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