Early morning blaze destroys S. Lake Tahoe house
A house in the middle of South Lake Tahoe was completely destroyed early Sunday after flames swept through the dwelling.
No one was injured in the 12:30am Jan. 20 blaze, but the house is gone.
“Flames were raging and the house was completely engulfed,” Fire Chief Bruce Martin said in describing what firefighters found when they arrived at the structure on Carson Avenue between Knox and Armstrong avenues.
A small marijuana grow was discovered in the remnants.
“They are going to spend some time looking at that electrical to see if it may be the cause,” Martin told Lake Tahoe News. He said now it would be speculating to say the rewiring in the house was the cause of the fire. But based on the burn pattern it appears the fire started near the electrical junction box.
Initial reports were that someone was in the house, but firefighters did not find this to be true.
Martin did not know if people live at the residence full time or where they were during the fire.
Liberty Utilities workers cut power to the house. No neighboring houses caught on fire.
Firefighters did have to shovel snow from a hydrant to get to water, but Martin said that is not unusual.
The investigation is ongoing.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Talk about burnin’ down the house.
/I’ll be here all week. Tip your waitress and try the veal.
Kathryn, I posted about the fire on the story about the Transit case. Can you switch it to this story? This fire was very close to my house. Very Scary. Glad it didn’ spread. Almost Burnt Skiis
House fire on Carson ave. Between Knox and Armstrong. I believe no one was home so hopefully no injuries. Flames were raging, house completely engulfed.Lots of trees are right next to this house as they are thru out Sierra Tract.I’m worried about the fire spreading. Lots of firemen and trucks on the scene. Fire started at appoximately midnight. My neighbor came running over to tell me the house was ablaze. He lives next door in my rental and that the house right behind his house was burning like crazy. Fire dept. finally got fire the major part of the fire out after a two and a half hour battle. The firemen are still there and there is still smoke billowing out from the upstairs window.
Too scary and too close, just right over the fence from me.I hope everyone is alright. House looks to be a total loss.
Take care, Old Long Skiis
I live around corner and weal agreed that it was a blessing it wasn’t summer Asti couldhavebeen far worse. Also on a weekday as we are early to bed around here. Think as a neighborhood we need to get more proactive. Might spend some time digging out the hydrants this week. Glad no one was hurt.
I’d like to commend the fire department as well as all emergency responders for their great work at containing this fire on Carson ave. Had that fire spread it would have been devastating to my homes as well as to this whole neighborhood and possibly all of So. Shore.
In the past I’ve made comments here on LTN about the fire and police dept. being understaffed. The remaining staff and crew are great!
But I’ll tell you this, until the house next door to you is engulfed in flames and your scrambling about trying to figure what to pack to evacuate…well, it’s not something you want to experience. Hire more Fire fighters and buy another truck might be a good start!
I agree with Beth, we need to be more proactive. Heck I’ll help shovel out fire hydrants and come summer time get these vacant homes cleaned up of pine needles and old piled wood alongside these empty homes.
Thank you So. Lake Tahoe Fire dept. for saving my house and those of my neighbors.You guys are the best!
Take care and I’m Very thankful to have a home that didn’t burn. Old Long Skiis
I found a tenant with a large grow going in one of my rentals. I went back over there later in the afternoon when they were not home. I kicked down the front door and dragged most of their possessions out into the street.
I had called SLTPD 911 line, but was told that the department didn’t respond to those type of grow calls any longer. Belive it or not.
Long Skiis:
“Hire more Fire fighters and buy another truck might be a good start!”
Unfortunately both those cost money and even after laying off one-third of the staff, including those in management, the City doesn’t have the funds to purchase the two new engines that they need to replace which are approaching antique age, or to hire more Firefighting staff or Police staff. They’ll also need to replace Police vehicles in the future but don’t have the funds for that either. Safety, i.e. Police and Fire are the two main reasons they need to generate more revenue. Like everyone else, the City took a beating during the recession and their main sources of revenue of property tax, TOT and sales tax all took a huge dumping, just like everyone else’s income did. That’s why their endorsing events like SnowGlobe; to get people into town, “heads in the beds”, and more business for our restaurants, grocery stores, and other stores to both help local businesses and to generate TOT and sales tax revenues for the City.
It’s all about money, or the lack thereof.
Did that make you feel like a good, rational, human being who handles problems appropriately?
You could have made them take extra safety precautions, sign away their deposit and increased their rent by 50% until they were done.
Fish, he rented a dwelling, not a farm. They broke the lease.
I know that. I never said anything contrary to that (once again, you know what you did). Do we know with any certainty what the lease terms were? I’m just saying, there are options. The operative word was *could*.
Anyway, back to watching Mean Girls, so fetch.
4-mer-usmc,
Yeah big bucks for a new fire truck and more fire fighters. I seem to remember where the fire district just ordered a new ladder truck for 1 million bucks. So that will be of some help.
I’m aware that we need to create more revenue for So. Shore, the city as well as local busineses. Some of my ideas may have been a bit far fetched that I posted here on LTN. At least I’m tryin’ with a few suggestions, as corny or impractical as they may be.
Anyone else have any ideas how to bring some much needed cash into town? Any money that comes in should go to infrastrutcure… road repair, new equipment for the city, improvements to city properties, expanding community progams for youth and seniors alike.
Anyone? Ideas? Anyone?
I hear crickets in the quiet of the night as people scratch their heads and go”wwhhaa?”
Oh well, at least I’m offering some suggestions no matter how impractical they may seem. Can’t blame a man for tryin’.
Take Care, Old Long Skiis
Fish, I am baffled by your hostility. It was a simple statement.
Ugh. It wasn’t mean to be. There are certain ideas I don’t express, and I use specific words that reiterate that to prevent misunderstandings. Had I used the word ‘should’ the sentence would imply something different and I would be worthy of all kinds of criticism.
Why not get some extra money, or at least break even and cover the expense (lack of revenue) of having a vacant property? I think that is a great idea. I would have done that.
Could, should, would all imply different intents, could being the least judgmental and most neutral. That is precisely why I used it.
Long Skiis:
“Any money that comes in should go to infrastructure, road repair, new equipment for the city, improvements to city properties, expanding community programs for youth and seniors alike.”
Well said Long Skiis and I completely agree. From the City Council meetings I’ve listened to that’s the present plan of this City Council and the staff. While I’ve only lived in SLT for twelve years and am unfamiliar with the Councils of yesteryear whose Councilmembers are still called self-serving crooks today by an awful lot of people, this is a different City Council and their agenda items, discussions and votes are right in your face public for people who want to take the time to watch and listen. I’m not saying I agree with them 100% of the time but I do support the City’s efforts to fix the infrastructure, repair roads, and acquire the capital equipment needed to keep the City safe and operating and to improve its rundown appearance. Like everything else though that costs money, and even after laying off more than 1/3 of the staff including management positions the City financially reminds me of a homeowner who makes just enough money to pay the mortgage, gas, electric, and water but heaven help them if their washer/dryer/stove/refrigerator/heater/roof/car/etc. needs replacing, then there’s no money for that.
Glad your properties got through this safely Skiis.
Since we all live in the Lake Tahoe National parks system, is out of the question to have Forest Service TMU units help respond to fires of EVERY kind?
“You could have made them take extra safety precautions, sign away their deposit and increased their rent by 50% until they were done.” Fish, your logic escapes me. Why should any landlord accommadate something so insane. Have you ever seen what grow house looks like after these jerks are done?
I also live in this neighborhood and worry about it going up in flames from the number of grow houses. I have one somewhere right behind me that stinks up the neighborhood. You can smell them when you walk through Sierra Tract streets.
Tony Colombo:
I’m fairly certain that all the fire districts in the basin (both California and Nevada) have a first 24-hour no-cost response agreement to any basin fire when needed. The fire districts are really good about helping one another out.
A landlord does not have the right to break into one of his rentals. He can be sued, no matter what is going on inside. He also could be SHOT by the tenant. The landlord DOES have rights to inspect at either specified times/dates, or upon reasonable notice. The exact details are usually spelled-out in the Rental or Lease
Agreement. However, all the above said, if I was the landlord, I’d have made calls to the local Drug Task Force, whatever their name is here….and, have arranged for an ‘inspection’. Landlording is often NOT pleasant. Wife and I disposed of our rental property, because she just did not want the hassles.
Grow houses are a “growing concern”.
(Can anybody make worse jokes than me?)
But really not only is there the threat of fire but for the homeowner the problem of mold and for the neighbors the smell of when the growers vent.
I don’t care that people grow pot in their homes but when it causes a house fire or grows mold inside the house, stinks up the neighborhood with skunk odor, I do care!
Be responsible indoor home growers! Better yet, grow vegetables in the sunny part of your yard come spring time. No profit but it is rewarding!Good for you, the environment,legal,healthy and fresh veggies. Take Care, Old Long Skiis
I agree, Old Long Skis. My sister’s friend had a rental in Reno, and lost it to the Feds because the renters were growing pot in his house without his knowledge. On a more personal note, I bought my house 14 years ago and had a terrific neighbor. Unfortunately, he sold it to a couple of “medical marijuana” users. I spent two entire years writing notes, calling, and BEGGING them not to smoke pot, as the stench would permeate my entire property and makes me sick. I found out later that they, too, had a marijuana grow. The stench was so bad that I would get dizzy and sick to my stomach every time I walked out to my car or even stepped out my door. I finally threatened to call the Feds, and I haven’t smelled anything for a while… Keeping my fingers crossed!
greed just grow enough for yourself