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To Whom It May Concern, 

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Thank you for asking and also allowing me the opportunity to share my STR and COVID-19 experience as a property owner and a concerned STR patron.  

In addition I have some concerns to address with the County that over lap the new STR codes, COVID119 , Seasonal Emergency   Issues & Responses. (

Example is : my residential loop street right off the HWY (minutes from 2 fire-stations- so why the lag) and if our emergency and county efforts are as such than how can we be diligent in emergencies more rural?   My issues encompass: STR's, full time residence : all categories:  elderly and house caught fire and did fire prevention- thank goodness , the house between mine and the house that caught fire does not do any fire &/or house maintenance (timber box) & a constant problem house with long term renters who where caught illegally STR profiting & possibly still continuing unethical practices (see below). 

I appreciate the forum to do so as I have experienced some grievances and this is a nice cathartic way to express and share my real concerns.  I also want to thank the ones who deserve credit (see below).   

 

Just prior to the COIVD-19 news frenzy I was very focused on the season at hand.   

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We have had a very dry winter start.  

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Fire prevention wise, that does make sense and it has been a dry winter, so summer seems fragile.  I got busy and succeeded doing mine.  .  I am glad though that I got busy with spring and summer outside chores and it does feel better knowing that a lot of us in the community are hunkering down for fire prevention.  Cal Fire is very serious and using Australia in everything they want to get their point across with quickly.    

From an environmental stand point I did agree that new code ordinances are a good idea here in the Tahoe and surrounding areas.   

 

 

 

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Even though things are sometimes quite the tedious,(time consuming  (time is $), very frustrating process and also very demanding of a deadline. I was grateful we had a break from weather (no snow in the region)

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These pictures represent a few examples of how much work that was required in a short amount of time during the winter and we achieved that. 

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Next (only after passing the County's approval) is the approval of the Fire Department.  My request for inspection is in with the Fire Department.   

All fees are paid (I have stated I find to be expensive for me, an individual who was already compliant $347.00) = to the County of Placer which includes the Fire Department's fees.   

  

The Fire Dept was already swamped due to the new code update inquiries and properties that need to be checked. Now that I have submitted my application to them they will issue your inspection date, but not get back to me with until date April 1st.   So basically it’s a sit and wait game which is very frustrating because I do not know if I can use any time productively and go see my family!!! 

Needless to say that really messed up the last few months (to see my family) and a tad into the future because I still (to the date of this writing) don't know the Fire Department’s date of our property inspection.   

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My next concern was the County's duty to protect our lands and waterways and to not promote them especially in masses when we could very easily be damaging our best resource in AMERICA. He kindly asked me if I personally wanted to cancel out of renting and I too am in a conundrum.  I do know it is my choice (once the national lifts are set) to rent if I want to or not.  I also have a choice who I can rent to, my patrons are non-smokers, usually in real need of R&R and am happy to understand how the locals live;  unlike hotels, casino's, construction and other big business like that (an oxymoron for the environment and the real mountain person).  Yes, it is my strong opinion that a true mountain person does not need nor want these types of industries here.   

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Real Time restrictions on our water ways need to be implored, for minimal the year or two until Scientists can respectively figure this virus out!

r. 

 

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Our West Coast Mountains are currently pristine.  I am concerned that we could become victim quickly because we are the most readily accessible mountain ranges for the Coast.  

We have learned from the News that some personalities and even communities it  has been difficult to maintain their stay at home orders.

We have learned they flock here if they can, with that comes movement to the back country even after medical & national orders.

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No way do I want tourists by the 10K's being near and/or in one of our freshest water source and wilderness country on the planet!

It is horrifying to realize, politic$ wants is business back to u$ual.

This could possibility devastate the mountains as we know them forever.

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My brother and life long best friend who are both in dire places currently abstained from retreating home to Tahoe because they knew first hand that they did not want to risk our pristine area. Ironically I did not want and voted against and wrote to five different papers regarding the East Shore Paved Pedestrian walk too.

Basically the Tahoe kids of my day (as discussed at the '88 30 year IHS class reunion recently) (and more kids I know for growing up) all agree that if you can not get there, you were not meant to be there.

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I am forever grateful that The County did put a restriction on temporarily occupying the STR's in the area (although they have ultimate undermined any other the positives in place by allowing extensions and more STR to be allowed for the while. ♻️

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When beaches reopen, are you safe from coronavirus in the water?

There’s no concrete evidence that there’s a greater risk of catching the coronavirus from the water, or even that the virus can survive in salt water very long, but scientists are studying it.   www.msn.com

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I am also very grateful and want to say great job - to the County for keeping people off the public beaches and having it patrolled by the sheriff.  THANK YOU!!!!!

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THE BEST THING TO HAVE HAPPEN FROM COVID-19 IS FINALLY PEACE AND QUIET!!!!!   

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THEY ARE MELLOW!!!!   Mountains are meant to be Mellow!

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I could finally hear the geese honking again,from a distance then flew all the way over head; that sound and relation to distance was awesome. .  I actually head the owl who one night.  I thought to myself, who their life survival skills are off of their calls.  I wonder how much they struggle, when human society is buzzing at it's max?  (I also think we could appease to (most) tourism by keeping a population status quo here)  Example: Personally I'd pay a higher dollar amount to be away from bustle.  I know the man who made Fortune Magazine cover personally and he would too.  So maybe we need to filter/pick our clientele?!  Or possibly people need to get a tourist permit  like we do when we want to white water raft Rivers.  Maybe a complimentary but mandatory basic health screening

 

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I do propose we have a Noise Ban in the Basin.

-No Loud and/or high pitch Man Made Noise -

especially vehicles &/or vessels.  Possibly a check like we have a smog check.  

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That is what the mountains are for!!!!  Not what has happened here the last 15 years!  It has been amazing in the early part of the stay home order, was remarkably what Tahoe was like when it was busy about 20 years ago.  

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Not just Tahoe and the surrounding areas but much of our world is just a mess!  Tahoe was an absolute nightmare in the last decade or more!   It seemed to be fueled by greed, with no care for environmental impact, just the "use of the territory".  This place was packed to the gills and was so loud!  Awful, thumps of cars stereos, heavy trucks, boats, airplanes, so many gangbusters and with all of that comes more criminals.   

 

The peace and quiet has already proven to be short lived. 

I can hear sounds from the end of Park and HWY 28 too and seems as if the traffic is becoming steady 

 In the last week there has been an increase in traffic noise again where I live.  It has gotten steady again during the AM and late afternoon hours and some vehicles are downright rude (noise (engine sounds, muffler, stereos) & odors can be smelled for more than 60 ft away (diesel exhaust, brakes, cigarettes).   

Almost every morning again now, I am interrupted by some man made vehicles:  regular  & heavy size to trucks, a high pitch mosquito sounding motorcycle zoomed by one peaceful morning (woke me up) (how rude)!  My 90 year old Grandma quit visiting me because of the street bike noise in the summer, was just too much for her (& hearing aids).  So I am very sensitive to the stress that noise causes and has immensely increased over the years too - opposite of why want to I reside here.  

I am 47 years old and lived on Park Lane for 28 years (owned for 20) (I believe I know this street) and the concerns surrounding the Crystal Bay Fire-lookout and more in our local area (I grew up on Jennifer St above the fire-station & we were one of four families evacuated because of  that avalanche in 1986).  .  

I am one of the very few property owners that was raised here (all school systems locally, purchased my home before the main market boom 20 years ago so I wouldn't be priced out of my own home town, have a  different working  career independent of STR, volunteer with wild horse causes in the neighboring mountain ranges, and am an extreme sports person}.  I purchased my property and rented it before there were online DIY rental companies.  I finished my most recent task requirment  necessities on time and on budget regarding the newest STR Permit codes.  So , I feel I have been in 'the know' for a while.  I was due to raise my rates and get in the going rate scale (as also professionally suggested for my property). Yay, to all of that! 

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Hygienically speaking too the allowance of work and traffic opens for motorcycle and construction world which generally looks like this and I am not very excited about that either. 

 I believe that  the Counties have their priorities backwards as to who is a priority field to go back to work during pandemic times.

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As also noted by my profession - clinical skincare, ie personal hygiene & spa concepts (quiet & care) - (not loud/destructive  & a culture for germs)

I am stating my strong concerns in writing from an extended hygiene, environmental and economical stance.   

 

This is not a good time to be us "The Melting Pot" (good 'ol US of A).   

Our hygiene standards of the Nation are exactly that too 'a melting pot'. 

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I am working on a constructive project that I can offer to help the pubic near & far, free, at a safe distance regarding this pandemic.  I got behind when my family passed and now trying to find inspiration again (may turn it into a Tribute) but for now, this is what I am working on.  https://www.tahoeskincare.com/ & https://www.tahoeskincare.com/extendedhygiene 

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Thinking of going on the radio.  Talking about the positives as I listed above:  planet a break, etc... but also to do a brief insight for people regarding skincare.  Maybe things like:  difference between bar and liquid soap, time to cut off the excess facial hair especially full beards, dental and manicure hygiene 

  

My opener I have said my whole career starts with,   

“Your skin is your largest organ, it's is your first line to immune defense. It’s job is to hold you together and the rest of the world out.”  If there is nothing wrong with your skin, people generally take it for granted, but if there is a cut or problem with the skin, we sure want to heal it right away..... So will offer free telephone consults (and go from there).     

{The time is now to recognize how hygienically in-tune we need to be as a nation (USA is not, unfortunately it is not a good time to be the melting pot).   And we need to think about population control!   So it is my strong professional and personal opinion that the STR extensions are complete opposite of the necessity at hand.   

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I have grave concerns that travelers will flock here. We have no cleaning supplies on our shelves (to this date). How are we going to clean properly after "world travelers come to our 'so far' sterile 'as it will ever be' environment?! 

All it takes is one.  One.  #1!  To mess it ALL up! 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/disaster-in-motion-3-4-million-travelers-poured-into-us-as-covid-19-pandemic-erupted/ar-BB125igw?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout 

 

Disaster in motion: 3.4 million travelers poured into US as COVID-19 pandemic erupted 

An ABC News investigation offers sobering insight into how COVID-19 has spread and penetrated so broadly, so deeply and so quickly in the United States. It also helps explain why Americans, no ... 

www.msn.com 

 

  

The data is proving the CDC wrong, it is being  proven that there is approximately 26 ft of airborne virus spread, not a simple 6ft radius and that the virus sticks to many surfaces.   

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/coronavirus-might-spread-much-farther-than-6-feet-in-the-air-cdc-says-wear-a-mask-in-public/ar-BB1297Jm?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout 

 

Coronavirus might spread much farther than 6 feet in the air. CDC says wear a mask in public. - msn.com 

Air contaminated with the COVID-19 virus might travel four times farther than the 6 feet the CDC asks we distance ourselves, according to a recent study. The study published in the Journal of the ... 

www.msn.com 

The truth is scientists do not have a handle on this yet.  And  it seems like the elected officials just dusted off their old CDC book from 100 years ago.  It is exactly the same platform; wash your hands, cover your mouth, stay 6' away, etc...  The old books do say that a worse strain came again later as a second round in the fall.   

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What happens when people go into out back country and leave trace evidence of the virus and what if our precious wild life contracts it?!  What then?! There are known human to animal transmissions!    

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People are literally all around these days. 

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My whole town which means my front yard (faces the lake) (been wonderful without noise & chaos)  and my back yard mountain (Crystal Bay Lookout) for an example has visitors by the masses some seasons (which brings concern regarding COVID-19, Fire Danger & more.  . 

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Next is from an economical point of view 

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Unfortunately other divisions & the Economy minded person, including the NLT Chamber and other business seem to want to have business back to the old ways asap.  The 1950's  was 75 = years ago; we need to get out of the old grow &  greed mindset;  we all should be working on positive changes for a sustainable future   I believe;  Less"construction". "Less Population"  is our best way of protecting Mother Nature.  

Big business buildings should be the first to implement the adequate medical & emergency equipment for the masses. , that their buisness draaws.  

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I actually am in 100% favor that the Nation's next primary focus be on Population Control!

emphasizing on Tourism Population Control.  

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I am very proud of and very grateful for the National Stay Home (until things get sorted).

 

I am so proud of the ski areas in North America!! They realized the value of life, including nature over money!! They unfortunately took a big financial hit in the Sierra Mountains and I imagine elsewhere. But the effort was priceless!

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I am thrilled the 4th July Fireworks got canceled in washoe Co becasue of excatly that - FIRE!!! 

We do not need that zoo, pollution, etc?! 

It is awesome for the Wild Life and fire prevention to not have the fireworks too.

 

I also find that it should be the priority for large businesses like hotels, casinos and ski areas to reinvent their business model to accommodate the health needs of their patrons as they equally operate business if they are the ones promoting and profiting off our great lands and based in our beautiful and fragile rural areas. The good news is this could create a lot of positive minded tasks and jobs!

 

I personally am of the opinion that large tourist based companies like ski areas, hotels, and casino's that draw their clients because of our natural resources, mountains, beaches, deserts, etc... should primarily be the ones responsible for positive change when needed and be the ones to pay the higher STR fees - not individuals as myself - and the large companies should pay for things like the more hospital beds, etc not the individuals such as myself and other regular tax payers.

 

 

There is only one Lake Tahoe (& other precious places left) please protect it with all this great nation’s super powers that we have left that still work. ️

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Some businesses may like the random loud traffic but myself (life local) and 

other invested locals and business owners are also in common understanding that we do not care for the heavy street noise from motorcycles as I just recently discusses with Farmers Insurance Broker, Dan Carpenter.  It disrupts everything around as far as noise is concerned and it it completely unnecessary in the Basin.  Street Vibrations is simply obnoxious!  

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Then financially speaking regarding STR's .  

It was a  big relief to me that some of the STR's who are not on the up & up. And/or did not have their act together and meet the initial requirements (as these initial requirements and deadlines where posted prior to the COVID issues)   as a business person should be regarding their STR would not be eligible for the new STR Permit.  I also recognized that this may weed out some of the competition. 

 

However, to add to my frustration  the County extended their Permit application deadline (100% of the original notice deadline).

This seemed completely asinine, backwards and dysfunctional for the County to do this: and to announce it was an extension because of the COVID issue (is what the County reasoned for the extension)  

My conclusion is it  is based on greed. Pure Government Greed;  the County is continuing to profit off the Permit application fee income.

All the while an oxymoron and contradicts welfare to the environment, people & wildlife  (health & risk) ie., reason for a extreme world wide Stay at Home mandates) .  The County is going against everything the average abiding  citizen is working toward.  They are just biding time to when the doors will re-ope with their pockets lined in the meanwhile with the actual real deal infrastructure far from being parr for the masses in our rural  (& currently) pristine community.  

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Tahoe was getting pushed to the max on its infrastructure for the last decade +.    {As I have seen firsthand (see details below)  (as well as my family & classmates IHS '88 -95 & more will testify). 

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Neighborhood Issues & Emergency Response:

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My good neighbors have turned into great neighbors.  

My side neighbor and I spoke from her patio and I was so grateful for a kind soft spoken neighbor!!!!  

Another left me flowers anonymously.   

And many more, good vibe stories. 

 

It just takes one bad seed though:

More  dismay, -More revolving door issues:  the problem house 205 Park Lane, Kings Beach CA 96143, had a loud outside birthday party April 1, 2020. I have grown very distraught over this house, the noise and the constant dog barking at every person who comes & goes, excessive vehicles, also parking on weeded shoulders of the road, just under a county no parking sign even (just so simple it is backwards for them. They do not look at the sign nor to what is on the correct facing side for the direction of a regular car, nor does the county enforce something as real as that, that I have witnessed anyway.  Often the hot tail pipes on those cars just in from highway driving park over the dry weeds - after I have been inundated on fire prevention.  There has been a warning notice on a vehicle but in my opinion the hostess does not flinch, ie., it's not her car and she knows it was temporary, party is over for this weekend    The little  dog obnoxious  little loud dogs, had appeared to be, being minded  for a short time until  on April 16th, her tenants cars were gone, but she had a fresh new visitor, in a jeep and that dog's ear piercing bark was battling for attention over their conversation and loud music coming from inside the house from the open patio door.  To the date of this writing 205 Park Lane exceeds the space in their trash bear box it overflows to the outside and days prior to pick up, even tho they have had a young bear die outside their house (hit on hwy after investigating their trash) been told by authorities not too (as seen in court documents dating back to 2014).  In my opinion if they did not have so many (bully & unneighborly) guests all the time, they may not have so much trash that they can not manage properly.  (see  also pictures above and Flu & Revolving Door in Nshore).  

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The next issue with their trash outside is, 205 Park Lane sits on the One way In- One way Out of our otherwise clean and happy residential street.  So everyone ,including STR business patrons unfortunately see this problem house's garbage spill over!  That is upsetting to m, since I for one maintain my surroundings and this house is directly in my patrons view.  

My other neighbors,  have started asking about that house too.  

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Our neighborhood garbage pick up is Wednesdays, but as mentioned above 205 Park Lane has a problem with their trash being put out on days that are not trash days.  As I was now working at my outside desk (as mentioned below regarding the fire).  

A mid sized Bear cruised thru my yard (two weeks after the fire mentioned below) and appeared to be heading toward the trash of 205 Park Lane (as there were blue bags outside the bear box for at least 24 hrs prior to pick up.  I was able to avoid it & see to it that it was detoured from traveling that direction (as we made noise in the direction we did not want it to go.  Basically this house is a problem; I feel like it needs a babysitter for the tenants in it and it is exhausting to have people like that live here. 

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Basically stop clowning around!  We do not have the Infa structure to handle our our community let alone more people! 

We do not need more random roommates of rental houses doing more elective stupid stuff (like build skate ramps, see below).

Please No-More childs play in regards to living in our neighborhoods.  

Nor do we need to have our emergency crews and elderly neighbors have parking or excessive visitor problems re: a rental houses whether it be short or long term.  

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For a visual to the reader, other neighbors mentioned they do not want that at the entrance & exit to our residential street. 

The narcotics use & sales  were conversationally confirmed, also the person with the flu who died there, were just some of  the topic of concern regarding 205 among core neighbors when we congregated during the fire.  

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The unnecessary extra chaos between the small dogs barking at every chance they can additionally with the skateboard ramp and the additions being made to it, it has been moved to the inside of the short fence, it is a half pipe skate ramp  and takes up the whole area to give example of size: - (not yet pictured): a load of lumber and friends appeared on a cars roof an with that was (skill saws, hammers, smell of varnish, the skating, music & yahoos after, has not be a good neighborly experience.  

This house has been nothing but a revolving door.  Too much trash,  too many vehicles, too much noise, bullies, two deaths: bear & human

)They appear to they do not take our community needs seriously.  For the most current updates re: this house please see (flu & Revolving Door in Nshore

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205 Park Lane is Opposite of my Right To Quiet Enjoyment.  That effects me and my place of income= STR & Private Skincare (Spa ) setting.  

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The day of April 22, frustratingly  I noticed more unknown vehicles at 205 Park Lane..  I documented the vehicles for this report and was sitting at my outside desk enjoying some fresh air when the opposite of relaxing and fresh air happened!

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Extreme example is: 

A bad smoke smell came up the slope as does sound , it's a natural amphitheater around this side of the Basin.  With that smell it intensified to something worse like brakes,  An odd light  puff of a cloud went thru my yard and around my workspace. Not liking this; concern.   I decided to go investigate.  

So I walked to the front of my property (sad but true thinking it was 205 Park, ie., the problem house or a car on the hwy).

As I looked to my left, which is toward the HWY; I saw back smoke coming out of  204 Park Lane's garage. ie., a home on the HWy near two fire-stations:  Kings Beach, C & Crystal Bay, NV  

I immediately called 911 & went to see if my neighbors were ok!  I saw the 205 Park Lane,  kids were outside & they too were aware of the fire and called 911. 

However 205 Park Lane did not think quickly to to move their cars or make room for emergency teams 8 fear of explosion!!! So I found myself calling out for them to move their cars - get them out of the way -this could jump and we need to make space for crews to get in, I insisted!!!  They scrambled around.  

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I climbed the balcony rail and found her & the dogs upstairs.  We yelled to each other that we found the owners. (YAY!!!! we got them out!)  They found him in the garage. That was quite a scare!!! Please look closely at photo of house on fire, he is in that truck backing out of the garage.  The garage door came down at the truckbed window, blocked him in. This picture was taken moments after that.  

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There is only one house in-between myself and the fire.   The house in-between does not keep up their property, the inside is full (hoarder) nor do they keep up with fire code requirements.  so the fire and the concern of it spreading into the house between us terrified me!   

I am very aware and do my due diligence.  Also the STR codes require me to do much work and what about a situation like mine?  The neighbors do not?!  

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The fire crew has to use chainsaws, some glass was broken.  The front windows to the lake view are gone Next they all needed to be boarded and plastic-ed up.  Gas, Electric, tc.. are turned off and the Fire Dept watched it all night long to make sure all the hot spots were put out.  So the neighbors are staying in my cabin (STR) (no payment required due to fire emergency placement & good (elderly) neighbors) until they can figure out their situation.    (copy of pictures from header)

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The young guy across the street told me he could feel the heat on his body at he is house.,ie skateboard ramp.  He also told me he went to the garage and the sounds of thing popping everywhere.  He did not know if it was electrical, fire garage items,,,?  

He had back stuff coming up from his lungs.  

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Basically, it was an ordeal. It appears to me we do not have the Infa structure to handle our our community let alone more people!

It took a very long time for the fire department to show up, turn the hydrant on and extinguish the fire. 

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Our homes are on the corner of HWY 28 and Park Lane;,  the Crystal Bay Mountain Fire Lookout as our adjoining back yards. 

​The home between myself and the house that caught fire is a full time resident who does not maintain their defensible space (nor their home).  

If the Fire Dept took a very long to get to us; I can't imagine what concerns may be for more rural &/or more extreme weather or goodness sake any more tourists in the way?!!!  I learned why; the Fire Dept took so long to arrive!   The local Kings Beach Dept had another 911 call and were in Carnelian Bay.  So Incline Village was the first to arrive on the scene and then the others started to arrive.   

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My point is the County has a lot of multi variety owners and situations already that they are not able to manage, how does the County expect to manage more population (and the tourist masses it has experienced in the past)?  

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For my Immediate  Neighbors and Local Tax Payers the 

Fire was a learning lesson on the reality of that could have been bad,  response time was slow, cars in the way!,   

Our homes are on the corner of HWY 28 and Park Lane;,  the Crystal Bay Mountain Fire Lookout as our adjoining back yards. 

If the Fire Dept took this long to get to us; I can't imagine what concerns may be for more rural &/or more extreme weather or goodness sake any more tourists in the way?!!!  I learned why; the Fire Dept took so long to arrive!   

The following day I learned the local Kings Beach Dept had another 911 call and were in Carnelian Bay.  So Incline Village was the first to arrive on the scene and then the others started to arrive.   And there was a time delay between the engines tank reserve to the Hydrant that the house may have been put out minutes prior.  

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Please remember this house has also been a problem with tight bottle neck street and their  parking during the winter too (see details below & pictures above). 

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