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SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Evacuations remain in effect along Butts Canyon Road as well as the Berryessa Estates area due to the Butts Fire.
According to Cal Fire reports the Butts Fire has reached 3,200 acres and is at 30-percent containment.
As of 7 a.m. Wednesday 380 structures were threatened and five have been destroyed.
As many as 1,000 personnel are working the fire with 57 engines, ten fire crews, 1 helicopter, 12 dozers and three water tenders, Cal Fire said.
Multiple agencies continue to be involved in the response to the blaze including Red Cross, California Highway Patrol, Napa County Sheriff's Office, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Napa County Fire, South Lake County Fire, Solano County Fire, Sonoma County Fire, Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, United States Forest Service, Animal Control, Caltrans, Calistoga City Fire, St. Helena City Fire and Napa City Fire.
Cal Fire reported that cooler temperatures and higher humidity reduced fire activity from what it had been on Tuesday, allowing crews to make good progress. The fire continues to burn northeast into Lake County toward Snell Peak.
This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
In case you missed it, please visit http://bit.ly/1qyeS7V to read of last night's progress on the fire and see photographs.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Glenn County Sheriff's Office has released an update on the investigation into the discovery of human remains in the Sacramento River late in June.
An off-duty California Fish and Wildlife warden and his son discovered the remains in shallow water along the west bank of the Sacramento River, south of Hamilton City, on the afternoon of Saturday, June 21, as Lake County News has reported.
Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said Tuesday that an examination of the remains was conducted on June 25 by forensic pathologist Dr. Thomas K. Resk, M.D. The examination was attended by Detective Kelly Knight of the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit.
The skeletal remains consist of the tibia and fibula of a human right leg, still attached to ankle and booted foot. A wool-type sock was attached to the remains, Jones said.
Jones said the boot has been identified as a Brahma brand, men’s size 9.5. The label inside the boot is printed with the following: “Alpha”, “ASTMF2413-05” and “2590418” stamped on the boot tongue.
Detectives and the boot manufacturer are attempting to trace these numbers in an effort to learn where the boot may have been sold, Jones said.
At this time, Jones said investigators have not been able to determine how long the remains may have been in the river.
The skeletal remains are currently in the possession of the Chico State University Human Identification Laboratory. Jones said further examination of the skeletal remains are being conducted by the Human I.D. Lab in an effort to gain additional forensic information.
DNA samples will extracted from the remains and run against DNA databases, Jones said.
Jones said the Shasta and Tehama County sheriff’s offices have been contacted and the remains checked against known missing persons and/or skeletal remains recovered in those up-stream counties. At this time no match has been made.
The Glenn County Sheriff’s Office has sent out a Critical Reach flyer to all law enforcement asking that any agency with a possible missing person match contact them.
Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective Kelly Knight at the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office, 530-934-6721 or 530-934-6431.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Many Californians and visitors will be celebrating our nation’s independence this July 4 holiday with fireworks, and in the city of Lakeport fireworks booths already are taking part in annual sales.
However, Cal Fire urges extreme caution during California's drought emergency. It can take hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to control a large wildfire.
Effective July 1, Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott ordered a ban on open burning throughout the 31 million acres of state responsibility area protected by Cal Fire due to the elevated threat of wildfire caused by the drought emergency.
“The drought has increased the threat of wildfire in California,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “We are urging the public to celebrate our nation’s independence by attending a professional fireworks display. For those who choose to use fireworks to celebrate, make sure fireworks are allowed in the area of use and follow all safety precautions. You don’t want to ruin your celebration by becoming financially responsible for a fire caused by your activities.”
California has a zero tolerance for the sale and use of illegal fireworks.
Illegal fireworks include sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other types that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner.
It is illegal to sell, transport, or use fireworks that do not carry the “Safe and Sane” seal, as well as possess or use any fireworks in a community where they are not permitted.
If convicted, a violator could be fined up to $50,000 as well as sent to jail for up to one year.
There are nearly 300 communities within California – including Lakeport – that allow “Safe and Sane” fireworks.
“Every year Cal Fire and fire departments across California respond to fireworks-related incidents that hurt people and cause damage to property and natural resources, ” said State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, Cal Fire-Office of the State Fire Marshal. “If you are going to use fireworks, check with your local Fire department first to make sure they are allowed in your area. If they are, use only fireworks that carry the State Fire Marshal’s ‘Safe and Sane’ seal.”
Cal Fire is asking the public to take the following precautions:
- First check that fireworks are allowed in the area of use;
- Make sure the firework has the state fire marshal “safe and sane” seal;
- Purchase only from legitimate organizations authorized to sell;
- Have a bucket of water, sand or garden hose available at firing site;
- Read all instructions before use;
- Never alter, modify or enhance fireworks – use only in the manner intended;
- Make sure fireworks have proper clearance from flammable materials including dry grass and brush.
Cal Fire has already responded to more than 2,500 wildland fires this year, a large increase in the average number of fires for the same time period.
Residents are urged to visit www.ReadyforWildfire.org for tips on how to prepare their homes and family for wildfire.
The Web site also links to important water saving tips, a resource critical to the control of wildfires.
SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County officials on Tuesday evening issued an evacuation advisory for the area near a wildland fire that began at the Napa and Lake County line earlier in the day.
At 6:30 p.m. the Lake County Office of Emergency Services and the Lake County Sheriff's Office put a voluntary evacuation in place for the Butts Canyon corridor in Lake County due to the Butts Fire.
This is an advisory evacuation only, officials said.
As of 7:30 p.m., the last confirmed size estimate from Cal Fire officials at the scene was 2,700 acres with 30-percent containment.
Evacuations began earlier for residents on the west side of the 7800 block of Butts Canyon Road to north of Snell Valley Road and in Berryessa Estates in Napa County, as Lake County News has reported. Additional residents in those areas were to be escorted out Tuesday evening.
For those who wish to evacuate, an evacuation center with overnight accommodations has been set up by the Red Cross at the Middletown High School, located at 20932 Big Canyon Road.
Officials ask that area residents not call 9-1-1 unless they have a current life or death emergency.
If you are evacuating and are unable to do so because of a medical/ambulatory condition, please call the dispatch nonemergency number at 707-263-2690 to coordinate your removal to the evacuation center.
This story is being updated on an ongoing basis.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters are on the scene of a fast-growing wildland fire in Pope Valley just inside the Napa County line.
The Butts Fire was first reported in the 7800 block of Butts Canyon Road shortly after noon on Tuesday, with one structure said to be involved.
The fire, located in Napa County, has quickly grown in size.
Cal Fire reported just before 2 p.m. that it had burned 200 acres and that it had grown again to 300 acres by 2:30 p.m.
Reports from the scene just before 2:45 p.m. put containment at 10 percent, with one outbuilding confirmed destroyed.
By 2:50 p.m., it was estimated to be at 500 acres and moving toward Butts Canyon, with officials at the scene putting it at close to 600 acres at 3:25 p.m.
At 4:15 p.m. the fire was reported to be 800 acres and was moving to the northeast, according to reports from the scene. It was said to be burning into Butts Canyon.
Cal Fire – along with a Lake County strike team – have sent resources, according to radio reports.
Lake County Public Works is reporting that its crews are closing Butts Canyon Road outside of Middletown to everyone except firefighters and other first responders.
The Napa County Sheriff's Office put out an alert advising people to stay out of the area, and reporting that Aetna Springs Road also was included in the road closures.
Shortly before 1:45 p.m., the Napa County Sheriff's Office said mandatory evacuations are in effect for the west side of the 7800 block of Butts Canyon Road to north of Snell Valley Road. The evacuation center for that area is the Pope Valley School.
Just after 3 p.m., mandatory evacuations were implemented for Berryessa Estates, with the Napa County Sheriff's Office reporting that the evacuation center for that community will be at Middletown High School.
Firefighters are facing challenges including significant wind and long-range spotting, radio reports indicated.
Radio reports are indicating more air tankers from Ukiah and Redding are responding, along with three additional strike teams for structure defense and six dozers which were requested on an immediate need just after 3:15 p.m.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on a proposed mitigated negative declaration and extension of a use permit on a residential development project.
The commission will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The public hearing on Monte Vista Homes – proposed by Owen O'Donnell and Ashwin Gulati – will consider approval of a mitigated negative declaration based on a previously prepared initial study, extension of a use permit, the addition of more approval conditions and direction to proceed with a notice of intent to adopt the mitigated negative declaration.
The project's tentative map, adopted by the commission in January 2008, would subdivide a parcel of land at 3595 Old Highway 53 into 23 residential and four commercial lots, and would allow a use permit to build duplexes or single family homes on some of the lots, according to City Manager Joan Phillipe's report to the commission.
In August 2013 O'Donnell requested an extension of the tentative map, and staff research found that the project's use permit had expired, Phillipe said. They also found that the need for time extensions hadn't been discussed with O'Donnell.
“It appears this is another case of a file falling through the cracks,” said Phillipe.
She said staff is requesting that the public hearing be held to consider adopting the mitigated negative declaration and payment of fees.
“There have been no significant changes that would require a new application for a new use permit,” she wrote, suggesting that several new conditions of approval be added.
Email Elizabeth Larson at