10 people evacuated from burning hotel
A fire Dec. 8 at the Tahoe Pines Lodge in South Lake Tahoe displaced 10 people. Photo/Jonathan Moore
By Kathryn Reed
A South Lake Tahoe hotel fire Monday night displaced 10 people.
The 10:10pm blaze at Tahoe Pines Lodge started in a utility closet that contained a hot water heater and belongings from former guests, according to Fire Chief Jeff Meston.
“The fire investigators are going through that,” Meston said. An exact cause has not been determined.
This is a residential hotel, with many people living only on Social Security or disability checks.
“I believe most of these are an underserved population who live there, so it’s pretty devastating for those folks because they don’t have much in the first place,” Meston told Lake Tahoe News.
With the temperature dipping into the 20s, a Tahoe Transportation District bus was brought in as a means to keep people warm. Red Cross arranged for them to have a three-night stay at Howard Johnson, which should protect them from the storm that is moving into the basin. Many of the occupants also had dogs and cats that needed shelter.
The fire started on the first floor, moved to the second and got into the attic space. The ladder truck was deployed to the fire. Lake Valley and Tahoe Douglas also assisted with knocking down the fire.
“The fire was in concealed spaces so it was difficult. We had to cut a hole in the roof,” Meston said.
Three hotel units were damaged, with an entire wing of the Modesto Avenue hotel off limits. Part of the hotel remains open.
The city council and staff dodged a bullet last night with the closure of station #2.
Looks like the ladder truck may have been safer for the firefighters in the picture.
The million dollar ladder truck came, it parked, it had many flashing lights and after a few hours it went back to the airport. The good news is that it did not need to be towed or repaired during the entire deployment. ;)
Another strip-motel drug house run by slumlords. Should have let it burn.
Buck, Are you saying they are closing fire station #2??
If that’s true, this little town is REALLY going in the wrong direction. We need more firemen and police not less. Just as we need more city employees… yah, you know, like snow plow drivers. Wait till a big snow comes and you’ll know what I’m talkin’ about!!! What about the grow houses catching on fire or theft and gang activity in your neighborhood?
So while some may delight in public workers losing their jobs, wait untill you REALLY need them and you will change your tune real quick.
Motel fires? Seems to be an inordinate amount as of late. Old motels just falling apart or insurance scam?
I don’t know, but I’ve never heard of so many structure fires here as this past year, let alone the wildfires. We dodged a bullet this time on the wildfires here in the Tahoe Basin.
Glad to see the ladder truck put to use to stop the fire from spreading. I’m sorry for the folks that lost eveything, but at least there were no deaths or injuries.
Cora, iam wondering if you would prefer a burnt out struction sitting there for many many years? This property was in escrow to a new owner but that is probably gone now.
OLS station #2 does not have an engine or ambulance. It’s for meetings and training. It has been that way for a month, so response time for fires and EMTs in the center of town is a lot longer. That’s why I think we dodged a bullet. Please talk to our council members to find out why. The ladder truck should not be at the airport, it showed up last, last night.
Cora D. New owners not slumlords. I am there and was one of the ones evacuated. I am there due to the passing of my spouse. I have so many words for you, but will be censored.
Old Long Skiis
You are so right about when the Tahoe area gets a good old SNOW STORM, the S#*# is going to hit the fan. The City has let go all of their good snow removal personal and have 85% people that do not even know how to plow snow or follow a pattern in the subdivision. It will be some kind of show, Better have several day’s of food stored for the long haul.
It’s a fact that residents there are on social security/ disability and are in the mental health system. It’s not easy for people on fixed incomes or in the mental health system to find affordable housing. Their situations have now become even more dire. My heart goes out to them and I pray that they acquire long term housing where they can have their pets…. Which is also difficult to find. As for Coras remarks…. In case you haven’t noticed, the whole town is on something. Many of which live in houses and nice houses. You won’t find a multi housing dwelling in Tahoe that doesn’t have someone doing drugs at some point. Try having a little empathy. Tim, Carol, Bill and others, my heart goes out to them.