Firefighter dies fighting blaze near Tahoe

            A firefighter working in a remote area between the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Eldorado National Forest has died.

            He was struck by a tree about 5:30pm on Aug. 8.

            The name of the firefighter has not been released pending notification of family.

         This is the second firefighter to die this summer in California. David Ruhle, 38, of the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota was on the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest when he was found deceased Aug. 31.

The Tahoe area death was announced just before midnight Aug. 9. The firefighter had been taken to Lake Tahoe Airport. At 7:09pm Saturday Calstar nurses were called over to perform CPR on him.

The fallen firefighter was on a new blaze called the Sierra Fire. There are no details about the fire other than reports it is burning near Sierra-at-Tahoe.

                  A second firefighter who was also injured in the incident has been treated and released.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report