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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hear updates on projects in the city of Lakeport when it meets this week.
LEDAC will meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira and Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will update LEDAC members on Lakeport projects including the Carnegie Library, a business loan program, the Downtown Improvement Project and waterfront development planning.
There also will be an informational presentation on Lakeport's Christmas on the Lake, set for Nov. 28.
Rebecca Southwick will give an update on last week's Lake Leadership Summit 2015.
In addition there will be information about the Regional Economic Development Committee meeting, which will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 11, at the Marymount California University Lakeside Campus in Lucerne. Greg Giusti of the University of California Cooperative Extension will discuss “Marketing the Lake, September-June.”
There also will be time for citizen input at LEDAC's Wednesday meeting.
LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.
Members do not have to be Lakeport residents.
Wilda Shock chairs LEDAC, the membership of which also includes Vice Chair Christine Hutt, Secretary Rebecca Southwick, and members Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Rick Hamilton, Pam Harpster, Chris King, George Linn, Paula Pepper-Duggan and Taira St. John.
City Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and City Manager Margaret Silveira serve as ex-officio committee members.
The group's schedule calls for it to hold its next meeting on Dec. 9 in Lakeport.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
THE GEYSERS, Calif. – A moderate earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield on Monday.
The 3.1-magnitude quake occurred at 2:14 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
The survey said the quake was centered three miles northwest of The Geysers and 13 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of nine-tenths of a mile.
Shake reports were submitted from Dunnigan, San Jose and Santa Rosa, the survey reported.
The last quake measuring 3.0 or above was a magnitude 3 quake on Sept. 15, also near The Geysers.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – For a little while on Saturday Middletown became a toyland.
In was a near-miracle when considering that less than a month ago Middletown had experienced a fire that left many people homeless amid ruins.
But two giveaways focusing on children at separate locations had everyone forgetting – if only for a moment – the calamitous condition the Valley fire left in its wake.
One featured free bicycles – 300 of them – donated by various businesses and individuals around the region.
The other featured all sorts of toys – about $5,000 worth, it was estimated – and was staged by three women with the help of many residents in Humboldt County.
The most interesting twist in the bicycle giveaway is that Candy Alcott, a preschool teacher, all but single-handedly put the fundraiser together.
Saturday at Minnie Cannon Elementary School in Middletown was the highpoint to date with 300 bicycles given away. It was one of the most comprehensive giveaways, with even a section for teacher bikes.
“They’ve got to get to school,” Alcott reasoned.
“I saw the fire when I was sitting on my couch. That was the first phase,” said Alcott. “In less than a month we have brought in seven truckloads of goods and started with 18 bikes, donated by Del Valle High School in Livermore.”
Alcott, who contributed a highly visible emotion to the project, added, “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Alcott became a legend of sorts when she walked into Walmart Clearlake and announced that she intended to buy every bike in the floor display.
“But I called ahead,” she said. “I called them on the phone first and a very kind gentleman named Allen Chitwood gave me $5,000. I bought every bike at Walmart except one. It was a beach cruiser and I didn’t think anyone would want a beach cruiser.”
Alcott is by no means finished with her bike giveaway. There are, she pointed out, more grammar schools and a high school in Middletown.
“We can’t stop now,” she said. “In this community we’re first responders and there are going to be a lot of responders. They’re going to take care of it for a long time.”
One of the more interesting exchanges of bicycles as gifts was David Watkins’ gift of the bike of his choice to his son Dylan as a birthday gift. Dylan, who turned 10, returned the favor by giving his father a bike.
“One little girl said, ‘I don’t want a bike; I want my scooter back,’ and a boy said, 'I don’t want a bike, I want my football back,'” Alcott recounted.
But there also were children who were anxious to get a bike.
“I put it on the Internet that I wanted a line of 25 rideable bikes,” said Alcott. “Then people from all over began bring in their bikes. We had bikes from Eureka to San Jose to Sacramento.
“I believe there are 800 children who lost their homes. And I promised I would bring them back a bike,” Alcott said tearfully. “I have a list of 22 kids right here and I’m not going to stop until there isn’t a list anymore.”
The women who operated the “Christmas in October” toy giveaway later Saturday afternoon at Hardester’s Middletown market were Pauline Brown of Lake County, and Shannan O’Neal and Desirae Hadley from Humboldt County, assisted by a group of Lake County teens.
“All the kids here belong to Hidden Valley Community Church Youth group,” said Brown of the teen assistants.
The group Pay It Forward Humboldt spearheaded the effort to collect the toys and books for the children impacted by the Valley fire.
It was a bright sunnyshine day, the first seen in Middletown for a long, long time.
Email John Lindblom at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four cats are available for adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
The cats include two adults and two kittens, with long and short coats.
For those looking for lost pets as a result of the Valley fire, visit the Lake County Animal Care and Control Web site, which features additional dogs and cats that officials are looking to reunite with their families.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Domestic short hair mix
This domestic short hair mix has calico markings.
The cat is in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 3755.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix has a coat with calico markings.
She is in cat room kennel No. 35, ID No. 3263.
Orange tabby kitten
This male orange tabby kitten has a long coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 36b, ID No. 3749.
Female tuxedo kitten
This female domestic short hair mix has a tuxedo coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 36c, ID No. 3750.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
According to AccuWeather's 2015-16 U.S. Winter Forecast, winter will kick off with mild weather in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic as an intensifying El Niño influences the weather pattern across the country.
El Niño will drive heavy rain and mountain snow to California, helping to replenish reservoirs but also threatening to cause flooding and mudslides. Meanwhile, a rain deficit will continue to build in the Northwest.
A regional breakdown of the www.AccuWeather.com 2015-2016 U.S. Winter Forecast can be found below.
Brutal cold won't return to Northeast, Mid-Atlantic; weak lake-effect season in store for Great Lakes
After the winter of 2014-15 brought brutal cold to the northeastern United States, this season is set to be milder overall, but particularly during the early part of the season.
“We just don't know exactly yet whether or not we're going to see the pattern turn cold and snowy,” AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. “...There is an opportunity that [the weather] could change on us as we get into February and early March.”
Regardless, the Northeast and mid-Atlantic can expect fewer days of subzero temperatures than last year.
February of 2015 went down in the record books as the second-coldest February on record for both the region and for eight states individually, including Pennsylvania, New York and all six New England states.
Farther west, in the Great Lakes region, a lack of arctic air for much of the early and midwinter will lead to a weak lake-effect season, causing snowfall and precipitation totals to fall below normal.
Upstate New York and northern New England are not in the clear, however, as rain events along the coast early in the season can translate to snow in the higher elevations.
Severe weather to grip Southeast, Gulf Coast states
As one of the strongest El Niños in the last 50 to 60 years continues to develop, it's likely that heavy rainfall and severe weather will take aim at the Southeast and Gulf Coast.
El Niño patterns often result in severe weather outbreaks for this region as bigger, stronger systems are able to take a southern storm track.
Florida, in particular, may have a higher risk for tornadoes this season. Southern Georgia and South Carolina are also at a higher risk for severe weather events.
Overall, heavy rain will be widespread for the South. As the season progresses, additional rain on an already saturated ground will increase the chances for flooding.
“As far as the biggest impacts go, I would look at Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. I think those areas are going to get hit with a lot of rain,” Pastelok said.
Springlike highs to visit northern plains on occasion; below-normal temperatures to grip Southern Plains
Wintry weather will become active early on in the northern Plains, with the potential for a few snowstorms as early as November and December.
As is typical for this region, however, the weather pattern will be a roller coaster, causing wintry weather to back off in the middle of the season and return again just before spring.
“There will be a good portion of the middle part of the season where [the weather] doesn't do a lot, but the bookends can get pretty active,” Pastelok said.
At times, temperatures in the north-central Plains could soar into the 50s or even the 60s F for a couple of days as mild weather is pushed out from the Northwest and northern Rockies.
In the southern Plains, the building El Niño will dictate an active southern storm track, meaning the region could end up with above-normal precipitation.
Below-normal snowfall to exacerbate drought woes in Northwest, Northern Rockies
Below-normal precipitation, in the form of both rain and snow, and above-normal temperatures will define the season across the Northwest and northern and eastern Rockies.
For the season as a whole, the region is likely to end up with snowfall totals much below normal.
“Ski areas in the northern Rockies may be missing out on significant fresh snowpack. They're going to have to make most of their snow at night,” Pastelok said.
The dryness across the area could eventually translate to building drought conditions if spring rain is not abundant.
Wet, snowy conditions to frequent the Southwest
Wet and snowy conditions will frequent the southwestern United States this winter.
“It may not happen early on, but by the middle of the season, I think they're going to get hit very hard and frequently,” Pastelok said. “That's going to put a lot of snow in the mountains and cause a lot of rain in the valley and desert areas.”
“Phoenix, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, should prepare for significant precipitation this season. “These cities are not going to miss out this year,” according to Pastelok.
Across the region, a few precipitation events will occur during November and December, but things will pick up deeper into the season.
“January and February will bring more frequent heavy events,” he said.
El Niño to send rain, snow to parched California
“There's good news and bad news for California,” according to Pastelok.
El Niño will help to set up a pattern of rain and snow for California, which is still dealing with devastating drought conditions and rampant wildfires.
Copious amounts of rain from systems over the same area, a theme which occurs often during this type of weather pattern, can lead to problems for California.
The state is dealing with more than 9 million acres of wildfire-charred land, more than 2.5 million acres more than the 10-year average.
“[The heavy rain] is going to lead to patterns in the mud where water will travel rapidly and lead to flooding,” Pastelok said. “It's going to lead to developing streams and rivers that are not supposed to be there, and you're going to get localized street flooding in the cities.”
Mudslides and basement flooding may also prove devastating for homeowners.
However, there's a silver lining: The 2015-16 season may yield triple the amount of snow than that which fell last year in the central and northern mountains.
“This is what fills the reservoirs in the spring and early summer,” Pastelok said.
Central California will finally experience the feast that follows famine. Pastelok believes his forecast may even be conservative for this area.
While the rain and snow will put a dent in the water crisis, it won't result in the be-all and end-all residents are hoping for.
“Will it be enough? I think we need a couple of these kinds of years and I'm not sure we're going to get that,” Pastelok said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One of the many truths to emerge out of the Valley fire's ashes is that Lake County, its people and its animals have many friends.
Those friends came from all over – from people in other Lake County communities, from neighboring counties and other areas around the region and the state, the rest of the nation and even Canada – in the effort to rescue, care for and shelter animals displaced and injured by the 76,067-acre fire, which was fully contained on Oct. 6.
“When this first hit, resources were thin,” said Lake County Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson, whose staff and volunteers had only completed their work to respond to the Rocky and Jerusalem fires a few weeks earlier when the Valley fire broke out.
Davidson said he began calling everyone he could think of, and within a short time groups like the ASPCA, North Valley Animal Disaster Group, Marin Humane Society, Napa Humane Society, animal control officials in neighboring counties and a variety of groups and private entities – like Cole Creek Equestrian Center and Gaddy Shack Ranch – from around the region responded to offer assistance, donations, boarding and more.
Davidson estimated that about three dozen animals – including those at UC Davis Veterinary School, in Sonoma County and at Lake County Animal Care and Control – are still waiting to be reunited with their families.
“My main concern in this whole thing is to keep track of the animals,” he said.
Davidson said he originally had planned to hold fire victims until Oct. 17 before offering them for adoption, and would look to other agencies with space for an additional 10 days before making them available for adoption or rehoming.
However, he told Lake County News that because space at the shelter is not now an issue, all animal fire victims are being held through Oct. 28, and then if unclaimed at that time, they will be available for adoption.
Davidson indicated that the organizations currently caring for animals have indicated they will rehome any animals that end up being unclaimed.
As for the shelter, he said he doesn't expect any problems finding any unclaimed animals homes, with many people already expressing a desire to give homes to such animals.
Wine Country Animal Lovers Board President Pam Ingalls emphasized that those animals who remain unclaimed are not going to be euthanized. Rather, she said if Lake County ends up with many of those animals needing homes, there are many rescue groups that will step up.
“I know Bill is doing as good a job as he possibly can to protect those animals,” Ingalls said.
The animals waiting to go home are a fraction of the thousands of animals that have been evacuated and cared for since the 76,076-acre Valley fire broke out on Sept. 12.
One of Animal Care and Control's key partners in the response, the ASPCA, compiled statistics that gives a picture of the fire response's magnitude.
From Sept. 14 through Sept. 25, Lake County Animal Care and Control – assisted by its many partners – took approximately 674 requests for assistance from communities including Cobb (258) Hidden Valley Lake (270), Kelseyville (18), Lower Lake (44), Middletown (77), with seven requests coming from unknown areas, the data showed.
Based on those nearly 700 requests, Animal Care and Control and its partners cared for 3,396 animals, a number which Davidson said doesn't include the animals that were sheltered in place and visited multiple times for the purposes of feeding and watering them.
The ASPCA tally of animals assisted during the Valley fire included 901 cats; 364 dogs; 235 horses and donkeys; 143 cows; a mix of 474 goats, cows, sheep, alpacas, llamas, emus, camels and pigs; 1,272 chickens, ducks, turkeys and other avians; 67 rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters, rats, mice and ferrets; 30 turtles, fish, lizards and snakes; and 12 animals whose species were not specified.
“To me that reflects a tremendous effort at the county level,” said Dr. Dick Green, the senior director of Disaster Response for the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team.
Animal Care and Control is continuing to post animals found during the fire on its Facebook page and Web site, with a little gallery of photos of injured animals in the care of cooperating rescue groups posted in the lobby at the shelter at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.
He said a separate Web site, www.valleyfireanimals.com , is working to reunite pets and their families. At the same time, a number of Valley fire-related animal pages have been created on Facebook.
Despite all of these efforts, Davidson – who has seen the tragedy of the fire up close – said that for some people, when it comes to what happened to their animals, “It's sad to say, some people may never know.”
Groups collaborate to respond
Davidson has been in a class in Kelseyville to train as a volunteer for the fire lookout tower on Mount Konocti when the fire was first reported in Cobb on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 12.
Animal Care and Control and its Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection – or LEAP – volunteer force were activated immediately, with Davidson heading to Middletown, where they originally had planned to stage. But those plans changed as the fire sped toward Middletown.
He watched the fire approach Middletown, fanned by “insane” winds. “Initially there was no time for anything,” he said. “The fire moved so fast there was no getting ahead of it.”
Davidson said he ended up going back to the shelter in Lakeport, which is where the animal evacuation effort would remain headquartered for the rest of the incident.
He said his staff rescued only two horses from Middletown that first night before Cal Fire told them to leave the area for their own safety.
Green, who lives in Santa Rosa, has been involved with response to disasters around the United States, from hurricanes to tornadoes to floods, and has worked internationally on animal welfare issues following disasters.
He said he had been in contact with the county during the Rocky and Jerusalem fires but at that point wasn't involved in the response.
He said he got a call on Sunday, Sept. 13, that the ASPCA's help was needed – initially, for emergency sheltering – for the Valley fire.
He said the ASPCA responded with its 30-foot disaster trailer and provided field rescue teams consisting of eight people who were on the ground the following day. ASPCA staff from New York, Colorado, Florida and other parts of Northern California participated.
“We come under the wing of whatever authority has jurisdiction,” he said, explaining in this case that they worked for the county of Lake.
“They have been a huge, huge, help,” said Davidson, who noted that this is the first time he was worked with the ASPCA.
In addition, Davidson said Sonoma County Animal Control came in on a mutual aid request, and the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, which had helped during the Rocky fire, also returned to assist.
At the same time, Wine Country Animal Lovers, or WCAL, hit the ground to help with the effort.
On the night the fire broke out, Ingalls said she and another board member headed over to the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga – where a Red Cross evacuation shelter was set up – with pet food and other supplies. They ended up staying until 3 a.m. as they helped evacuees arriving with pets.
WCAL also was one of three organizations – along with the Milo Foundation and Copper's Dream Rescue – that Davidson said took animals out of Lake County Animal Care and Control's shelter to make way for evacuee animals.
Ingalls said her organization was founded in 2009 and became active in 2012, at which time it began to pull animals from Lake County Animal Care and Control and into its own rescue.
Although the organization normally has up to 10 dogs and 10 cats in its rescue, it arranged to take 49 animals out of Lake County Animal Care and Control as a result of the Rocky fire, she said.
On the morning after the Valley fire broke out, she said two “very tenacious” WCAL volunteers showed up to ask how they could help, and they responded to Lake County Animal Care and Control to retrieve 18 animals that have since been placed in foster homes. By that point, she said another 10 dogs and all of the cats had been taken to rescue in Ukiah.
Over the next week, WCAL – joined by groups including Petaluma Animal Services, Sonoma Humane Society and Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch – worked around the clock to offer assistance to evacuees and their pets and to gather donations, she said. Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch also delivered feed for livestock.
A clinic set up at the Napa County Fairgrounds offered vaccinations, nail trims, dog washes and microchips, and Ingalls said during that time they handed out 150 no-cost spay/neuter certificates. Animals with more extensive veterinary needs were sent to the nearby Calistoga Vet Clinic.
Ingalls estimated that at the high point there were 400 animals at the fairgrounds along with their owners.
She said the various animal rescue groups also delivered supplies to evacuation sites in Lake County, with UC Davis arranging for water tankers to take water to horses that were being sheltered in place.
“We've been just amazed,” Ingalls said of the assistance that has come into the county as a result of the fire, adding she was touched by how much people appreciated the help they received, noting that even in the midst of the tragedy they had an impressive spirit.
She said WCAL has raised about $140,000 to help cover the costs incurred by the many vet clinics around the region – including UC Davis, Middletown Animal Hospital, Santa Rosa PetCare, Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, Wasson Memorial and many others – treating injured animals. Many medical supplies also have been donated.
“I think we were all very grateful that we were able to help, but we hope that it is never needed again,” Ingalls said.
Green said the ASPCA has created a network of animal rescue organizations across Northern California that is able to quickly respond to disasters.
Among those responding as part of that network was the Marin Humane Society, which provided support in the field as well as microchip donations.
“They were an incredibly valuable resource,” Green said.
“We got on it right away,” said Lisa Bloch of Marin Humane, explaining that they networked to help free up space at impacted shelters, donated 100 microchips to use for animals that were being reunited with their families.
She said their staff also went out with the teams to feed and water animals being sheltered in place, with staff also cleaning cage at the shelter.
Nancy McKenney, Marin Humane's CEO, said the group also had a presence at the Local Assistance Center in Middletown. The very first clients to come in were looking for a cat who Marin Humane staff remembered caring for. There were able to subsequently go out, get pictures of the cat to show the owners it was safe, and place food and water for it.
“It was great. There were tears,” said McKenney.
McKenney said Marin Humane also collected donations to assist with the animal rescue effort, collecting not just supplies but, at last count, more than $15,000.
“Financially we want to help,” she said.
Initially, the ASPCA started out by taking in overflow animals and housing them in the large fifth-wheel disaster trailer located at Lake County Animal Care and Control's Lakeport facility.
Davidson said at that point more than 200 animals were in the shelter facility. He said every space and cage inside and outside of the shelter was filled as they worked to accommodate the animals.
Green said the ASPCA later expanded its assistance by going into the field to help with livestock and animals that either needed to be removed or sheltered in place in Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown.
“It was incredibly busy,” he said.
Both Davidson and Green explained that, when possible, if animals could be safely left in their homes, they would be sheltered in place.
In such cases, if the animals were uninjured and there were homes or other structures standing and in safe condition, the animals would remain there, with teams returning every two days to feed and water them. Davidson said they would leave messages at the properties explaining what actions they were taking to care for the animals.
“We will always prefer that option,” Green said of sheltering in place, explaining that animals do much better in their own homes than in shelters, and by staying put there is a better chance of them being reunited with their families.
In one case, a yard full of chickens, ducks and three small pigs were kept in place safely for two weeks until the owners informed officials that they were not going to be able to return home there, so the animals ultimately were removed, Green said.
However, Green and Davidson reported that in some instances, animals they had on food and watering programs would be removed by other individuals.
“We would come back and the animal was no longer there,” said Green.
In some cases, Davidson said doors or windows were forced open to remove animals that had been sheltered in place.
Green attributed those actions to “well-intentioned groups” coming into the county that don't know the operational protocols. “That's an unfortunate part.”
He said this is the first time in some time that he has seen a situation in which so many organizations were operating independently, although he said it has happened before, citing the example of Hurricane Katrina.
The Valley fire, he said, was a unique situation, with a lot of media attention and a significant need for resources, which he suggested contributed to the situation.
At one point, Davidson said it was brought to his attention by sheriff's officials that other groups had been operating in the fire area – groups that hadn't cleared their activities either with him or with the Lake County Emergency Operations Center.
That led to what Davidson acknowledged was a heated phone call between him and the head of Petaluma Animal Services, during which he said he told the group to leave. The situation later was worked out with the organization, with Davidson informing them of the county's safety protocol as part of allowing them to continue working in the county.
Ingalls attributed the situation to lack of communication, noting that the matter settled down pretty quickly. “It got bad before it got good,” she said, adding, “I think they're now working very well together.”
However, Davidson said issues continued with other people and entities, explaining that there were reports of people who were not part of LEAP using LEAP-type stickers on their vehicles to gain access to the fire area.
Davidson, recounting the tragic circumstances for so many animals, said, “A lot of animals perished. There's no way around that.”
However, in the midst of the struggles, a great deal of tragedy and what seemed like endless hours of hard work, there were little miracles.
A lot of animals found ways to survive the inferno, he said, describing cases in which cats climbed into drain pipes or under homes to ride out the firestorm.
One night about a week and a half into the fire, Davidson and Dr. Richard Bachman, the county's contract veterinarian, responded to the area near Hoberg's on the report of an injured kitten.
When they arrived, Davidson said he and Bachman encountered about 40 firefighters crowded around the burned kitten, who they found in the debris.
Davidson said the kitten survived and is undergoing treatment for its injuries.
Plans for the future
While the work to care for the Valley fire's animals is now winding down – with Animal Care and Control now resuming normal operations – the organizations that were integral to the response are now envisioning what they can do to assist in the recovery, and in the work of creating a brighter future for Lake County's animals.
Ingalls said the fire is bringing the animal-related needs – and Lake County's demographic and economic challenges – to the forefront for many people not from the area.
“People love their animals up there, clearly,” she said.
Ingalls said WCAL wants to have a bigger footprint and offer more help to Lake County. As part of that effort, this year they're buying a transport van specifically to be able to take more animals out of Lake County's shelter and into rescue.
One of her goals is to help build a robust spay-neuter program in the county, which will require continuing to bring in more resources to support local animals.
She said her group also is hoping to start a pet food pantry in collaboration with groups like Orphan Dog Rescue, formerly known as Lake County Animal Services.
“I think good is coming out of this very horrific situation as far as the future,” she said.
Green said the ASPCA and the county are considering a mutual aid agreement similar to the ones the organization has with Lake's surrounding counties. “It only makes sense to include them.”
He said the Valley fire showed how such an agreement would work, identifying the response and what it would look like. The agreements in place with other jurisdictions created a network from which help was able to be drawn quickly.
Green said he's also working to identify potential funding opportunities to support Lake County's needs now and into the future.
He said the ASPCA's personnel have gone home now, but resources like the disaster response trailer remain, and they will plan to remain involved in one way or another until they're told they are no longer needed.
Green said Lake County Animal Care and Control and LEAP have shown in the three wildland fires that they have come a long way and can handle the big incidents.
He suggested that with improved collaboration and communication, more community support and preparation, future responses would be even better.
“I think Lake County can handle just about anything that Mother Nature throws at them,” Green said.
Davidson said his agency already is looking ahead to future challenges, including concerns of flooding this winter if a prediction of heavy winter rains holds true.
He said ASPCA is assisting Animal Care and Control with its planning and preparation in the case of winter flooding.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
