How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Firefighters working on Mendocino National Forest lands are continuing to find new fires sparked by lightning storms that began on Thursday and continued early Saturday.
So far more than 13 fires have been identified, with most of them either contained or declared out, said forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.
Schmidt said the majority of the lightning fires are on the west side of the forest.
They include the Blue fire on the Upper Lake Ranger District, which was contained at two acres on Friday, she said.
The Etsel fire, located in the Yuki Wilderness on the Upper Lake Ranger District, reached 37 acres and was 60-percent contained on Saturday. Schmidt said it is burning in heavy timber and brush.
Saturday morning’s lighting event resulted in two new fires, the Boardman and Deer fires, both on the Upper Lake Ranger District, Schmidt said.
The Boardman fire is approximately five acres, with a moderate rate of spread, Schmidt said. The fire is near an old fire scar and there is currently an engine and helicopter working towards containment.
The Deer fire, burning southeast of Lake Pillsbury, was estimated to be 50 to 75 acres on Saturday, Schmidt said.
That fire is burning in mixed conifer with moderate to light fire behavior, and is a threat to three structures, according to Schmidt.
She said two engine crews and one Type 1 hand crew arrived on the fire Saturday afternoon. Air resources worked on the fire Saturday, but were limited by smoke on the east side of the fire.
As dry conditions and hot temperatures continue in the coming days, firefighters anticipate discovering more lightning fires, Schmidt said. There are additional thunderstorms in the forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
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.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – While large fires continue to burn around California, fire officials are concerned about the potential for new starts due to forecasts warning of lightning and wind conditions.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the northernmost part of California due to the forecast of dry thunderstorms and winds.
Since Thursday night, thousands of lightning strikes have occurred, sparking several hundred small wildfires, according to Cal Fire.
Forecasters are predicting that mountain thunderstorms will continue through Sunday with little rain which could spark fire starts from dry lightning strikes, officials said.
Northern California could be at risk for new lightning fire starts if evening thunderstorms shift northward late Saturday night, based on the forecast.
For information on wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .
The following is a summary of major wildfire incidents around the state, with size estimates through late Saturday night.
Cal Fire incidents
– White fire: Began Aug. 1 in Santa Barbara County; 50 to 75 acres, 10-percent contained.
– Creek fire: Began July 31 in Merced County; 1,450 acres, 100-percent contained.
– Advance fire: Began July 30 in Tulare County; 86 acres, 65-percent contained. Four minor injuries reported.
– Sprig fire: Began July 30 in Shasta County; two fires totaling 195 acres, 100-percent contained.
– Humboldt lightning fires: Began July 30 in Humboldt County; 71 fires totaling 1,000 acres, 5-percent containment.
– Mendocino lightning fires: Began July 30 in Mendocino County; six fires totaling 50 acres, 80-percent contained.
– Rocky fire: Began July 29 near Lower Lake in Lake County; 27,000 acres, 5-percent containment. Fifty structures destroyed, 6,156 threatened. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.
– Big Creek fire: Began July 29 in Tuolumne County; 204 acres, 80-percent containment. Cause was an escaped debris fire.
– China fire: Two fires that began July 29 in Shasta County; two fires for a total of 212 acres, 100-percent contained. Two minor injuries. Three structures destroyed, two structures and one outbuilding damaged. Evacuations lifted. Cause is under investigation.
– Swedes fire: Began July 29 in Butte County; 400 acres, 90-percent contained. Two residences and 14 outbuildings destroyed. Evacuations have been lifted. Cause is under investigation.
– Lowell fire: Began July 25 in Nevada County; 2,304 acres, 80-percent contained. Evacuation advisories are in effect. One structure destroyed. Six injuries. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 10.
– Queen fire: Began July 25 in Humboldt County; 158 acres, 100-percent contained. Two injuries. Cause is under investigation.
– Wragg fire: Began July 22 in Napa and Solano counties; 8,051 acres, 95-percent contained. Evacuations lifted. Two outbuildings destroyed, three outbuildings and one residence damaged, with 136 structures threatened. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 3.
Unified command incidents
– Rail fire: Began July 31 in Trinity County; 800 acres, no estimated containment; Evacuations in effect.
– Willow fire: Began July 25 in Madera County; 5,116 acres, 50-percent contained. Caused by arson.
Federal incidents
– Scales fire: Began Aug. 1 in San Bernardino County; 50 acres, 10-percent contained.
– Fork Complex: Began July 30, Trinity County; 12,500 acres, no estimated containment. Evacuations in place. Caused by lightning.
– River Complex: Began July 30, Trinity County; 1,500 acres, no estimated containment. Voluntary evacuation advisory in place.
– Frog fire: Began July 30 in Modoc County; 3,000 acres, 5-percent contained. Caused by lightning. Estimated full containment: Aug. 12.
– Mad River Complex: Began July 30 in Trinity County; 19 fires merged into four, 5,000 acres, no estimated containment.
– Etsel Fire: Began July 30 in Mendocino County; 37 acres, 60-percent contained.
– Cabin fire: Began July 29 in Tulare County; 2,619 acres, no containment reported. Caused by lightning.
– Cutca fire: Began July 24 in San Diego County; 167 acres, 90-percent contained. Cause is unknown.
– Pines fire: Began July 17 in Los Angeles County; 200 acres, 85-percent contained. Cause is under investigation.
– Lake fire: Began July 16 in San Bernardino County; 31,359 acres, 100-percent contained. Human caused; remains under investigation.
– Washington fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 17,790 acres, 99-percent contained. No injuries reported. Caused by lightning.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Saturday saw the Rocky fire continue to grow by thousands more acres, moving into two neighboring counties, leading to more evacuations and resulting in closures of highways 20 and 16.
On Saturday evening, Cal Fire said the fire had grown to 27,000 acres, but containment remained at 5 percent.
The fire, which began on Wednesday east of Lower Lake, moved into Yolo and Colusa counties on Saturday, Cal Fire said.
So far, two firefighters have suffered minor injuries, according to Cal Fire.
Twenty-four homes and 26 outbuildings have been destroyed so far, and three structures have been damaged Cal Fire said.
A total of 6,156 structures are threatened, and the current evacuation orders impact more than 12,100 people in 5,156 of those residences, according to Cal Fire.
There was a small amount of rain in the fire area on Saturday morning, but Cal Fire spokesman Rick Frawley said there weren't any reports of the rain having an impact.
“Usually, increased humidity levels like that can be beneficial, because it helps with the fire behavior,” Frawley said.
Frawley said that on Saturday the fire didn't make any significant move toward the city of Clearlake, where many residents on the east side of Highway 53 between Riata Road and Highway 20 remain under an evacuation advisory.
“We still have our control lines in place, east of Clearlake,” Frawley said.
However, the fire continued to push to an area east of Clearlake Oaks, which led to authorities issuing the latest mandatory evacuation order Saturday afternoon for the Double Eagle Ranch subdivision east of Clearlake Oaks and all areas east of the Cache Creek Recreation Area along the Highway 20 corridor to Walker Ridge Road, as Lake County News has reported.
The Double Eagle Ranch was last evacuated in June 2008 during the Walker Fire, which burned 14,500 acres in the area of Walker Ridge Road and Indian Valley Reservoir.
A portion of Highway 20 also was closed on Saturday afternoon, originally from the junction with Highway 53 east of Clearlake to Highway 16, and then it was extended all the way to the junction with Interstate 5 in Williams. Highway 16 is closed in both directions from Highway 20 to the Yolo County line.
On Saturday evening, a new mandatory evacuation order was issued for Bear Valley Road from Highway 20 to Wilbur Springs Road in Colusa County. Wilbur Springs Road is also under a mandatory evacuation, Cal Fire said.
Later that night, another mandatory evacuation order was issued for the west side of Highway 16 from County Road 40/Rumsey Canyon Road, north to Highway 20 in Yolo County, Cal Fire said.
Mandatory evacuations in Lake County remain in effect for Morgan Valley Road, from Bonham Road to Jerusalem Grade Road; Mustang Court; Bronco Court; Sunset Court; Bonham Road; Quarterhorse Lane; Sleepy Hollow; Jerusalem Grade Road; Spruce Grove Road (north); Noble Ranch Road; Cantwell Ranch Road; and for the Jerusalem Valley area east of Soda Creek.
An evacuation advisory is still in place for areas east of Highway 29 at Riata Road east of Highway 53 and north to Highway 20, including Ogulin Canyon Road, Spruce Grove Road, Noble Ranch Road, Black Bass Pass, Jerusalem Valley area west of Soda Creek, and Spruce Grove Road to intersection of Jerusalem Grade and Lake Ridge.
Evacuation centers are located Kelseyville and Middletown high schools, with an animal evacuation center set up in the parking lot of the Lake County Department of Social Services at 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.
While St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake is in the advised evacuation area in Clearlake, the hospital's public information officer Melissa Kinsel told Lake County News on Saturday that the hospital remains open and available for patient care.
Fire officials said the fire is expected to continue growing, with firefighters continuing to be challenged by hot, dry weather, difficult access, heavy vegetation that is fueling the fire and changing winds.
On Saturday night Cal Fire said there were 1,940 personnel from various fire agencies committed to the incident, which is headquartered at a base camp at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.
The fire resources assigned Saturday night included 180 fire engines, 56 dozers, 37 fire crews, 37 water tenders, 19 helicopters and four air tankers.
Despite its heavy commitment to the incident, Cal Fire was able to quickly move resources to fight a four-acre wildland fire that broke out in Lucerne on Saturday evening.
Tankers offered a spectacular show as they came in low over the town to make numerous retardant drops that helped quickly bring the Lucerne incident under control. Information about that incident is here: www.bit.ly/1IdbkOW .
Cal Fire said a community meeting to discuss the Rocky fire will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Lower Lake High School, 9430 Lake St.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LUCERNE, Calif. – Firefighters on Saturday evening remained at the scene of a small wildland fire in Lucerne to mop up after containing the blaze through aggressive ground and air attack.
The fire, in the area of Bender and Rancho Vista drives, was reported at about 7:40 p.m.
Central Dispatch received numerous calls, with callers stating they could see flames.
Northshore Fire personnel responding from the Nice area said they could see a column of smoke from a distance.
Units arriving on scene from Northshore Fire and Cal Fire said the fire was burning between two to three acres, up a slope at a moderate race of speed, through oak and grass woodland.
Cal Fire units headed out of county were redirected to the fire, with four tankers and a helicopter also dispatched.
The four tankers all did drops before being released back to their bases, according to radio reports.
Forward progress on the fire was reported to be stopped just after 8:30 p.m.
At that point, the fire was estimated to be about three acres, with a large ground force still on scene and Cal Fire air attack calling for one more tanker drop. Hose lay also had been placed all around the fire.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos estimated the final size the fire would be closer to four acres.
He said the fire started in an area where children had been playing.
Just before 9 p.m., Beristianos said mop up was under way and was expected to continue for some time.
“We're going to be here for quite a few hours,” Beristianos said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities have extended a closure of Highway 20 due to the Rocky fire.
The closure, originally from the junction of Highway 53 to Highway 16, has now been extended from the junction of Highway 53 to the junction of Interstate 5 in Williams.
As of 6:50 p.m. Saturday, the Rocky fire had grown to 25,750 acres, with 5-percent containment.
New evacuations have been ordered in the Double Eagle housing development and all areas east of the Cache Creek Recreation Area along the Highway 20 corridor to Walker Ridge Road.
Lake County, Calif. -- Cal Fire reports that a section of Hwy 20 is currently closed in both directions from Hwy 16 at Bear Creek to Hwy 53 in Clearlake.