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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County CAN! and the Lake County Fair are partnering this summer to assist in the response to the impacts local residents have suffered from the Rocky and Jerusalem wildland fires.
For several years Lake County CAN! has sponsored food drives around the county to stock food pantries in each community around Clear Lake.
They have done this because of the crippling poverty and food insecurity of so many Lake County residents: 23 percent of Lake County residents are now living in poverty; that is almost one in four.
The numbers are even worse for children: 33 percent, or one in three children in Lake County, are living in outright poverty while another 39 percent are so close they are food insecure. A total of 72 percent of the county's children qualify for free lunches when school is in session.
The Rocky and Jerusalem Fires have taxed the county's support systems even further, and Lake County CAN! and its partners are stepping up to help.
Through many generous donations – such as the recent $3,000 Grocery Outlet donation to the United Christian Parish food pantry – the north county food pantries are meeting the needs as presented.
Now, in the wake of the fires, the Lake County CAN! is turning its attention south.
This year the priority of the group's food drive at the Lake County Fair is to stock the food pantries in the fire impact areas first.
In past years there has been a two-hour window to donate food in exchange for free entry.
This year, there will be no free entry but you can donate food during the entire fair.
On the Monday following the fair Lake County CAN! volunteers will come and sort the food and deliver it directly to the food pantries in the fire impacted areas.
If Lake County is so generous that the south country pantries are overstocked, Lake County CAN! Is prepared to distribute the food to additional pantries around the lake, such as the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, Kelseyville Presbyterian and Kelseyville United Methodist Church pantry, and United Christian Parish in Lakeport.
Here is how you can help: Bring your nonperishable food items to the Lake County Fair from Thursday, Sept. 3, to Sunday, Sept. 6, at any time the fair is open.
Items they are asking for particularly include peanut butter and jelly, Bisquick and pancake mix, canned tuna and chicken, and any canned soups or stews.
Lake County CAN! believes that, by neighbors helping neighbors, the community can overcome the impacts of the fires and the county's poverty.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The steady, intense work on the lines of the Jerusalem fire yielded important gains for firefighters on Thursday, who both raised containment and kept the fire from taking another large jump in acreage.
By Thursday night, Cal Fire reported the blaze had burned 24,000 acres, with containment rising to 50 percent.
That change in size accounted for a 500-acre increase of the fire since Thursday morning, the smallest gain over the course of a day that has been reported since the fire started Aug. 9 in the Jerusalem Valley northeast of Middletown, later moving into Napa and Yolo counties.
That smaller acreage increase is just one of many victories firefighters have won on the incident to date – chief among them, ensuring no structures have been destroyed or burned, and no one has been injured.
However, the incident is far from over, and mandatory and advisory evacuations remain in place for nearby homes, with a Red Cross evacuation center open at Kelseyville High School and assistance with animal evacuation offered through the Lake Evacuation and Protection group.
Evacuation and shelter information is available at http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1193 .
Committed resources on the incident as of Thursday night included 2,214 firefighting personnel, 164 engines, 62 hand crews, 30 dozers, 21 water tenders, 15 helicopters and four air tankers, Cal Fire said.
The Thursday gain in containing more area on the Jerusalem fire puts it on target for Cal Fire's estimated full containment date of Aug. 17.
On the nearby Rocky fire, no change in acreage or containment were reported by Thursday night.
Cal Fire's last update on the fire, given on Thursday morning, was for 69,438 acres and 95-percent containment, with full containment expected to be reached on Saturday.
Supervisor Jim Comstock gave updates on the fires to community members who attended the Middletown Area Town Hall's regular meeting on Thursday evening.
Comstock said the winds – which picked up into Thursday night – were blowing the fire away from communities and out into very remote, rugged terrain.
However, he cautioned of the incident, “It is not going to end soon.”
He said areas in the back country – including Petticoat, Dollar and Bishop mountains – “burned in rapid succession” and now are “burned slick,” looking like barren moonscapes.
Cal Fire and Lake County Sheriff's Office investigators are investigating the possible causes, Comstock said.
He said he remained cautiously optimistic regarding weather conditions, noting the wind direction could change over the weekend.
Beyond the Rocky and Jerusalem incidents, Comstock reminded community members that a long fire season still stretches ahead.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Winds and topography continue to push the Jerusalem fire deeper into wildland, but firefighters have matched the fire's activity by making progress to put in the containment that ultimately will control it.
While by Thursday morning the fire had grown to 23,500 acres – with much of its northern perimeter now bumping up against the southern perimeter of the Rocky fire based on the latest maps – firefighters once again significantly increased containment, more than doubling it to 33 percent, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said in a Thursday afternoon report that the Jerusalem is the most active of the 14 wildland fires burning across the state.
Berlant said the Jerusalem fire was very active on Wednesday evening, but firefighters have made good progress on the blaze, which began on Sunday afternoon in the Jerusalem Valley area northeast of Middletown, and has since burned into Napa and Yolo counties.
On Thursday, Berlant said winds again were proving a concern on the Jerusalem fire.
Shortly before 2 p.m., weather and radio reports indicated that winds in the fire area ranged from 5 to 9 miles per hour from the south southwest and between 15 to 20 miles per hour on ridge tops, with winds expected to shift and come from the west northwest at between 8 and 11 miles per hour on Thursday evening, with gusts of between 25 to 30 miles per hour.
The Jerusalem fire is burning heavy vegetation, which Cal Fire said is producing “extreme” fire behavior, with the fire being driven by wind, the fuel and the steep topography.
Firefighters are continuing to be challenged in accessing the fire due to the area's lack of improved roads, Cal Fire said.
On Thursday firefighters were focusing efforts on the fire's southern and eastern flanks, where they continue to construct fire line to stop the fire's forward progress while defending structures, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire said 50 structures remain threatened but none so far have been damaged or destroyed, with mandatory and advisory evacuations remaining in place for areas near the fire. Evacuation areas are listed at http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?inciden .
On Thursday 2,053 firefighters remained assigned to the Jerusalem fire, with 140 engines, 57 hand crews, 28 dozers, 21 water tenders, 15 helicopters and four air tankers.
The Rocky fire to the north, which began July 29, remained at 95-percent containment on Thursday, with Cal Fire adjusting its overall size to 69,438 acres based on more accurate mapping, Berlant said. It's expected to be fully contained by Saturday.
Some 361 personnel, 24 engines, 14 dozers, eight water tenders and six fire crews continue to work on mop up and final containment on the Rocky. Berlant said firefighters are putting in the last containment lines around the fire.
Both the Rocky and Jerusalem fires are the two largest burning in the state, based on Cal Fire data.
The Jerusalem fire is still on track to be fully contained by Monday, officials said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
AccuWeather reports that as fall of 2015 unfolds, an already brutal wildfire season will continue across much of California and the Northwest.
In contrast, the rain will continue at times in the Southwest even after the monsoon fades in early September.
An expected strong El Niño will lead to beneficial rain for Southern California, but it may be delayed until late fall and winter; meanwhile, flooding and mudslides will threaten the Four Corners region, in addition to some mid-fall snow.
Wet weather is forecast to unfold across the south-central United States after a drier second half of summer, even spreading into the Southeast and mid-Atlantic at times. Farther northeast, a dry autumn is in store for leaf-peepers while the neighboring Midwest will face some chilly conditions.
Warm weather to kick off fall for Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
Fall will get off to a warm start in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic before cooler, more seasonable air settles in during late September.
"There will be some periods where temperatures will come up from time to time. I think there's going to be that back and forth still going on through mid-fall," AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.
The region will dry out ahead of winter and, overall, the weather will be conducive to leaf-peepers and those planning to attend the region's many harvest festivals.
After a bitterly cold winter of 2014-2015, the winter of 2015-2016 will be milder. However, the season will be stormy with near- to above-normal snowfall in the offing for many, which could influence temperatures downward late in the season.
"In the Northeast, we've seen a couple of really nasty winters and lots of big storms. And that was without El Niño. El Niño can bring lots of moisture. The question is always, is the cold there when the moisture arrives?"
The moisture may transpire as flooding rains for the mid-Atlantic early, until mid- to late-season when it can be cold enough for snowfall in cities such as Philadelphia and New York City.
Overall, however, the heaviest snow of the season will most likely fall north and west of these areas.
One or two tropical systems in offing for the Southeast
Despite below-normal numbers predicted for the Atlantic hurricane season, the Southeast could still get one or two impacts into the fall.
"I'd watch the central eastern Gulf of Mexico coastline and also maybe the Carolinas," Pastelok said. "September is the month. I think after that the threat will weaken fast and go away."
Regardless of potential tropical impacts, a significant amount of moisture will still make its way into the Southeast through late fall and beyond.
When winter rolls around, severe weather will reignite in Florida, while areas from eastern Texas to Virginia will face rounds of rain and the threat for flooding.
This fall, the Midwest will be milder overall compared to fall of 2014, but it doesn't mean the crop-growing region will be in the clear of occasional early shots of cold air.
"The Midwest could get an early shot of chill in the second or third week of September that can get cold enough to produce frost," Pastelok said.
Wild temperature swings are possible at times, with quick snaps of cold followed by a week of warmer weather.
As for late fall and into the early winter season, there is an opportunity for a storm track to come to places like Chicago and Indianapolis, according to AccuWeather long-range forecasters.
Mild air to stretch across Northern Plains; Southern Plains to remain wet, cool
Mild air will infiltrate the northern Plains into the fall as warmth that has built up over the summer in the Northwest and western Canada spreads eastward.
"This will start in October then come on strong in November. Temperature departures can range anywhere from 3-6 degrees above normal by November," Pastelok said.
Come winter, snowfall for the region is predicted to be below normal.
In the southern Plains, increased rainfall, below-normal temperatures and limited sunshine will define autumn. "It may not be extremely cold, but it will be rough to get those sunny days that get those temperatures up during the daylight hours," Pastelok said.
Fire danger to worsen in California, Northwest
High heat going into the fall and increasingly dry conditions will allow an already brutal wildfire season to worsen across much of California and the Northwest.
"The problem with the Northwest is they're getting these weak systems that produce spotty storms and they're kicking off more fires than they're helping [to extinguish]," Pastelok said.
Into October, the region could also get some late-season 90-degree days.
However, in California, Santa Ana winds will be at fault through September and October. This will bolster the fire threat, in what has already been a deadly and destructive season.
Some rain is possible for the drought-stricken state from October to November, though it will hardly make up for the existing deficit.
The greatest chance for denting or eliminating the long-term drought will be in winter and early spring with the help of a strong El Niño.
Wild weather to grip Southwest, Four Corners
After a few years of drought conditions for the Four Corners region, heavy rain can settle in this fall leading to significant flooding and mudslide events through November.
Drought conditions have fueled wildfires over the past few years, resulting in unrecovered burn scar areas.
"When you put a lot of rain on top of that, you're going to get a lot of mudslides and you're going to get a lot of flooding a lot easier. That's the problem they're going to face this season," Pastelok said.
By November, temperatures will drop well below normal across the Southwest, leading to a very active, wet and snowy season, typical of an El Niño pattern.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In the two weeks since the Rocky fire started – followed a week and a half later by the Jerusalem fire – thousands of community members have been impacted by mandatory or advisory evacuation orders due to the close proximity of the wildland fires.
As they've fled the path of the fires, residents left with their pets and livestock, with many getting assistance from Lake County Animal Care and Control and its Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection, or LEAP, group.
LEAP was formed several years ago and operates under the auspices of Animal Care and Control. It includes a number of dedicated individuals who have trained for removing animals from disasters.
“They have been outstanding,” Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson said of the group.
Key LEAP members include Lynnette Bertelli, and her husband Greg, a Cal Fire battalion chief who has been on the front lines of both the Rocky and Jerusalem incidents. The Bertellis were instrumental in creating LEAP.
Another of the volunteers is Karen Schaver, founder of the animal rescue group Lake County Animal Services.
LEAP's first major incident was the 2012 Wye fire east of Clearlake Oaks, Davidson said, an incident that burned 7,934 acres over six days, less than a tenth of the acreage that's been burned by the two current wildfires.
The Rocky fire and Jerusalem fire have proved to be much more difficult and exhausting incidents.
Davidson said activity for his staff as far as animal evacuations and assistance had started to slow down around Monday, Aug. 3.
By that time, they'd already had a rough five days due to the Rocky fire, he said. “We got our butts kicked.”
At that point, they called the North Valley Animal Disaster Group out of Butte County, the organization that LEAP was formed to emulate.
That group showed up on Aug. 3 and were on scene for a week, offering assistance, he said.
Last weekend, it had looked like the situation was starting to clear. Then, the Jerusalem fire sprang up on Sunday afternoon and, like the Rocky, burned large amounts of acreage in its early days due to wind and dry conditions.
Davidson told Lake County News on Wednesday that during the course of both fires he and his staff have assisted with sheltering or moving about 400 animals out of harm's way.
Davidson and his staff reported the menagerie includes cats and dogs, pigs, goats, horses, ducks, donkeys, Alpacas and an Italian-speaking African gray parrot named Rupert.
Possibly the most exotic creatures of the group that Animal Care and Control assisted with housing was a group of five parrots – including Rupert – brought in from Clearlake on July 31, when animal control officers were still set up at a temporary location at Lake County Social Services in Lower Lake.
At that location, the birds were being kept in an air-conditioned part of the building so they were protected from the smoke.
When Sara Schramm – Animal Care and Control's facilities supervisor – and another female staffer put the birds away and wished them goodnight, they were greeted with a chorus of “Night night,” plus a wolf whistle.
Lynnette Bertelli also reported that LEAP had been contacted about the need to help lift a very heavy pet tortoise.
At one point, Animal Care and Control staffers and LEAP volunteers were staffing shifts around the clock at the animal evacuation center in Lower Lake.
“The first few days we were trying to help everybody with everything,” said Davidson.
After that, he said, it seemed like the whole county was on fire, and due to the growing need for space they moved to try to assist people without actually taking the animals to county facilities.
He said a lot of people came forward to offer space for evacuated animals on their properties, which allowed his staff to begin directing people to those local properties rather than the limited space at the shelter.
With large animals like horses and other livestock, Davidson said Animal Care and Control primarily assisted with transport to other locations.
Groups offering assistance in finding places for animals also sprang up on Facebook at about the same time, with new pages created.
The SPCA of Clear Lake also housed about 60 dogs that came from a kennel placed under evacuation, Davidson said. Those animals have since gone back to the kennel.
The parrots also have since gone home, as have many of the other animals, including a group of pigs whose owners dutifully came to Animal Care and Control in Lakeport every day to clean up after their animals and care for them, Davidson said.
“People have been really good about coming back and getting their animals,” he said.
More recently, due to the Jerusalem fire, Davidson said operations of the animal evacuation center have moved to Spruce Grove Storage, 11360 Spruce Grove Road. The facility is managed by Lynnette Bertelli.
So far, Davidson estimated that about 30 percent of those 400 animals still remain either at the shelter or other rescue locations, either because their homes aren't safe to return to or owners haven't retrieved them.
Some animals have had to be evacuated more than once, which was the case with three horses that had to be picked up on Tuesday night due to the Jerusalem fire. Davidson said the same animals had been removed from their home due to the Rocky fire.
The work has sometimes been dangerous for his staff, which is why sheriff's office personnel were escorting Animal Care and Control into evacuation areas while they picked up animals, Davidson said.
However, more recently Cal Fire gave Animal Care and Control its own agency escort. “We've been able to do so much more with a Cal Fire escort being assigned to us,” Davidson said, pointing out that it's also safer since deputies aren't trained in fire behavior.
Davidson said that on Wednesday his staff tried to evacuate animals in the area of Morgan Valley and Reiff Road, which had been placed under a mandatory evacuation order on Tuesday.
He said some residents in that area had refused to leave, but became scared on Wednesday due to the fire conditions and called for help to remove about 20 head of cattle plus several horses.
Two Animal Care and Control staffers, with pickups and trailers, went out into the area along Reiff Road with their Cal Fire escort on Wednesday to try to pickup up the animals, Davidson said.
The Cal Fire escort told the Animal Care and Control staffers that they had 45 minutes to load the animals. But Davidson said, “The animals were so freaked out we were having a hard time loading them.”
Ten minutes later, the Cal Fire staffer returned and told Davidson's staff to leave immediately.
At that point, they had only managed to load one frightened horse, which then backed out of the trailer. Davidson said they had to leave without any of the animals.
“The flames were literally coming up over the road as they were leaving,” said Davidson, adding that his staff members got out OK and were not hurt.
He shared a photo that one of the officers took of the flames along the road as they were leaving. The photo also was posted on Animal Care and Control's Facebook page.
While they are still helping as needed with evacuations, Davidson noted that he and his crew also are now starting to see more regular activity back at the shelter.
“Our population is starting to transition back into strays again rather than evacuated animals,” he said.
That is allowing LEAP volunteers to get a break and get back to their lives, and helping Animal Care and Control to transition back to normal operations, he said.
Once the fires are past, Davidson said there are plans to sit down and write out guidelines on what has, and hasn't, worked well during the emergency response to the fires in order to create the best plan possible for the future.
Anyone needing assistance or information about the animal evacuation services can call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake and Mendocino counties are sponsoring the second annual Lake and Mendocino Veterans Stand Down/Resource Fair next month.
The stand down will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the American Legion Post 437, located at 14770 Austin Road in Clearlake.
Vietnam veterans in San Diego introduced the stand down concept in 1988 as a way to help veterans in need.
Since then, similar free stand down events have been held regularly in cities all over the nation to provide food, clothing, services and referrals to homeless and at-risk veterans.
The inaugural Lake County stand down event held last year, also at the Clearlake American Legion Post 437, hosted hundreds of veterans and offered a variety of services and information from more than 30 agencies and organizations, as Lake County News has reported.
This year's stand down will offer access to on-site medical and dental attention, enrollment in health care and supplemental nutrition programs, officials said.
Organizers are again seeking volunteers to assist with the event.
Volunteers will assist in capacities including helping to organize supplies, passing out clothing or toiletry items, and preparing food.
If you would like to volunteer to assist with this event, contact Frank Parker, UVC President 707-274-9512 or