SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On January 22, 2026, at approximately 4:47 a..m, South Lake Tahoe dispatch received a 911 call of a possible structure fire in the 3300 block of Treehaven Dr. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and South Lake Tahoe Police responded to the scene. Upon arrival, public safety resources found the second story of a residence fully involved in flames. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, with the assistance of Lake Valley Fire Protection District and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, were able to extinguish the fire prior to it spreading into any trees or neighboring residences.
South Lake Tahoe Police began an investigation and learned this was a domestic violence incident and the fire had been intentionally set. The investigation led to a suspect being identified as Jeremy Nichols of South Lake Tahoe. Nichols had fled the scene of the fire prior to law enforcement’s arrival and was not initially able to be located.
As the investigation continued, it was determined Nichols had a hotel room at Harrah’s Casino. With the assistance of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, it was confirmed Nichols was inside a Harrah’s hotel room and refused to come out. South Lake Tahoe PD Detectives had since taken over the investigation, and a warrant was issued for Nichols’s arrest for the following charges:
- Two counts of malicious arson to an inhabited structure
- Domestic battery
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office made entry into the hotel room and safely took Nichols into custody on the arrest warrant. Nichols was booked into the Douglas County jail, where he will be held without bail pending extradition back to California. There were no injuries to any people or pets from the fire.
South Lake Tahoe PD Detectives and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Arson Investigators remain on scene, continuing their investigation. Also responding to the scene to assist is an Arson Investigator from Sacramento City Fire Department. South Lake Tahoe PD and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue would like to thank our neighboring public safety agencies, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Valley Protection District and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District for their assistance on this incident.
