By Kathryn Reed

MEYERS —  Nevada Fire Safe Council’s financial ledger is being looked at by more than just the auditing firm the nonprofit hired to do an audit.

The Office of Inspector General spent a week at the Carson City office reviewing grants. Lake Tahoe News has also been told the Bureau of Land Management wants to review the records.

Lake Tahoe News first reported on the audit July 21.

Andrew List

Andrew List, executive director of the NFSC, told a group of fire officials on Thursday he believes he knows where the whistle-blower complaint came from. He would not name the contractor, but said a specific firm keeps being denied work from the council because it doesn’t have the equipment to do the jobs.

However, a U.S. Forest Service official told LTN the inspector general is reviewing an ARRA grant. ARRA is the federal stimulus money.

“They looked at every piece of paperwork,” List said.

He added that many questions centered on how the Fire Safe Council chooses contractors for mechanical work. List was told that aspect of the process looked good.

However, List said verbally he was told some changes may need to take place with hand crew contracts – specifically, that they may need to go out for bid instead of being handled exclusively by the fire departments or land owners such at the Forest Service.

A written report will be issued that details the Office of Inspector General’s findings.