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LUCERNE, Calif. -- The Local Assistance Center is open in Lucerne for fire victims at the Lucerne Senior Center located at 10th and Country Club. The Center is open from 10:00 a.m. till 7 p.m..
Across the street, at First Lutheran, Church WIC is in operation until 2 p.m. when it relocates to Lakeport. WIC will be taking a break at the Lucerne location between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m..
In the First Lutheran parking lot, a dog food and water distrubtion is operating.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – School districts impacted by the Mendocino Complex are adjusting new school year start dates, cleaning facilities, and focusing on how to help assist students and staff.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said this week that the school districts are working hard to make sure that facilities are ready for the starts of school, with student and staff safety the first concern.
Since it began on July 27, the Mendocino Complex resulted in mandatory evacuations taking place at various times for communities from Kelseyville and Lakeport all the way to Clearlake Oaks, and east to the Spring Valley Lakes and the Double Eagle Ranch subdivisions.
At one point, as many as 20,000 Lake County residents were reported to be evacuated from their homes for several days, authorities said.
Mandatory evacuations were lifted for Kelseyville on July 31 and for the city of Lakeport on Aug. 2, with much of the Northshore allowed to return home on Wednesday, while Spring Valley, High Valley and Double Eagle were reduced from mandatory status on Thursday, as Lake County News has reported.
Because of the fire, the resulting evacuations and sheltering efforts – with schools in Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Middletown used as evacuation shelters – Falkenberg said schools are contracting with experts to clean classrooms, parking lots, playgrounds, common areas and other areas of school campuses.
He said Konocti Unified plans to start school on Aug. 20, as does Middletown Unified, noting that was Middletown’s planned start date even before the fires.
Kelseyville Unified also hasn’t changed its date for the first day of school, which remains Sept. 4, Falkenberg said.
In addition, Falkenberg said the county’s community colleges are set to start on their originally planned dates: Aug. 13 for Woodland Community College and Aug. 20 for Mendocino College.
Falkenberg said schools in Lakeport will start on Aug. 22.
On the Northshore, districts pushed back their start dates by a week to allow for cleanup, according to district officials.
On Tuesday, the Upper Lake Unified School Board District held a special meeting in which it decided to delay school by a week, with a target date of Aug. 22, as Lake County News has reported.
Superintendent Dr. Giovanni Annous said the board also approved a resolution for emergency cleaning and mitigation of any complications due to the smoke and ash that have surrounded Upper Lake Unified’s facilities for the past two weeks.
On Wednesday, a district leadership team met with ServPro and Air & Water Sciences, visited all the school sites and conducted individual classroom assessments, according to Annous.
Annous said the district has contracted with ServPro to clean all district offices and mitigate air quality conditions on Friday, and to clean classrooms and campuses from Monday through Wednesday, beginning with Upper Lake Elementary. Air & Water Science will certify all the cleaning and will issue a report.
That will clear the way for office employees to report for work on Aug. 13, teachers and support staff to start on Aug. 20 and students to begin class on Aug. 22, he said.
Lucerne Elementary Principal/Superintendent Mike Brown told Lake County News that his district board also took action to postpone the start of school at a Wednesday meeting.
Like Upper Lake Unified, Lucerne Elementary is planning to start school on Aug. 22, Brown said.
“We currently have ATI and a crew of about 60 individuals giving the school an amazing cleaning,” he said.
ATI Restoration is a company that, like ServPro, specializes in cleanup and restoration projects.
“We hope to have air quality clearance by early next week to be able to bring staff back to prepare for the return of students,” Brown said.
Like Upper Lake, Lakeport Unified Superintendent April Leiferman also hired ServPro of Lake County to clean the district’s facilities in preparation for reopening, the company confirmed to Lake County News.
Due to the size of the job, ServPro said it anticipated hiring many temporary workers to finish the work.
Falkenberg said districts will have resources in place to support the physical, social and emotional needs of students as school begins again.
Anyone with questions should contact their specific school district for more information, Falkenberg said.
Phone numbers for district offices are as follows:
– Kelseyville Unified: 707-279-1511;
– Lakeport Unified: 707-262-3000;
– Lucerne Unified: 707-274-5578;
– Konocti Unified: 707-994-6475;
– Middletown Unified: 707-987-4100;
– Upper Lake Unified: 707-275-2655.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday issued an executive order to cut red tape and help streamline recovery efforts in communities impacted by the devastating wildfires that continue to burn in Lake, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino and Napa counties.
There are 15 major fires currently burning in California that have destroyed homes and infrastructure and continue to threaten communities.
More than 13,000 firefighters from California, 17 other states, Australia and New Zealand are working the front lines of wildfires statewide.
The executive order includes provisions that:
– Expedite debris removal and cleanup of homes and businesses that were damaged or destroyed by the fires;
– Extend the state’s prohibition on price gouging during emergencies;
– Suspend planning and zoning requirements and state fees for manufactured homes and mobile home parks to help displaced residents with housing needs;
– Allow for the accelerated hiring of additional personnel for emergency and recovery operations;
– Provide waivers on temporary school facilities and outdoor physical education requirements to allow schools to open as quickly as possible;
– Extend the filing deadline for certain taxes for businesses in the impacted counties;
Streamline contracting and purchasing rules; and
– Strengthen coordination between state agencies on environmental restoration in fire-impacted areas.
Last weekend, Gov. Brown announced the federal government’s approval of a presidential major disaster declaration for Shasta County and met with local leaders and fire and emergency management officials at the Carr Fire Incident Command Post in Anderson.
The federal government is reviewing the presidential major disaster declaration request for Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties on an expedited basis as preliminary damage assessments continue.
The Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest fire in state history and remains a dynamic challenge for firefighters.
Previously, Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in Shasta, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Riverside and Mariposa counties due to multiple fires and secured federal aid to further support communities impacted by the Carr fire.
Last week, Gov. Brown joined the state’s top emergency management officials at the State Operations Center in Mather to provide an update on the ongoing fire fight. The State Operations Center is activated to its highest level to help local, state and federal emergency response officials address emergency management needs.
Information on additional resources for residents impacted by the fires is available at: http://wildfirerecovery.org/.
The full text of today’s executive order can be found here.
There are 15 major fires currently burning in California that have destroyed homes and infrastructure and continue to threaten communities.
More than 13,000 firefighters from California, 17 other states, Australia and New Zealand are working the front lines of wildfires statewide.
The executive order includes provisions that:
– Expedite debris removal and cleanup of homes and businesses that were damaged or destroyed by the fires;
– Extend the state’s prohibition on price gouging during emergencies;
– Suspend planning and zoning requirements and state fees for manufactured homes and mobile home parks to help displaced residents with housing needs;
– Allow for the accelerated hiring of additional personnel for emergency and recovery operations;
– Provide waivers on temporary school facilities and outdoor physical education requirements to allow schools to open as quickly as possible;
– Extend the filing deadline for certain taxes for businesses in the impacted counties;
Streamline contracting and purchasing rules; and
– Strengthen coordination between state agencies on environmental restoration in fire-impacted areas.
Last weekend, Gov. Brown announced the federal government’s approval of a presidential major disaster declaration for Shasta County and met with local leaders and fire and emergency management officials at the Carr Fire Incident Command Post in Anderson.
The federal government is reviewing the presidential major disaster declaration request for Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties on an expedited basis as preliminary damage assessments continue.
The Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest fire in state history and remains a dynamic challenge for firefighters.
Previously, Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in Shasta, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Riverside and Mariposa counties due to multiple fires and secured federal aid to further support communities impacted by the Carr fire.
Last week, Gov. Brown joined the state’s top emergency management officials at the State Operations Center in Mather to provide an update on the ongoing fire fight. The State Operations Center is activated to its highest level to help local, state and federal emergency response officials address emergency management needs.
Information on additional resources for residents impacted by the fires is available at: http://wildfirerecovery.org/.
The full text of today’s executive order can be found here.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued another red flag warning over Lake and some of its neighboring counties due to a mix of high temperatures and winds in the forecast.
The National Weather Service said the warning is in effect until 11 p.m. Saturday.
The agency said a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions – a mix of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures – are either occurring now or will shortly.
The Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex is among the area of highest threat, as well as exposed ridges, according to the warning.
Forecasters said winds will increase through Saturday evening as a low pressure system passes through Northern California.
The Lake County specific forecast calls for temperatures in the 90s on Friday, with wind gusts into the mid-20s. Temperatures are expected to drop into the high 80s, with single-digit winds on Saturday.
The National Weather Service said these winds, when coupled with low humidity levels, will bring critical fire weather conditions.
Afternoon minimum humidities of 10 to 20 percent are expected with overnight humidity recoveries as low as 30 to 40 percent. Those low levels could challenge the firefighting effort.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The National Weather Service said the warning is in effect until 11 p.m. Saturday.
The agency said a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions – a mix of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures – are either occurring now or will shortly.
The Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex is among the area of highest threat, as well as exposed ridges, according to the warning.
Forecasters said winds will increase through Saturday evening as a low pressure system passes through Northern California.
The Lake County specific forecast calls for temperatures in the 90s on Friday, with wind gusts into the mid-20s. Temperatures are expected to drop into the high 80s, with single-digit winds on Saturday.
The National Weather Service said these winds, when coupled with low humidity levels, will bring critical fire weather conditions.
Afternoon minimum humidities of 10 to 20 percent are expected with overnight humidity recoveries as low as 30 to 40 percent. Those low levels could challenge the firefighting effort.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Air Quality Management District said the county’s air basin is expected to continue to have poor air quality for the rest of the month as a result of the Mendocino Complex.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said a “very unhealthy” air quality alert is ongoing for the portions of Clearlake and all of the Northshore as a result of the heavy smoke from the burn areas.
He said there also is the potential for “unhealthy” to “hazardous” conditions for those same areas, depending on wind and fire activity.
All other areas of Lake County are forecast to have unhealthy to very unhealthy conditions based on the wind and fire conditions, Gearhart said.
The poor air quality conditions are expected to impact the county through August or until the Ranch fire and other regional fires are out, he said.
He said current particulate levels in Lake County are in the range from unhealthy to very unhealthy, which is expected to continue depending on the weather pattern.
When particulate reaches unhealthy levels, everyone needs to take steps to protect themselves from exposure, Gearhart said.
He said all areas of the county may experience unhealthy to hazardous air quality as smoke settles into the basin in the overnight and morning hours.
Localized areas in the hazardous air quality range also can be expected until the local fires are contained, he said.
Cal Fire said the Mendocino Complex is expected to be fully contained on Sept. 1.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – This week the Clearlake Police Department discovered an illegal indoor marijuana grow and seized dozens of plants, materials, a weapon and methamphetamine.
On Thursday, the Clearlake Police Department reported that officers with its investigations unit executed a search warrant regarding the illegal commercial cultivation of marijuana for sale at the 15700 block of 37th Avenue.
Officers were investigating a possible illegal marijuana growing operation in violation of state of California cannabis laws and local city of Clearlake ordinances, police said.
During the execution of the search warrant, a total of 82 growing marijuana plants were located and drying marijuana inside the garage, police said. Indicia, chemicals and materials associated with the illegal cultivation and sales of marijuana were also located and seized.
Police said that, inside the residence, a loaded short-barreled .22 caliber rifle and approximately 128 grams of methamphetamine were located and seized as evidence.
The Clearlake Police Department reminded citizens that Proposition 64 allows up to six plants to legally be grown inside a residence.
Under the City of Clearlake Ordinance No. 197-2017 no more than six plants total are allowed to be grown on a property, whether indoors or outdoors, and a permit is required to cultivate marijuana outdoors for personal use.
Due to past trends and violent crimes associated with the illegal commercial growing of marijuana, the Clearlake Police Department is continuing to take a proactive approach on enforcement of all state laws and local ordinances associated with the cultivation and sales of marijuana and marijuana associated products.
Anyone with information on these investigations is encouraged to contact Det. Leonardo Flores at 707-994-8251, Extension 315.
For information on the marijuana permit process you can visit the city of Clearlake Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us or contact City Hall at 707-994-8201.
On Thursday, the Clearlake Police Department reported that officers with its investigations unit executed a search warrant regarding the illegal commercial cultivation of marijuana for sale at the 15700 block of 37th Avenue.
Officers were investigating a possible illegal marijuana growing operation in violation of state of California cannabis laws and local city of Clearlake ordinances, police said.
During the execution of the search warrant, a total of 82 growing marijuana plants were located and drying marijuana inside the garage, police said. Indicia, chemicals and materials associated with the illegal cultivation and sales of marijuana were also located and seized.
Police said that, inside the residence, a loaded short-barreled .22 caliber rifle and approximately 128 grams of methamphetamine were located and seized as evidence.
The Clearlake Police Department reminded citizens that Proposition 64 allows up to six plants to legally be grown inside a residence.
Under the City of Clearlake Ordinance No. 197-2017 no more than six plants total are allowed to be grown on a property, whether indoors or outdoors, and a permit is required to cultivate marijuana outdoors for personal use.
Due to past trends and violent crimes associated with the illegal commercial growing of marijuana, the Clearlake Police Department is continuing to take a proactive approach on enforcement of all state laws and local ordinances associated with the cultivation and sales of marijuana and marijuana associated products.
Anyone with information on these investigations is encouraged to contact Det. Leonardo Flores at 707-994-8251, Extension 315.
For information on the marijuana permit process you can visit the city of Clearlake Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us or contact City Hall at 707-994-8201.