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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two special meetings to give the community an update on the Clayton fire will be held on the evening of Monday, Aug. 15.
The meetings will take place at 6 p.m. at Kelseyville High School's football field, 5280 Main St., and at 7:30 p.m. at Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.
The goal of the meetings is to inform the public of the current fire situation and to discuss the impact of the Clayton fire on the community.
Representatives of Cal Fire and various Lake County government agencies will be on hand.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – North Coast Opportunities (NCO) and Mendo Lake Credit Union have reopened the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund in response to the Clayton fire, which has already destroyed at least 175 structures in Lake County.
Thousands of people remain under mandatory evacuation as firefighters continue to battle the largely uncontained blaze.
Monetary donations are being accepted at all Mendo Lake Credit Union and Savings Bank of Mendocino County branches.
Additionally, checks can be mailed to NCO at 413 N. State St., Ukiah CA 95482. Make checks out to NCO/Wildfire Relief, and write “Clayton Fire” in the memo.
Donations are also being accepted via PayPal, which is linked to from NCO’s front page, www.ncoinc.org . More details about how to apply to the fund will be forthcoming.
NCO’s Volunteer Network is actively participating in immediate needs resulting from the Clayton fire. Interested volunteers should visit www.ncoinc.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab. Those without Internet access should call 707-462-3236.
Due to a high volume of inquiries it may take some time for an NCO staff member to respond.
Volunteers will not be deployed until evacuation orders are lifted and an all-clear has been received from EOC operations. It is essential that the affected area remains clear for professional first responders. Please do not self-deploy.
Individuals wishing to donate household goods or clothing are asked to wait until the needs of those affected are made known.
NCO is a 501c3 organization that serves as the Community Action Agency for Lake and Mendocino Counties.
In 2015, the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund was created in response to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires, and the fund disbursed approximately $1.6 million in direct aid to more than 1,000 survivors.
As it did last year, NCO will incur costs to administer this fund. However, NCO currently has some money available that can be used toward operating costs, and it will also be asking partner organizations to contribute to the fund’s administration. The goal is to direct all donations to fire survivors.
“We are deeply saddened that our Lake County family is yet again dealing with the devastation of wildfire,” said NCO Executive Director Patty Bruder. “NCO and our partners are committed to helping in every way we can, and our hearts go out to everyone affected.”
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Firefighters got an early start on Monday in their battle against the Clayton fire, with air and ground resources mobilizing to continue working to fully control the damaging blaze.
The fire began early Saturday evening on Clayton Creek Road at Highway 29, south of Lower Lake.
Since then it has burned in and around Lower Lake and threatened parts of Clearlake.
Firefighters have matched the fire's aggressive movements with a powerful response, holding the size to an estimated 3,000 acres, according to Cal Fire's Monday morning update.
While the size remained steady early Monday, Cal Fire said the containment did not increase.
On Sunday night, Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said 10 structures had been confirmed destroyed, and that damage assessment teams had arrived and were waiting for conditions to be safe in order to begin their work.
Cal Fire's online report on Monday morning stated that 100 structures had burned, but officials clarified that the online number really was a combination of damaged and destroyed structures, as they didn't yet have those separate numbers confirmed.
The fire continues to threaten 1,500 structures, Cal Fire said.
As a result, authorities on Monday morning kept all evacuation orders in place, with shelters open at Kelseyville High School, Twin Pine Casino in Middletown and the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church.
On Monday morning, aircraft – which were heavily used for defending structures on Sunday – were once again being dispatched to work the fire.
More than 1,000 firefighters are assigned to the incident, with more resources on the way, according to fire officials.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Clayton fire took a devastating turn on Sunday, burning into downtown Lower Lake, threatening parts of the city of Clearlake and necessitating more evacuations.
Burning since early Saturday evening, the Clayton fire swung into its second day with fury, burning up 2,000 additional acres – for a total of 3,000 by day's end – with the burned structures count rising to 10.
However, that tally of burned structures is likely to rise. During a Sunday evening press conference at the Middletown Senior Center, Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said the agency had not been able to confirm how many structures were destroyed in Lower Lake on Sunday, and an assessment team was on its way and would start its work as soon as it is safe to do so.
Altogether on Sunday, 4,000 people had been evacuated due to the fire, Jones said.
While conditions had seemed favorable for firefighters on Sunday morning, it was early on Sunday afternoon that officials said the situation changed.
At around noon, the wind turned the fire around, pushing it back into Lower Lake, while at the same time the temperature reached about 100 degrees, according to statements made by Jones and Sheriff Brian Martin on Sunday.
Over the coming hours firefighters battled the blaze as it tore through Lower Lake, with more resources called in not just from the state, but even from across the country. A large air tanker was requested to respond from as far away as Wyoming, according to radio traffic.
The fire seemed to continually jump lines, as well as Morgan Valley Road and Cache Creek. Those developments caused authorities to order additional evacuations that extended into part of the Avenues area of Clearlake and to close Highway 53.
Also evacuated at that point was St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. The hospital received evacuation orders from fire officials at approximately 2:35 p.m., according to spokeswoman Cambria Wheeler.
Wheeler said hospital staff immediately began preparing to transfer the 17 patients in the hospital units and evacuated or transferred additional patients and family members in the emergency department. The final patient was evacuated at 4:30 p.m.
Depending on their conditions, Wheeler said patients were transferred via ambulance or Lake Transit Authority bus accompanied by hospital nursing personnel. All patients arrived safely at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
Hospital incident command was established off-site to continue coordinating patient care and to prepare to reopen, Wheeler said.
The hospital will remain closed until further notice, said Wheeler, adding that the hospital will reopen as soon as possible. The hospital must receive clearance from the fire department and California Department of Public Health before reopening.
As the fire fight intensified on Sunday afternoon and into the evening, the power was ordered cut at around 5:30 p.m. to an area in Lower Lake and Clearlake that included the hospital and the Highlands Senior Center, which was being used as an evacuation shelter since Saturday night.
The sheriff's office reported that the Red Cross shelter at the senior center subsequently was closed and moved to Kelseyville High School. Two other shelters also were opened at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown and the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church. All three facilities had served as emergency shelters at various times during last summer's wildland fires.
At Kelseyville High School late Sunday, officials with Red Cross reported about 50 people were sheltering there and sleeping on cots in the school's gym. Due to the lateness of the hour, Lake County News did not attempt to visit the other shelters.
Martin said the same unprecedented fire conditions that occurred during the 2015 wildland fires are being witnessed in this latest fire incident.
He declared a local emergency on Sunday afternoon and requested law enforcement mutual aid to assist local agencies during the fire.
As part of that mutual aid request, he said he is seeking from other agencies 14 additional officers and deputies for each 12-hour shift during the coming week. Those additional resources will work alongside of Lake County deputies to patrol both inside of the city of Clearlake and in the unincorporated areas of the county impacted by the fire.
“It is my commitment that we will keep our communities safe while people have safely evacuated,” while ensuring that operational areas are safe for firefighters, Martin said.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said that on Monday Konocti Unified School District schools would be closed, including Lower Lake High, Lower Lake Elementary, Carlé Continuation High School, Konocti Education Center, Burns Valley, Pomona, East Lake and Clearlake Creativity Center.
Falkenberg said school officials would be presenting on Tuesday a longterm plan for continuing operations.
In addition, he said the Woodland Community College Lake County Campus in Clearlake also is closed until further notice.
Falkenberg did not report on the condition of those school facilities. However, authorities on scene in Lower Lake Sunday night indicated that the school facilities had survived.
County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said county offices will be open for business on Monday. She asked for the public's patience, as some staff will be assisting with the emergency response.
Huchingson also said that Social Services staff will not be in their normal offices in Lower Lake due to safety concerns related to smoke.
Late Sunday night fire conditions seemed to ease up.
In downtown Lower Lake, fire and law enforcement officials were patrolling the streets and actively working fires in residential areas off of Main Street.
While there was severe damage in the downtown – Tuscan Village, the Pioneer Realty building and Habitat for Humanity were burned – most of the commercial structures survived.
And further down the street, just on the edge of the downtown, the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum – which had survived the 1906 earthquake – loomed, untouched, in the darkness. A firefighter standing guard nearby said the building was safe and sound.
Supervisor Rob Brown, who had been in Lower Lake on Sunday afternoon when conditions turned, said he had watched the fire burn up to the rear of the museum building, and had believed it was going to be lost. Late Sunday, the charred earth was visible behind the building, which itself was untouched.
During the Sunday press conference, Lt. Hector Paredes, commander of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office, said the CHP was trying to reopen Highway 53 as quickly as possible.
The CHP and the sheriff's office later reported that Highway 53 between Highway 20 and Olympic Drive had been reopened, but that Highway 53 remained closed between Olympic Drive and Highway 29. The CHP said both Highway 20 and Highway 29 are completely open.
Pacific Gas and Electric reported early Monday that, altogether, more than 1,800 customers in the fire area were without power due to the ongoing outages.
State Sen. Mike McGuire said a community town hall meeting on the fire will be held on Monday evening, with the time and location to be announced by Monday afternoon.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Local officials said the Clayton fire burning in the Lower Lake area has resulted in significantly degraded air quality in localized areas of Lake County, and they're urging community members to take precautions.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District said the forecasted wind patterns were expected to keep the heaviest smoke to the east of populated areas in Lake County, though smoke is expected to be noticeable in all other areas of the county.
A monitoring plan will be implemented should the fire continue for multiple days, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.
Gearhart said current air quality in the county is generally considered good, though localized areas near the fire and downwind of the fire are estimated to be unhealthy for sensitive individuals to unhealthy for all.
If conditions degrade, hazardous air quality is a potential health hazard for the firefighters and anyone in the downwind plume of the fire, Gearhart said.
Gearhart said that smoke is a visible indicator of poor air quality, but wildfires do release many other air contaminants that are not as visible as smoke particles.
Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait advised area residents to be cautious in resuming normal outdoor activities.
“Variable weather conditions and ongoing fire activity may result in localized areas of reduced air quality, which could still pose health risks to people with underlying health conditions. Since we can’t always predict when and where ‘pockets’ of poorer air quality may occur, it is prudent to be careful until conditions stabilize,” said Tait.
Officials said smoky conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages, which can be hazardous in young children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions or chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
Individuals with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other lung or heart diseases should carefully adhere to their medical treatment plans and maintain at least a five-day supply of prescribed medications. They should limit outdoor activity and unnecessary physical exertion, according to health officials.
Air conditioning that recirculates indoor air should be used, when available. Drinking plenty of water to avoid drying of the airways is recommended, unless restricted for medical reasons.
Dust masks are not protective against the most harmful pollutants caused by wildfire smoke that drifts to nearby areas. They are useful in filtering out the ash and larger particles that are encountered in burn areas.
Air purifying respirators, such as N-95 filtering face pieces, may be effective in reducing harmful particulate matter, but also increase the work of breathing, can lead to physiologic stress, and are not recommended as a general protective measure.
Localized areas of unhealthy air, regional haze and particulate from this fire are expected to continue throughout Lake County until the fire is out.
COBB, Calif. – The 13th annual Masonic Scholarship Golf Tournament-Scramble will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10.
The event, sponsored by Clear Lake Callayomi Masonic Lodge F.&A.M., will take place at Adams Springs Golf Course, 14347 Snead Court in Cobb.
The day begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
The cost is $75 per person for walkers, $85 per person for those using a golf cart. That cost includes lunch, tee prizes and a raffle. There also will be closest to the hole and long drive contests. For golf only, the cost is $60 for members.
The cutoff date to enter is Sept. 1. The field is limited to 60 golfers.
Make checks payable to the Clear Lake Callayomi Masonic Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 3590, Clearlake, CA 95422-3590.
For more information contact John or Judy Flynn at 707-928-4953.