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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The community is invited to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday at a special party on Friday, Aug. 9.

Join Cal Fire Fire Prevention Specialist Bruce Lang at Clear Lake State Park from 6 to 7 p.m. to celebrate Smokey’s birthday.

The hour-long event will be held at the Education Pavilion at Clear Lake State Park.

Lang will be bringing along a fire engine, as well as some of his Cal Fire friends to participate in this special event.

There will be lots of fun activities for children to enjoy.

Clear Lake State Park is located at 5300 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.

Admission to the park is free to those attending the event.

Anyone having special needs should contact Clear Lake State Park staff Monday through Friday at 707-279-4294.

For further information on California State Parks go to www.parks.ca.gov .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the Lake County Public Health Department is joining agencies across the country to highlight vaccine use.

The agency said the annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life.

Officials said vaccines offer you the power to protect yourself and your family against serious diseases, like whooping cough, cancers caused by HPV, and pneumonia.

During National Immunization Awareness Month, Lake County Public Health encourages you talk to your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional to ensure you, your child, and your family are up to date on recommended vaccines.

Local health officials also encourage you to visit CDC’s Interactive Vaccine Guide, which provides information on the vaccines recommended during pregnancy and throughout your child’s life.

Lake County Public Health offers the following information.

Childhood/adolescent

Vaccines are among the most effective ways to protect against serious diseases. Many vaccine-preventable diseases are no longer common thanks to vaccines, which are tested to ensure they are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages.

As your children head back to school this fall, make sure vaccination is at the top of your checklist. August is a key time to make sure you are up to date on all the vaccines you need to stay healthy and complaint with school requirements.

Pregnant women

The Tdap and flu vaccines are very safe to receive during pregnancy, and help prevent harm to you and your developing baby.

A 2018 study showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40 percent, and a 2017 CDC evaluation found Tdap vaccination during the third trimester of pregnancy prevents more than three in four cases of whooping cough in babies younger than 2 months old.

Vaccines are tested to ensure that they are safe and effective to receive during pregnancy.

Adults

Vaccines aren’t just for kids. Adults may need vaccines to protect against whooping cough, the flu, types of pneumonia, and shingles. If you have diabetes, some illnesses like flu can make it harder to control your blood sugar (glucose). Make sure you are up to date on your vaccines.

Use CDC’s adult vaccine assessment tool to see which vaccines may be right for you. Ask your doctor about the vaccines you need to be protected against serious diseases.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – State and local fire agencies are continuing their efforts to fully contain a wildland fire incident that began burning on Thursday afternoon.

The Golf fire began at approximately 12:59 p.m. Thursday at Soda Bay Road and Golf Drive, according to Cal Fire.

The incident consists of a main fire and a smaller spot fire, based on reports from the scene.

Cal Fire and fire agencies from around Lake County – including Kelseyville, Lakeport, Northshore Fire, Lake County Fire and South Lake County Fire – responded, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol.

Resources also came from the city of Colusa and the Williams Fire Protection Authority, Cal Fire said.

Upon arrival the fire was estimated to be five acres with a moderate rate of spread, according to the Cal Fire report.

Winds and terrain were reported to be pushing the growth of the fire, based on radio reports.

Air tankers and helicopters worked the fire throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Cal Fire said crews and aircraft are working the terrain driven fire in thick brush and mixed hardwoods.

As of 6:30 p.m., Cal Fire reported that the incident had burned a total of 19 acres and was 30 percent contained.

The cause of the fire so far remains unknown, Cal Fire said.

On Thursday afternoon the sheriff’s office issued an evacuation order for Riviera West, followed by an advisory evacuation issued for Riviera Heights. An evacuation center has been set up for Kelseyville High School.

Cal Fire said 40 structures are threatened, but so far none have been destroyed or damaged.

Officials said Soda Bay Road from Golf Drive to Crystal Drive remained closed on Thursday evening.

Cal Fire said resources assigned include 26 engines, three water tenders, four helicopters, 10 hand crews, six dozers, four air tankers and 329 firefighters.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

This story is being updated on a rolling basis.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Firefighters are attempting to stop a fast-moving wildland fire that began Thursday afternoon off Soda Bay Road.

The fire at Soda Bay Road and Golf Drive was first reported at about 1 p.m., according to radio reports.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office sent out a Nixle alert directing residents to avoid the area and follow the directions of law and fire personnel on scene.

The initial response included units from Kelseyville Fire and Lakeport Fire, with Cal Fire sending a full wildland dispatch of engines and aircraft. Lake County Fire also sent units.

First reports from arriving firefighters said the fire was a large roadside spot moving up the face of Mount Konocti. At that point it was reported to be half an acre to one acre, with a moderate rate of spread in heavy fuel, and incident command requesting a second helicopter for water drops.

Cal Fire’s Copter 104 from Boggs Mountain arrived and Sheriff’s Marine Patrol cleared boats from the area so the helicopter could safely get water out of the lake.

Deputies also were working to divert traffic around the area, with cars reported to be backing up.

Witnesses at the scene are reporting that wind is hitting the fire.

At 1:37 p.m., incident command reported that the fire was at 10 acres, with 20 structures threatened. Additional units including another 10 engines were asked to respond.

At 1:45 p.m., two helicopters and multiple tankers were working to stop the fire.

At 1:49 p.m., Cal Fire dispatched another large numbers of engines to respond.

Shortly afterward, Cal Fire’s air attack noted irregular winds and flare ups on the incident.

Radio reports indicated that at 2 p.m. a spot fire was spotted above Soda Bay Road and right below the Riviera West subdivision. The smoke column was reported to be quickly building, with the fire about one mile from the original fire.

Minutes later, firefighters requested an evacuation advisory be implemented for the area.

Other units on scene were reporting that there are multiple spot fires on the mountain.

Cal Fire reported over the air that it is requesting more air tankers, with the closest to come from Southern California.

A second full wildland dispatch of engines and crews is being requested, Cal Fire said at about 2:10 p.m.

At 2:15 p.m., authorities implemented a hard road closure at Soda Bay Road and Riviera West.

Minutes later, incident command said Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had deenergized Riviera West, and an evacuation advisory for Riviera West had been upgraded to an evacuation order.

At 2:24 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert notifying community members of the evacuation order for Riviera West.

“Residents are advised that there is a IMMEDIATE threat to life and property from a wildfire, and are urged to evacuate,” the alert said.

Residents are directed to leave the area by road to the south towards Kit's Corner. A shelter is being established at Kelseyville High School at 5480 Main St.

At 2:38 p.m., incident command said the main fire was seven to eight acres with the smaller fire at between one and one and a half acres. Both are moving with a slow rate of spread. A total of 50 homes – 25 to 30 for the smaller fire, 15 to 20 for the larger fire – are reported to be threatened.

Authorities also have extended the road closure to the area of Soda Bay Road and Konocti Harbor.

As of 3:43 p.m., incident command reported that the main fire was 12 acres, with another one-acre spot fire. A second spot fire at that point totaled three acres, for a total of 16 acres. The fires are moving with a slow rate of spread.

At 3:58 p.m., incident command said the main fire remained at 13 acres, the secondary spot fire was three acres, and evacuation orders remain in effect for Riviera West. Additionally, more fire units have just arrived from Maxwell and are being directed to stage at Kit’s Corner. Helicopters and a tanker are being directed to work on the spot fire.

At 4:33 p.m., the sheriff’s office issued an advisory evacuation for Riviera Heights residents. The Nixle art stated, “All residents EAST of Westridge Drive are advised that there is a potential threat of fire to your area. Upon receipt of this notification, those with a need for additional time to evacuate are encouraged to do so. This is also the time for making last minute preparations to evacuate the area in the event an Evacuation Order is given. A Shelter has been established at Kelseyville HIgh School, 5480 Main Street in Kelseyville.”

Air tankers and helicopters continued to work hard on the fire, boxing it in. However, heavy smoke caused a temporary hold on five tankers just before 5 p.m. They were allowed to resume shortly afterward.

Condition reports sounded like a tug-of-war: Incident command said shortly before 5:30 p.m. that the terrain was pushing the fire up the hill, but when it reached the top of the ridge, the wind pushed it back down.

At 5:32 p.m., incident command reported that the main fire, known as branch one, had burned 16 acres, with the spot fire, known as branch two, at three acres. Total containment at that point was 30 percent.

Relief Air Attack 503 has transitioned onto the incident at that point, with Air Attack 110, which had worked for several hours on the fires, released to return to Grass Valley.

As of 5:51 p.m., a number of resources, including dozers, transports, engines, medics and water tenders have been released from the incident.

Additional information is being posted as it becomes available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – County officials reported that a recent detection of the invasive aquatic weed hydrilla in an area of Clear Lake is triggering additional survey and study efforts.

The Lake County Water Resources Department will be supporting the Lake County Agricultural Commissioner and the California Department of Food and Agriculture in an extensive survey in response to a recent detection of hydrilla within the Clear Lake Keys area of Clear Lake in Lake County.

The detection was confirmed on Aug. 1, 2019. The county said the detection was made as part of the coordinated aquatic invasive species prevention program that protects aquatic resources in Lake County.

Early detection is a key component to successfully eradicating a hydrilla infestation before it becomes established.

Ongoing detection surveys are conducted throughout Clear Lake, and for more than two years, no hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has been seen or detected.

“With no detections of hydrilla for over two years, this recent detection shows that we cannot become complacent, we must be vigilant in our efforts to fully eradicate this invasive species,” said Angela De Palma-Dow with the Lake County Water Resources Department. “The public’s help is vital to the eradication effort. We thank the public and, specifically, the Clear Lake Keys Property Owners Association for their cooperation and continued communication throughout this project.”

Program partners will conduct an extensive survey, also known as a delimitation survey that includes the keys and some of the area immediately surrounding the detection site.

Officials use special hooks, placed in the water, to capture pieces of hydrilla. If a piece of hydrilla is hooked, the hooking operation is stopped and immediately and GPS coordinates are taken. Members of the survey team then visually look for any floating hydrilla remnants to ensure that viable plant pieces do not float off to other parts of the lake and start a new infestation.

Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management, officials use chelated copper in order to eliminate any viable, living hydrilla fragments, stems and leaves, preventing an infestation. In addition, an organic formulation of Sonar slow release pellets, also known as Fluridone, is used.

The pellets sink to the bottom of the lake in the immediate and surrounding area around the detection site and serve as a pre-emergent, preventing the sprouting of any remaining hydrilla tubers and turions. Officials said the pellets have low toxicity to animals, including fish, and there are no restrictions on swimming or drinking in treated water bodies.

All treatments comply with the National Clean Water Act – National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

The county of Lake said the Hydrilla Eradication Program has a positive and proven track record of eradication in California, having eradicated hydrilla from 15 counties since 1976.

In addition to the treatments, the Lake County Water Resources Department has issued stop-order notices to mechanical harvesting permit holders and others in the immediate detection area of Clear Lake Keys. The Water Resources Department is also urging the public to reduce any unnecessary boat traffic from the Keys into the main body of Clear Lake until surveys and treatments are completed.

Reducing mechanical harvesting and limiting boating traffic can significantly limit the probability of transporting hydrilla plants and plant fragments from the Clear Lake Keys to other locations in Clear Lake, or to another body of water.

Hydrilla, much like other aquatic plant invasive species, can rapidly reproduce from a small stem fragment, which can float through lake currents or be picked up by a boat and travel to other parts of the lake, where it can start a new infestation. Hydrilla fragments can grow over an inch in length per day and can double their mass every two weeks under ideal conditions.

The Lake County Water Resources Department reminds the public that removal or control of any aquatic plants in Clear Lake, whether by hand-pulling, mechanical harvesting, or chemical treatment, requires a permit.

The Clear Lake Aquatic Plant Management Permit application can be found here, “Aquatic Plant Management,” or on the Aquatic Plant Management tab on the County of Lake Water Resources Department Web site. The application can be printed and filled out in hard copy or downloaded electronically and emailed to the department.

Hydrilla is a non-native, aggressive, submerged aquatic invasive plant species which can cause severe damage to both the natural environment and economy of Clear Lake.

Based on published research, once hydrilla invades an aquatic ecosystem, it drives out all native aquatic plants, creating a pure stand of hydrilla, further outcompeting other plant species for space and light.

Hydrilla breaks apart very easily and small pieces of stem, no more than one inch long, can produce entire new plants, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The plant produces special survival structures on the stems, called turions, and in the sediment, called tubers. Each tuber also produces a new plant. The tubers can survive for 7 to 9 years in the sediment before sprouting, even if no water is present for much of that time.

The presence of hydrilla populations can also have negative impacts on aquatic wildlife, officials said. Sportfish surveyed from other lakes where hydrilla is the dominant aquatic plant species have been shown to be smaller in weight and size, as hydrilla limits spawning and foraging space available to fish, and creates an unsuitable environment for the primary fish food source, zooplankton and phytoplankton.

Hydrilla also interferes with boating and fishing, and increases the risk of drowning by making it difficult to swim in safety, and officials said heavy hydrilla infestations decrease fishing stocks, and, along with the impact on boating, reduce recreational opportunities, and the local economies these activities support.

There are several native aquatic plants in Clear Lake that look like hydrilla, such as coontail and elodea, the county reported.

Hydrilla can be recognized by the whorled pattern of five leaves around a central stem and distinguishable teeth, or serrations, along the leaf edges and also on the central midvein.

Elodea has leaves in whorls of three, and no teeth along the leaf edges or midvein. Egeria has leaves in whorls of four or eight, with slightly serrated leaf edges but no teeth on the midvein.

If you think you see hydrilla, grab a section and take a photo in your hand. Send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Take note of the location (lat/long coordinates) and do not throw the fragment back into the lake. Place the fragment in a plastic zip-top bag for further identification by county of Lake and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Hydrilla outreach materials have been posted in green educational kiosks located at several of the boat ramps around the Clear Lake keys.

Residents who believe they have seen hydrilla are encouraged to contact Lake County Water Resources Department’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program Coordinator Angela De Palma-Dow at 707-263-2344, by visiting http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/WaterResources.htm or message the agency directly on Facebook Lake County Water Resources Department, @lakecountywater.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – August is Child Support Awareness Month and the California Department of Child Support Services is reminding parents that the 49 county and regional child support agencies across the state offer a range of services to assist parents in supporting their children.

Research conducted statewide in 2017 revealed that many California parents – both outside the Child Support Program and participating in it – were unaware of programs available for their benefit through Child Support Services.

If a parent needs to get a court order for either financial or medical support, their local child support agency can help.

Many agencies will work with both parents to avoid the court process by creating an agreement for support that works for both parents while also supporting the needs of the child.

Child Support Services can also enforce existing court orders for support and help keep track of payments to provide peace of mind for all.

Services are free for parents enrolled in the Temporary Aid to Needy Families Program, all others pay only a $25 annual fee.

Parents struggling to meet their child support obligations can find help as well. Those whose circumstances have changed since an order was set, such as job loss or change in custody or visitation, can seek a “modification” to reflect both parents’ current income and expenses and the time spent with the children.

Those with qualifying unpaid child support debt can seek relief through a “Compromise of Arrears” program that may reduce a portion of the debt.

Child support payments provide a measure of financial stability for families and create better outcomes for children. It can be complicated, but the people of California Child Support Services are ready to help.

For more information on the California’s Child Support Program visit www.childsupport.ca.gov .