Tahoe Fireside Lodge Survives Fire

Christine and Dave Latshaw opened the Fireside Lodge in South Lake Tahoe a mere three weeks before the Angora fire destroyed 254 homes nearby. For the couple, formerly of Simi Valley, the blaze was a bolt of bad luck they hardly expected. (Mark Boster / LAT)

Sept. 16, 2014 5:39 AM PT

After the Fireside reopened, Dave Latshaw manned the phones. When four guests called to cancel their reservations because of the blaze, he persuaded them to come anyway. (Mark Boster / LAT)

Latshaw walks the grounds of the Fireside Lodge. Like many Tahoe residents who have unfurled signs thanking firefighters, he was awed by the risks crews took to repel the flames. “They put their life on the line for me and my property,” he said. (Mark Boster / LAT)