The two men found in woods cleaned up their campsite and moved to street. Photo by DCSO.

The two men found in woods cleaned up their campsite and moved to street. Photo by DCSO

STATELINE, Nev. - Two deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) responded to the report of a wildland fire in the woods behind Bally's casino at Stateline on July 21 at approximately 8:25 a.m.

The deputies could see smoke coming from the woods just east of Lake Parkway. They walked in about 50 meters and saw signs of a transient camp with garbage, toilet paper, and debris scattered around the area. They found two men who were cooking breakfast over a fire pit dug into the dirt, and it was not a wildland fire.

The men told deputies they normally used a propane cooking grill but this time had started a fire instead. One told them he had been living in the same area for three years.

Deputies informed the two men it is illegal for anyone to camp in the Lake Tahoe Basin unless they use a designated campground. They also informed the men that it was illegal to start a fire or use any type of campfire.

One of the pair told the deputies he had been arrested in Carson City, Nev., and had court conditions to not use drugs, or alcohol, and to obey all laws. One of the deputies noticed empty beer cans near the fire and this suspect admitted to consuming alcohol the night before, deputies said.

Due to the large camp area with garbage "everywhere," debris, and the amount of property within the illegal campsite, deputies issued criminal citations for illegal camping in lieu of arrest. DCSO told the two men they had to clean up the camp and were given trash bags to move the garbage to the side of the road (pictured above).

Deputies left, telling the pair they'd be back, and if all the trash was not picked up they'd add a littering charge. They took 31 photographs of the campsite to document the "before." When they returned they found one man there, and things were cleaned things up and was waiting for a ride to remove his personal items.

The men are due to appear in court on October 24.

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