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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While the Rocky fire burned 6,000 more acres overnight, firefighters more than doubled the containment on the blaze.
Cal Fire said early Monday that the fire has reached 60,000 acres, with containment rising to 12 percent.
The number of personnel and resources also rose significantly on Monday.
The massive force now includes 2,983 personnel, 254 engines, 59 fire crews, 58 dozers, 38 water tenders, 19 helicopters and four air tankers, Cal Fire said.
The number of structures destroyed – 24 residences and 26 outbuildings – remained the same, Cal Fire said.
Now in its fifth day, the fire continues to threaten approximately 6,301 residences, with mandatory evacuation orders or advisories impacting 12,190 people in 5,201 residences, Cal Fire said.
All mandatory evacuations and advisory evacuations remain in effect, based on the morning report.
On Monday, Highway 20 continued to be shut down to traffic from the junction of Highway 53 to Interstate 5 in Williams, with a California Highway Patrol unit and Caltrans personnel stationed at the Highway 20 and 53 intersection to keep it closed off to motorists other than firefighters.
Highway 16 also remains closed from Highway 20 to the Yolo County line in both directions due to increased fire activity, Cal Fire said.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office said an investigation is under way into the death of a female inmate at the Lake County Jail on Sunday afternoon.
The name of the 56-year-old woman was not released late Sunday pending notification of next of kin, said Lt. Steve Brooks.
Just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday sheriff’s office correctional officers found the woman unresponsive in a holding cell during a routine cell check, Brooks said.
The inmate was in the holding cell alone when she was found, according to Brooks.
Brooks said correctional staff immediately notified medical personnel and started life-saving efforts. However, despite the efforts of medical staff, they were unsuccessful in reviving the woman.
In accordance with established protocols, the Lake County District Attorney’s Office was notified and is currently conducting an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, Brooks said.
He said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is cooperating completely with the District Attorney’s Office investigation, and also is conducting its own investigation into the death.
Additional information will be made available at the completion of the investigation, Brooks said.
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Forest officials said firefighters have found two more lightning fires on the Mendocino National Forest that were sparked by storms that began late last week and continued through this weekend.
Of the approximately 15 fires located on the Forest, only three on the Upper Lake Ranger District remain active, with the other fires declared either contained, controlled or out, according to forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.
Schmidt said the Etsel fire is approximately 32 acres and 60-percent contained. It is located in the Yuki Wilderness and is burning in heavy timber and brush.
The Boardman fire is 40 to 50 acres. Schmidt said fire behavior increased Sunday afternoon from moderate to high due to winds.
Air resources – primarily helicopters making drops – experienced interference with hang gliders in the area, affecting their ability to safely work on suppressing the fire, Schmidt said.
The Deer fire, burning southeast of Lake Pillsbury, was estimated to be 50 to 75 acres on Sunday, according to Schmidt.
She said the Deer fire is burning in mixed conifer with fire behavior there also picking up on Sunday afternoon. Three structures are threatened. Two engine crews and two type one hand crews are assigned to work on the fire with the help of various air resources.
As dry conditions and hot temperatures continue, firefighters anticipate discovering more lightning fires in coming days, Schmidt said.
Forest visitors are asked to be aware of their surroundings and be prepared for changing conditions. This includes reporting visible smoke that could be from a wildfire. To report a fire, please call 911.
The Mendocino National Forest is currently under fire restrictions. Visitors are asked to follow regulations and be careful with anything with a flame or that can throw a spark in the forest.
For more information about fire prevention, visit www.preventwildfireca.org/OneLessSpark/ ; for more information about the forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino or follow the forest on Twitter, @MendocinoNF.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Rocky fire scorched thousands more acres during the course of Sunday, with officials calling for the mandatory evacuations of new areas in the fire's path.
Cal Fire public information officer Daniel Berlant reported at around 7 p.m. Sunday that the fire had grown to 54,000 acres and was 5-percent contained.
That is a jump of 8,000 acres from Cal Fire's first report on Sunday.
Nearly 2,000 firefighters remain assigned to the incident, which spread into Colusa and Yolo counties on Saturday, Berlant said.
On Sunday evening, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the entire community of Spring Valley, east of Clearlake Oaks, Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News.
He said deputies are going to go through the Spring Valley community house-by-house to warn residents to leave immediately.
Martin said it's especially important for residents to heed the order, as there is one main way in and out of the valley.
A mandatory evacuation order for residents of Ogulin Canyon Road near Clearlake also was issued, with the road being closed at both ends, officials said.
Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for the Double Eagle Ranch, located further east on Highway 20, homes along the Highway 20 corridor, and areas around Lower Lake.
Evacuation advisories are in effect for parts of the city of Clearlake east of Highway 53 from Riata Road extending north to Highway 20, and for Highway 20 west of Sulphur Bank Road.
A hard closure of Highway 20 between New Long Valley Road to Highway 53 will be implemented once the evacuations are complete in Spring Valley, Martin said. The highway remains closed from New Long Valley Road to Interstate 5 in Williams.
Martin said Highway 53 through the Clearlake and Lower Lake areas remains open.
An emergency evacuation shelter is open at Middletown High School, with an animal evacuation center set up at the Lake County Department of Social Services parking lot, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Overnight, the Rocky Fire jumped dramatically in size, nearly doubling and causing portions of two area highways to remain closed.
Early Sunday morning Cal Fire reported that the fire had dramatically progressed, ballooning to 46,000 acres, with containment remaining at 5 percent.
The development makes the Rocky fire among the largest wildland fires in Lake County's history, and the largest wildfire currently burning in California.
In making its huge overnight jump in acreage, the fire primarily burned to the north and the northeast, said Cal Fire spokesman Dominic Polito.
On Saturday, due to the fire's approach, officials shut down a 20-mile stretch of Highway 20 from the junction with Highway 53 east of Clearlake Oaks to the junction with Interstate 5 in Williams.
Highway 20 remains closed, said Polito, with no estimated time given for its reopening.
The fire, he said, did not jump the highway, with firefighters stopping it moving past the roadway.
It also has not jumped Highway 16, a portion of which also was closed on Saturday after the fire entered Colusa and Yolo counties, Cal Fire said. Evacuations were implemented on Saturday evening in the fire area in those counties.
Cal Fire said the fire is threatening approximately 6,301 residences, a number that increased since late Saturday. It has destroyed 50 structures – 24 homes and 26 outbuildings – and damaged three others.
The evacuations currently cover 5,201 residences and 12,190 people, according to Cal Fire. Due to those structures threats, all mandatory evacuation orders remain in place.
The fire over the last day has not made much of a move to the west, which is toward the city of Clearlake, said Polito.
An advisory order for areas of Clearlake east of Highway 53 from Riata Road to Highway 20 remains in effect, Cal Fire said.
Polito said more resources are heading to Lake County as the work on the 8,051-acre Wragg fire in Napa and Solano counties continues to wrap up.
Currently assigned to the Rocky fire are 1,942 personnel, 180 engines, 56 dozers, 37 water tenders, 37 hand crews, 19 helicopters and four air tankers, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire estimated that the fire will be fully contained on Aug. 10.
Despite the large number of community members displaced by the fire, the county of Lake reported that the two evacuation centers that are open – at Kelseyville and Middletown high schools – have received only a few evacuees
On Friday night the shelter at Middletown High School had nine overnight occupants and the Kelseyville High School shelter had one. The Red Cross is coordinating other services to help residents with basic needs and insurance.
An animal evacuation center remains in place in the Lake County Department of Social Services parking lot, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.
The county reported that more than 30 people are working at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center in Lakeport coordinating and supporting efforts to respond to the fire.
Lake County officials extended appreciation to those responding to requests for mutual aid from other jurisdictions, including firefighters, law enforcement personnel, emergency managers, logistics experts and members of the California National Guard.
“In our time of need, we’ve received a wealth of help from agencies all over the state, and we’re incredibly grateful,” Lake County Administrative Officer Matt Perry said. “It takes incredible teamwork to tackle an emergency like this and protect our residents and their property. We’re doing our best to get help to people who need it most. We can’t thank the firefighters enough.”
A community meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Lower Lake High School, 9430 Lake St.
Fire and other public officials plan to provide the latest information about the Rocky Fire.
In other fire-related news, the Lake County Quality Management District reported that the air quality condition forecast for mid-day Sunday to afternoon is for moderate to unhealthy air quality where smoke is present, with ash fall throughout the county possible once again.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In August we see the rising of the Summer Triangle.
The triangle has three stars – Vega, Deneb and Altair. These are very bright stars, making the triangle easy to locate.
Each star in the triangle is in a different constellation.
Vega is the brightest star of the three, and is in the constellation Lyra the Harp.
Lyra contains two remarkable objects visible through a small telescope.
The first is the Ring Nebula. This is a faint object that looks like a tiny smoke ring.
The second object in Lyra is the “Double Double.” No, that’s not a typo. That is the name of a double star, which, under high power, reveals that each double star is itself a double.
Deneb, the second star in the triangle, is in the constellation Cygnus the Swan.
Deneb is derived from an Arabic word meaning “tail,” and sure enough, Deneb occupies the tail of the swan.
The star at the head of Cygnus is Albireo. This is a beautiful blue and gold double star seen through a telescope of any size.
Altair, the third star in the triangle, is in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.
In Greek mythology, Aquila was the eagle that carried Zeus’ thunderbolts. Aquila was, in effect, a thunderbolt caddy!
Before we go, let’s remember that August is the month the Perseids meteor shower occurs. This is perhaps the best meteor shower of the year!
From Aug. 11 through the 14, the Perseids will be at their best.
Grab a comfortable lawn chair, find a location with a dark sky, and enjoy the show!
John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about Astronomy and local resources, visit his Web site at www.lakecountyskies.com .
