SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) firefighters, along with Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, CAL FIRE, and South Lake Tahoe Police Department, will train for several types of emergency rescue operations at the former Motel 6 property in South Lake Tahoe, under an agreement with the California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy). Training will take place before the Conservancy demolishes the former motel and restaurant buildings, anticipated for this fall.

SLTFR Fire Chief Jim Drennan said “Opportunities to train in a building like this don’t come around very often. We are very thankful to the California Tahoe Conservancy for allowing our agency and our neighbors to train at Motel 6 before the buildings are brought down.”

The public can expect to see fire agencies and law enforcement on the property in the coming months, practicing search and rescue and other training scenarios involving large buildings. No live fire or structural destruction will take place.

Initial training events will take place the week of June 9. Additional training events may follow.

The Conservancy acquired the 31-acre Upper Truckee Marsh South property, which includes the former motel and adjacent meadow, in 2024 to protect critical wetland and meadow habitat, improve climate resilience and public access, and to restore the river corridor of the largest tributary to Lake Tahoe.

Additional information about the property is available on the Conservancy website at tahoe.ca.gov/motel.