Bomb squad called to Lakeview Commons

A pressure cooker similar to what was used in the Boston Marathon bombing was blown up in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday night by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection Fire District bomb squad.

South Lake Tahoe police officers wasted no time in calling in the neighboring agency to take care of the suspicious device after what happened in Boston, where three people were killed and more than 260 were injured by homemade pressure cooker bombs.

The apparatus — which was actually a ricer cooker — was found at Lakeview Commons on June 30 after the Race the Lake of the Sky stand up paddleboard races concluded.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department’s bomb robot at Lakeview Commons on June 30. Photo/Jonathan Moore

Eric Guevin with Tahoe Douglas Fire told Lake Tahoe News the cooker was found by a bear-proof garbage can, but it looked like it didn’t fit — so people left it by the side.

He said the robot was sent in for recon, but it was not possible to get an X-ray of the cooker. That is why it was decided to blow up the device on scene.

Food was all that was inside.

Knowing what happened 3,000 mile away, authorities decided to blow up the cooker onsite instead of taking it elsewhere.

Traffic on Highway 50 was diverted for about an hour. Pedestrians were also blocked from the area for their safety.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report