News

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A week into the effort to contain several massive Northern California wildland fires, Cal Fire said containment continues to increase on the incidents.

Cal Fire issued Monday morning updates for the three significant fire complexes in wine country, the Mendocino Lake Complex, the Central LNU Complex and the Southern LNU Complex.

The Mendocino Lake Complex, composed of the Sulphur fire in Lake County and the Redwood fire in Mendocino County, remained at a total of 38,007 acres, with overall containment at 52 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Sulphur fire’s size on Monday morning was unchanged at 2,207 acres, with containment up to 85 percent, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said the Redwood fire also showed no growth, staying at 35,800 acres through the night, with containment up to 50 percent.

The death toll in the incident remains at eight, with one firefighter injury previously reported, Cal Fire said.

The tally of destroyed residences remains at 436, of which 136 are in Lake County, based on the local initial damage assessment. Cal Fire said 75 homes remain threatened by the complex.

There are 2,401 firefighters assigned to working the complex, which is expected to be fully contained on Nov. 1, with Cal Fire reporting that the cause of the fires still under investigation.

On the Central LNU Complex, burning in Sonoma and Napa counties since Oct. 8, Cal Fire on Monday morning rolled back the overall size by about 9,000 acres, to 97,781 acres.

That acreage reduction was the result of an adjustment on the size of the Tubbs fire, which is burning near the southern Lake County border.

On Sunday night, Cal Fire had reported the fire was more than 44,000 acres, but on Monday, Cal Fire said the Tubbs fire’s size in actuality was 36,390 acres, with 70 percent containment.

Cal Fire said it adjusted the number based on more accurate and detailed mapping.

The fire’s most active portion remains on the northeastern portion around Red Hill and Mount Saint Helena, Cal Fire said.

The Pocket fire, which also has burned close to southern Lake County, remained unchanged in size overnight, at 11,889 acres with containment up to 40 percent. Cal Fire said the Pocket fire is burning to the north.

The Nuns fire remained at 48,627 acres overnight, with containment at 50 percent, Cal Fire said. It also is progressing to the north.

The fire that showed growth on the complex since Cal Fire’s Sunday night report was the Oakmont, now reported to be 875 acres and 15-percent contained. It also is moving in a northerly direction with a moderate rate of spread.

The Central LNU Complex’s death toll now stands at 23 – 22 of them civilians – making it among the deadliest fire complexes in state history.

The death toll rose on Monday morning when a contract firefighter working on the Nuns fire was reported to have been killed in a rollover crash on the Oakville Grade in Napa County.

A total of 3,947 structures have been destroyed and another 159 damaged. Cal Fire said 24,914 structures remain threatened by the complex’s fires.

That Central LNU Complex is expected to be fully contained on Oct. 20. Its cause also remains under investigation.

In related news, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office lifted an advisory evacuation for the Middletown area on Monday after Cal Fire issued its latest report on the Central LNU Complex.

Also on Monday, Cal Fire reported that progress is being made on the Southern LNU Complex burning in Napa and Solano counties.

That complex of fires, which also began Oct. 8 during the region’s fierce windstorm, has so far burned 51,064 acres, with overall containment at 68 percent, Cal Fire said.

It has so far destroyed 342 structures and damaged another 50, with 5,000 structures still actively threatened, Cal Fire said.

Resources working the fire on Monday included 2,962 firefighters, 332 engines, 17 water tenders, 21 helicopters, 48 crews and 46 dozers, according to Cal Fire’s report.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will begin discussions on the Sulphur fire recovery process.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:10 a.m. the board will consider an update but hold a discussion on the Sulphur fire response and recovery.

The fire has burned 2,207 acres and 168 structures, officials reported. It’s expected to be fully contained this week.

At 9:15 a.m., the board will consider a proclamation of a local health emergency by Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.

At 9:20 a.m., the board will consider an urgency ordinance prohibiting rental housing price gouging in the county of Lake during a state of emergency.

In other news, at 9:45 a.m. the board will consider and discuss a motion to support the Lake County Arts Council’s branding of Lake County as an arts destination.

The full agenda is posted below.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2017, as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.

7.2: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Aug. 22, Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

7.3: Approve leave of absence request for Dennis Reynolds, senior deputy probation officer, Oct. 16, 2017, through Jan. 1, 2018.

7.4: (a) Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-98 declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property, not required for public use, known as Holiday Harbor, located at 3605 and 3655 Lakeshore Boulevard, Nice, California (APN’s 032-133-35 and 032-137-01), pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq.; and (b) adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-85 declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property, not required for public use, known as the Visitor Information Center, located at 6110 State Highway 20, Lucerne, California (APN 034-112-360), pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq.

7.5: Adopt resolution approving a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide an animal damage control program for the county of Lake.

7.6: Approve reissuance of tax refund check from FY 2010/11 to Carol Pramann in the amount of $630.34.

7.7: Approve agreement for cost allocation plan professional services fiscal years ending 2018, 2019 and 2020; and authorize the chair to sign.

7.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Davis Guest Home for adult residential support services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $38,325 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

7.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, Foster Care Program and Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) Program for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $550,000; and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

7.10: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Star View Adolescent Center OP for specialty mental health services in the amount of $110,000 for Fiscal Year 2017-18 and authorize the chair to sign

7.11: Approve the first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Restpadd Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for an increase of $80,000 for a new contract maximum of $90,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the first amendment.

7.12: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Jones Towing for towing services, total amount not to exceed $110,000, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Kelseyville Auto Salvage and Towing for towing services, total amount not to exceed $60,000, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, for the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program, and authorize the chair to sign.

7.13: Adopt resolution approving Lake County Health Services Department to apply for a Rural CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency) grant through California Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA) not to exceed $100,000 and authorize the Health Services director to sign.

7.14: Adopt resolution approving Lake County Health Services Department to apply for Naloxone Distribution Project Grant for fiscal years 6/1/2017-6/30/2019 through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Authorize the Health Services director to sign.

7.15: Approve purchase of John Deere 1570 Terrain Cut commercial mower and discharge deck from Belkorp Ag LLC and authorize the Public Services director to issue a purchase order in the amount of $33,974.02.

7.16: Approve amendment three to the contract between the county of Lake and the Middletown Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians for tribal cultural monitoring in an amount not to exceed $276,000; and authorize the chair to sign.

7.17: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Adventist Health Clear Lake with the donation amount of $70,276.80 per fiscal year, for the services of county eligibility workers from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020; and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:06 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.

8.3, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of update and discussion on the Sulphur fire response and recovery.

8.4, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer.

8.5, 9:16 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.

8.6, 9:17 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.

8.7, 9:18 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.

8.8, 9:20 a.m.: consideration of an urgency ordinance prohibiting rental housing price gouging in the county of Lake during a state of emergency.

8.9, 9:22 a.m.: Consideration of request for board approval of recommended changes to paid county emergency leave policy, including changing the title of said policy to “paid emergency leave policy.”

8.10, 9:30 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $4,476.65, on property located at 3427 Scotts Creek Road, Lakeport (APN 005-029-36 - Peter Le) .

8.11, 9:35 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $2,274.68, on property located at 7190 Inyo St., Nice (APN 031-211-16 - Chandra Nailor).

8.12, 9:40 a.m.: hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $3,264.77, on property located at 5980 E. State Highway 20, Lucerne (APN 034-061-03 - Virginia Hearn).

8.13, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration and discussion of a motion to support the Lake County Arts Council’s branding of Lake County as an arts destination.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration of the following appointment: Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Advisory Board.

9.3: Second reading, consideration of ordinance Amending Article 72 of the Lake County Code to allow the outdoor cultivation of medical cannabis in "RL" Rural Lands and to create a certification of compliance process for cannabis cultivation.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Sitting as the Lake County IHSS Public Authority Board of Directors, Conference with labor negotiator: (a) agency negotiator: Crystal Markytan and F. Buchanan (b) employee organization: California United Homecare Workers Union AFSCME/SEIU Local 4034.

10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Loberg v. County of Lake, et al.

10.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): LCCOA v. County of Lake, et al.

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. – Firefighters are continuing to push the Sulphur and Redwood fires that have burned on the North Coast this past week closer to being fully extinguished.

Cal Fire said Sunday evening that the Sulphur fire, which has burned 2,207 acres and 168 structures in Lake County since it began last Monday, reached 80-percent containment.

It’s being managed along with the Redwood fire – which also began on Oct. 9 and is burning in Potter and Redwood valleys in Mendocino County – as the Mendocino Lake Complex.

The overall complex has burned 38,007 acres and is 47-percent contained, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said the Redwood fire has burned 35,800 acres and is 45-percent contained.

The number of fatalities remains at eight in the Redwood fire portion of the complex, officials said.

Cal Fire said approximately 433 single-family residences have been destroyed. Local officials said 136 of those residences are in Lake County, primarily the Clearlake area. A total of 242 minor structures also have been destroyed across the complex.

Seventy-five structures remain threatened, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said firefighters are continuing mop up and patrol in the Sulphur fire area, where suppression repair is still expected to begin on Monday.

On the Redwood fire, the southeast and southwest perimeter fire lines are holding and firefighters continue to improve containment lines and patrol for hot spots, Cal Fire said.

On the southern perimeter fire line resources continue to actively mop up and extinguish hot spots around structures, according to the report.

There are approximately 900 evacuees affected by the Redwood fire, with the Mendocino-Lake Community College District opening it facilities to the Red Cross in order to be the Ukiah shelter location for Redwood fire evacuees.

Evacuations in Lake County have been lifted, as Lake County News has reported.

Resources assigned to the complex include 2,385 personnel, 125 engines, 31 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 72 hand crews and 36 dozers.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will get an update on the Sulphur fire and begin to discuss the recovery process.

Cal Fire said the investigation into the cause of the fires remains under way.

Full containment on the complex is expected by Nov. 1, Cal Fire said.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters continued to work steadily on the fires in neighboring Sonoma and Napa counties on Sunday, raising containment on the massive Central LNU Complex despite growth in its acreage.

Cal Fire’s Sunday night report put the complex at 106,272 acres, up by approximately 11,902 acres over the course of the day.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said Sunday that the death toll on the complex remained at 22.

The number of structures destroyed by the complex rose by nearly 500 on Sunday for a total of 3,947, Cal Fire said, with 24,914 structures remaining under threat.

The complex includes the Nuns fire, 48,627 acres, 40-percent contained; the Tubbs fire, 44,881 acres and 60-percent contained; the Pocket fire, 11,889 acres, 30-percent contained; and the Oakmont fire, 575 acres and 15-percent contained.

“Overall, things are feeling optimistic for us,” said Cal Fire Incident Commander Bret Gouvea said during a Sunday briefing.

At the same time, they’re remaining cautious, as Gouvea said there is still a lot of fire in Sonoma County, with different activity across the various fires.

He said there are positive developments on the Pocket, Tubbs and Nuns fires.

“They’re not going down easy but we’re getting them,” Gouvea said.

Much of the growth on the fires came on Sunday on the Tubbs fire, which along with the Pocket are close to the border of southern Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.

The overall complex acreage growth came mainly on the Tubbs fire, which grew by approximately 9,411 acres on Sunday, with its containment remaining unchanged during the day, according to Cal Fire’s report.

Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Steve Crawford said during the Sunday briefing on the complex that firefighters are getting “a lot of black on the map” when it came to the Tubbs fire, referring to the black line used on fire mapping to denote areas where the fire is no longer expanding and containment lines are strengthened.

Cal Fire said the fire remained most active on the northeastern portion around Red Hill and Mount Saint Helena.

The fire on Sunday had continued to make short uphill runs around to the north side of the peaks, officials said.

Because of the Tubbs fire portion of the complex, the Middletown area remained under an evacuation advisory on Sunday.

Radio traffic on the complex on Sunday indicated that air resources were continuing to be used heavily throughout the day in an attempt to contain the Tubbs fire’s growth.

By Sunday night, reports from the scene indicated that the fire was backing downhill on Mount Saint Helena and not making any more significant runs at that point. The fire also was keeping within fire retardant contingency lines.

Regarding concerns about the fire’s approach to Lake County, Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli told Lake County News Sunday night, “It should not be in Lake County yet.”

Local officials have remained optimistic that the fire is not posing an immediate threat to southern Lake County communities.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he visited the Tubbs fire site on Mount Saint Helena on Sunday with Bertelli and saw where the fire activity had been taking place on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Brown said Cal Fire hit the fire hard with bulldozers and hand crews.

A fire retardant batch plant also has been set up at the base of the mountain, “And they’re literally pouring tons of retardant in that area to keep it from spreading,” Brown said.

The Pocket fire was up by 643 acres and saw a 5-percent increase in its containment at the end of the day on Sunday. Cal Fire said the Pocket fire is continuing to move toward the east.

“We’ve been making really good progress on that one,” said Crawford, explaining that a firing operation was conducted on the Pocket fire on Saturday and Sunday.

While the Nuns fire grew by 1,521 acres, containment increased by 15 percent, Cal Fire said. That fire is progressing to the north at a moderate rate of spread, driven by steep slopes and dry fuel.

The Oakmont fire grew by 25 acres, its containment also not changing on Sunday, according to the Cal Fire report.

Cal Fire said the Oakmont remained very active on Sunday, progressing in a northerly direction with a moderate rate of spread.

Gouvea said that he anticipated there would be a number of repopulation plans for evacuated areas in Sonoma County coming out in the next day.

Total resources working the complex on Sunday increased again, with 4,231 personnel, 470 engines, 50 water tenders, 33 helicopters, 10 air tankers, 80 hand crews and 86 dozers assigned, Cal Fire reported.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A local assistance center to assist community members with Sulphur fire recovery will open this week in Clearlake.

Beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Saturday, Oct. 21, the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake will partner with community, state, and national service and relief organizations to provide a one-stop local assistance center, or LAC, for those impacted by the Sulphur fire.

The LAC will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clearlake Senior Community Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

Local officials said the LAC will provide an experienced team to help impacted community members find assistance and walk them through the start of the recovery process.

“Our goal is to assist you with recovery and rebuild and help you turn tragedy into a new beginning,” said Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom.

A wide-ranging array of services and expertise will be available.

If you need food, assistance accessing medical care, advice regarding temporary and permanent housing, replacement copies of vital records or a new driver’s license, come to the LAC.

If you have concerns about your animals or even insurance matters, there will be people on site at the LAC to help.

The California Office of Emergency Services, other state agencies and Lake County Environmental Health will have representatives available to assist those trying to navigate the removal of debris from their property.

All of these organizations will be there to help make profoundly complicated situations a little bit easier, and offer some of the first building blocks of a successful long-term recovery.

“We are grateful and excited that such a great team will be helping Clearlake residents respond to the Sulphur Fire,” said Clearlake City Council Member Bruno Sabatier. “Working together and taking the right steps, we will overcome this disaster, and build a rich and vibrant future.”

For more information, call Clearlake City Hall, at 707-994-8201.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Sunday four more victims of the wildland fires in Sonoma County were identified.

A total of 36 people have died in the wildland fires in Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties this past week, officials said.

Most who have been named have been elderly.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said his department has so far identified 14 of the 22 people who have died so far in his county from the fires.

The latest victims identified are Santa Rosa residents Sharon Rae Robinson, 79, Daniel Martin Southard, 71, and Carmen Colleen McReynolds, 82; and Lee Chadwick Roger, 72, of Glen Ellen.

Those previously identified as having died in Sonoma County’s fires include Santa Rosans Carol Collins-Swasey, 76, Lynne Anderson Powell, 72, Arthur Tasman Grant, 95, Suiko Grant, 75, Valerie Lynn Evans, 75, and Veronica Elizabeth McCombs, 67; Larkfield residents Donna Mae Halbur and Leroy Peter Halbur, both age 80; Carmen Caldentey Berriz, 75, of Apple Valley; and Michael John Dornbach, 57, of Calistoga.

Area officials report that they are continuing the process of searching for missing persons from the fires.

Giordano reported that he continues to run 300 people on every shift in the effort to keep the fire-impacted communities safe.

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.