By Kathryn Reed

A nasty snowstorm with blowing wind hampered firefighters’ efforts to bring a structure fire under control late Tuesday afternoon.

Flames could be seen along much of Tramway Drive in Stateline after the 4:30pm blaze was reported. Although the structure is not a total loss, all four units are uninhabitable, according to officials.

Mark Novak, fire marshal with Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District, said people living in the units are spending the night with friends or family in the area. He said some of the units were occupied, while others are vacation rentals.

“All efforts are being hampered by weather up there,” Novak told Lake Tahoe News. He said it’s been snowing hard and blowing quite a bit since the fire started.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported.

“We’re going to keep a fire watch overnight and complete the fire investigation in the morning when the light is better and the weather is better,” Novak said.

Assisting Tahoe-Douglas on Dec. 28 were fire crews from South Lake Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe and East Fork. Those who weren’t on the fire were contending with multiple accidents on Kingsbury Grade.

The worst of the collisions involved two vehicles that temporarily closed the highway, sent one person to Barton Memorial Hospital and left three others with minor injuries that did not require hospitalization.