With multiple fast-growing wildfires impacting communities across California, the state has mobilized a massive air and ground response to contain the wildfires and help keep communities safe.

The 24/7 coordinated response includes thousands of boots on the ground, including firefighters, soldiers, law enforcement and first responders, as well as air assets including 51 helicopters and nine fixed-wing aircraft.

The state and local agencies have deployed the following resources – including CAL FIRE, California National Guard, and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) – across multiple wildfires:

• 5,755 total boots on the ground across 162 crews, including firefighters, soldiers and first responders;
• 51 helicopters;
• Nine fixed-wing aircraft, including 7 CAL FIRE aircraft and 2 National Guard C-130 aircraft;
• 520 fire engines;
• 75 dozers;
• 141 water tankers.

“We are working day and night to protect communities up and down the state of California. Our response includes nearly 6,000 boots on the ground, hundreds of engines and water tankers, and the world’s largest aerial firefighting force. Thank you to our brave firefighters, soldiers and first responders for the 24/7 work to keep our communities safe,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Currently, there are 16 active wildfires in California that have burned 613,819 acres. So far this year, 6,045 wildfires have burned more than 900,000 acres. Active wildfire information is available at https://www.fire.ca.gov/.

The 2024 state budget also protected $2.6 billion through 2028 to protect Californians from wildfires by improving forest health through fire prevention programs, including prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects — investments that have been key to this year’s wildfire response.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters have increased containment on the fire that began Sunday afternoon and destroyed 30 structures in Clearlake.

The Boyles fire’s size was adjusted slightly upward to 81.2 acres, with containment at 40%, the Lake County Fire Protection District said Monday evening. It also burned 40 vehicles.

The agency said so far there have been no injuries or fatalities reported.

Fire officials said 21 engines, two water tenders and a dozer were assigned to the fire on Monday.

Lake County Fire said it was supported during the initial attack on Sunday by Cal Fire, Kelseyville Fire, Lakeport Fire, Northshore Fire, and Mendocino and Colusa counties, with engines coming from as far away as San Francisco.

Additionally, the agency said a task force of ambulances was requested from Sonoma and Napa County to run 911 calls as Lake County Fire crews worked to protect structures, while many of its employees who had been off-duty reported to assist.

On Monday night, the Clearlake Police Department reported that the areas of the Lake County Superior Court, Walmart and surrounding businesses have been changed to advisory evacuation status.

However, there were still large areas that remained under mandatory evacuation, from 23rd Avenue south to Cache Creek Lane. Evacuation zones can be found here.

The Konocti Unified School District reported that Obsidian Middle School, Blue Heron School and Lewis School will remain closed on Tuesday as the district continues to check for damage and do deep cleaning.

Schools reopening on Tuesday are Lower Lake High School, Lower Lake Elementary School, Carle High School and Highlands Academy, the district reported.

The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College was closed on Monday and will remain closed on Tuesday. All classes and services are being offered online during the closure.

The city of Clearlake has created a page on its website devoted to information and resources for the Boyles fire. The page can be found at https://www.clearlake.ca.us/490/Boyles-Fire-Info-Resources.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Health Services has issued an update on available resources for community members impacted by the Boyles fire.

The fire, which began on Sunday afternoon, has destroyed 30 structures and burned more than 81 acres, and continues to displace many residents on the eastern side of the city.

Evacuation center: An evacuation center has been established at Twin Pine Casino, located at 22223 Highway 29, Middletown. Lake County Animal Care and Control is stationed at the evacuation center to assist guests with animal companions, providing food and pet supplies. Please check in with the Red Cross at the Evacuation Center for an accurate headcount and further assistance.

Partnership Health Member Services Hotline: Partnership Health Members affected by the Boyles fire can contact the Member Services hotline at 800-863-4155 for guidance and assistance tailored to their specific needs. Partnership HealthPlan is also coordinating with local pharmacies to ensure a seven-day emergency supply of medications for affected individuals.

Medical provider coordination: Residents with existing medical providers are encouraged to contact their provider directly for non-emergency medical needs to avoid overwhelming emergency medical services.

Transportation assistance: For Partnership Health Members requiring assistance with transportation due to the Boyles Fire, the Member Services hotline can help coordinate resources. Additionally, Konocti Unified School District is providing transportation assistance, with buses picking up riders at Clearlake City Hall, located at 14050 Olympic Drive.

Behavioral Health support: Lake County Behavioral Health Services is available to provide support to anyone affected by the Boyles Fire. Staff are available at the emergency center in Twin Pine Casino, and those experiencing an emergent Behavioral Health crisis may call 800-900-2075.

Stay Informed: Follow updates for the latest information on the Boyles fire at https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/8/boyles-fire and visit https://www.clearlake.ca.us/490/Boyles-Fire-Info-Resources for an updated list of resources.

For additional resources, please download the updated resource list at https://partnershiphp.org/Lake_EmergencyResponse.pdf.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. — The Lake County Land Trust announced a partnership with the Lake County Library in celebrating the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read program.

As part of the program, which features the theme “Where We Live,” the Lake County Land Trust is offering an event to celebrate opening day of the Big Read, on Sunday, Sept. 15, at its Rodman Preserve nature center and property at 6350 Westlake Road near Upper Lake.

The preserve will be open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. to welcome guests who will receive a free copy of the book, “The Bear” by Andrew Krivak.

Visitors can walk the preserve on their own, or accompanied by Land Trust volunteers, with a special walk starting at 9 a.m. led by Redbud Audubon naturalist, Donna Mackiewicz.

This year’s NEA Big Read theme “Where We Live,” encourages everyone to relate to the unique aspects of their community by exploring local resources and landscapes according to Georgina Marie Guardado, the Literacy Program coordinator for the Lake County Library and former Poet Laureate of Lake County.

Visitors will learn about some of Lake County’s protected lands and habitats that nature and humans depend on.

The preserve will open at 9 a.m. with a guided nature walk by Mackiewicz. This walk will coincide with Biodiversity Day which is being celebrated from Sept. 7 to 15 and sponsored by California Academy of Sciences.

Mackiewicz will lead guests on a path through oak forests, native grasses and parts of the chaparral community featured at the Rodman Preserve.

She will be recording, with the help of those attending, every type of species seen with the goal of reaching 30 different plants, animals, insects, and trees.

Water and light snacks will be provided, or visitors are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy on the back porch.

Along with the 9 a.m. walk, Land Trust volunteers will be available to accompany groups to talk about some of the unique aspects of “Where We Live.”

Guardado noted that “The Bear” was chosen based on its themes, characters, and setting and “how they relate to the unique aspects of our community.”

The library is planning a calendar of events that will include discussions of the book, writing workshops, presentations, and outdoor events with a number of local partners.

 

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The city of Clearlake on Sunday night issued a declaration of a local emergency as work continued in the Boyles fire area.

The fire broke out shortly after 2 p.m. in the area of Boyles Avenue and Dam Road, and quickly spread north, threatening Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus, Obsidian Middle School and thousands of homes on the east side of the Clearlake, said City Manager Alan Flora.

The Lake County Fire Protection District, Cal Fire and mutual aid partners fought the fire from the ground and the air. Flora credited their efforts with saving many structures.

At the same time, authorities called for evacuations on the east side of the city that displaced 4,000 residents, fire officials reported.

By Sunday night, forward progress had been stopped, and the fire was reported to be holding at around 76 acres and 10% containment.

“Current damage assessments indicate over 30 homes were lost, and the assessments will continue tomorrow morning,” Flora said.

The city reported that another 60 structures were damaged.

The Lake County Fire Protection District said 40 to 50 vehicles also were destroyed.

In a message to students and staff, Konocti Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Becky Salato said that the Boyles fire “has affected some of our schools and many of our families.”

With student and staff safety being a priority, Salato said that on Monday Obsidian Middle School, along with Blue Heron and Richard H. Lewis School will be closed for safety inspections.

Also to be closed Monday area W.C. Carle Continuation High School, Highlands Academy, Lower Lake High School and Lower Lake Elementary School. All other schools in the district will be back in session, Salato said.

On Sunday evening, the Governor’s Office reported that Gov. Gavin Newsom had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of resources to suppress the Boyles fire.

Flora, as the city’s director of emergency services, issued a Sunday night proclamation declaring a Boyles fire local emergency. The full proclamation is published below.

Flora said some of the evacuation zones had been cleared for repopulation as of 10 p.m.

Those zones included areas north of 24th Avenue and the Cache Creek Apartments, according to Nixle alerts issued Sunday night by the Clearlake Police Department.

However, areas south of 24th Avenue to Dam Road other than Cache Creek Apartments remained under an mandatory evacuation order, police reported.

At the height of the incident, nearly 9,100 Pacific Gas and Electric customers were out of power.

Flora reported that some evacuation zones still were without power due to damaged PG&E infrastructure. Shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday, PG&E said crews were making repairs and that about 100 customers remained without power.

For those still under evacuation orders, a temporary shelter has been established at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.

The city said all evacuees who need assistance or suffered a loss of their home should check in at the shelter at Twin Pine, even if they do not intend to stay there.

“This will allow the city and our partners to establish contact with you as we assist through the difficult recovery process,” Flora said in the Sunday night update.

Those unable to visit the shelter at Twin Pine should contact the city at 707-994-8201 and leave their contact information.

The city’s local emergency declaration follows.



WHEREAS, City of Clearlake Municipal Code Section 2-11.6 empowers the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the city is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session; and WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), authorize the City Manager to proclaim a local emergency when the City is threatened by conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City that are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City; and

WHEREAS, on September 8, 2024 the Boyles Fire was started near Boyles Avenue and 8th Avenue in Clearlake and quickly spread north quickly driven by high winds.; and

WHEREAS, after a fierce fire fight by various partners from throughout the region, and led by CalFire and the Lake County Fire Protection District, approximately 90 acres were scorched, approximately 30 homes were lost, Pacific Gas and Electric infrastructure was damaged, and significant private property damage occurred, of which the full extent is still unknown; and

WHEREAS, dozens of Clearlake families have lost their homes and property; and

WHEREAS, such recovery from such conditions is beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat and clean up; and

WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, use mutual aid, and allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments will be critical to successfully responding to the impacts of the Boyles Fire; and

WHEREAS, the City Manager, as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, has the power to declare a local emergency as authorized by Government Code section 8630 and Clearlake Municipal Code section 2-11.6.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the City Manager of the City of Clearlake as follows:

A. A local emergency exists based on the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property, as detailed in the recitals set forth above.

B. The area of the City which is endangered/imperiled within the footprint of the Boyles Fire and beyond.

C. During the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law and by ordinances, resolutions, and orders of this City, including but not limited to the City of Clearlake Emergency Operations Plan.

D. The City Council shall review and ratify this proclamation within seven (7) days as required by state law, and if ratified, shall continue to exist until the City Council proclaims the termination of this local emergency. The City Council shall review the need for continuing the local emergency as required by state law until it terminates the local emergency, and shall terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant.

E. That a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State Law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Clearlake; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs.

DATED: September 8, 2024

_______________________________________
Alan D. Flora
Director of Emergency Services



Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.