildfire and provide added protection to communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.”

The air quality in South Lake Tahoe dipped into the "unhealthy" range on Sunday, prompting some to wear protective mouth masks.

From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., air quality hit the worst levels of the day with a registered 134.5 Micrograms/Cubic Meter (ug/m3) according to the California Air Quality and Meteorological Information System (AQMIS).

This calculates to a 192 AQI which is in the "unhealthy" range. By 3 p.m. this lowered to 153 AQI, which is still in the same range, but South Lake Tahoe was back down into the "unhealthy for sensitive group" range by 5 p.m. with an AQI of

Smoke from the Butte Fire burning near Jackson, CA filled the Lake Tahoe basin last Saturday afternoon.

The air quality index for South Lake Tahoe is measured on Sandy Way and remained in the moderate range as of 7 p.m.

This means, people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children are the groups most at risk. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.