1 serious injury in explosion-fire at TRPA building

A fire Wednesday in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency building could have been a lot worse had there not been sprinklers, according to Tahoe Douglas fire officials.

One person was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento with second and third degree burns to his face, head and upper extremities.

“There was no damage to the building. Six fire sprinklers opened and held the fire to the vehicle until the fire department put it out,” Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshal Eric Guevin told Lake Tahoe News.

The man was working at Ron’s Auto & Small Engine Repair on the bottom floor of the Stateline office complex when something exploded. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

The TRPA Governing Board was meeting at Lake Tahoe Community College at the time of the incident. Staff was evacuated.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report