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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A control burn that escaped and raced up Mt. Konocti on Tuesday scorched several hundred acres by the afternoon.
The “Becks” fire was first reported at about 11 a.m., according to state and local officials.
Initially a control burn at a vineyard in the area of 7900 S. Highway 29, the fire escaped and started up the mountain, getting onto county park property and damaging a bathroom facility, according to the Lake County Public Services Department.
Just before 5 p.m., Cal Fire reported that the Becks fire was at 300 acres with 50 percent containment. Full containment is expected Wednesday.
The terrain where the fire is burning is very steep, and fire officials said work on the fire will continue into the night.
Konocti Road above Mt. Vista Middle School in Kelseyville was closed due to the fire, according to Lake County Public Works.
Smoke from the fire blanketed a portion of the county, with residents in different areas reporting ash falling at various times.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol on Tuesday identified the man who died in an early morning crash last Saturday.
Daniel Paul Gray, 29, of Clearlake was the crash victim, according to CHP Officer Kory Reynolds.
Gray's Chevrolet Malibu went off of Highway 29 north of Marsh View Way shortly after midnight and hit a tree, according to the CHP report.
Gray was pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said.
Reynolds said there were no updates on the crash investigation, which is ongoing.
COBB, Calif. – On Tuesday morning a 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield in Cobb.
The quake took place at 9:58 a.m., according to a preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.
It occurred at a depth of 2.3 miles and was centered two miles east of The Geysers, four miles southwest of Cobb and four miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, the report said.
Four shake reports were filed from Middletown, Redding and Redwood City.
A 3.0-magnitude earthquake one mile east of They Geysers had been reported on Monday afternoon, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
THIS STORY IS BEING UPDATED ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Firefighters on Tuesday morning were responding to a wildland fire that resulted when a control burn at a vineyard escaped.
Kelseyville Fire, Lake County Fire and Cal Fire were dispatched to the fire, first reported before 11 a.m. at Red Hills Vineyard, 7900 Highway 29. Northshore Fire and Mendocino County units joined the effort by early afternoon.
By about 11 a.m. the fire had burned between five and seven acres, with a nearby residence threatened.
By 12 p.m. the fire had reached a reported 90 acres, and was up to 150 acres about a half hour later, with 250 acres reached – with an estimated potential for 600 – just after 1 p.m., according to reports from the scene.
At 2 p.m., the fire was at 300 acres, with 10 percent containment, according to reports from the scene. Containment had neared 30 to 40 percent by 3 p.m.
It was reported to be moving through very steep terrain toward the peak of Mt. Konocti and away from Kelseyville and structures.
Firefighters arriving at the scene initially reported a slow rate of spread in thick brush, with difficulty accessing the fire, according to radio reports.
In addition to the engines responding, hand crews and dozers were being dispatched to the fire, which was getting some wind on it, raising the spread pace to moderate. Radio traffic indicated firefighters were unable to access the head of the fire.
Just after 12:30 p.m., a request was made for three additional crews, a strike team, a dozer and more overhead command staff, according to radio reports.
At just after 12:45 p.m., a call was put out over the radio for an eight engine strike team to meet at the base of Mt. Konocti. Helicopters and additional dozers also were responding to the fire.
A hand crew had arrived at the Fowler property on top of Mt. Konocti just before 1 p.m. and was going to work on structure protection, according to scanner traffic.
Firefighters requested help keeping vehicles from going into the area. The California Highway Patrol was providing traffic control at Highway 29 and Highway 175 near the fire location. Traffic control also was needed at Konocti Road near Main Street in Kelseyville.
At about 12:45 p.m. Lake County Public Works said Konocti Road, at the base of Mt. Konocti – past Mt. Vista Middle School – was closed to all traffic due to the fire.
The closure will be in effect until further notice, with drivers asked to avoid the area while emergency fire personnel are trying to get equipment up the mountain.
The fire had made it onto county park land by early afternoon. The county owns more than 1,500 acres on top of the mountain, which makes up Mt. Konocti County Park.
Lake County Public Services reported that they had received word that the fire was moving toward Howard and Wright peaks, and that a wall of one of the park’s new restrooms had been scorched by the fire.
Ash from the fire was reported to be falling in the Kelseyville area, as well as in Lakeport and Upper Lake.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Arts Council held auditions all day last Saturday for the 21st annual Winter Music Fest, to be presented Saturday, Feb. 23, and Sunday, Feb. 24.
From the many good pieces presented by talented Lake County performers, the audition judges selected around 90 minutes of first-rate music to be performed on the Soper-Reese Community Theatre stage.
The Winter Music Fest has functioned for more than two decades as a place where developing artists get to present their work to a large interested audience, and many currently popular performers got to show their stuff there in the past.
It was difficult to choose among the excellent works offered to the audition panel. The panel was working with the objective of producing a tight, exciting show lasting no more than two hours including intermission, yet with a good number of acts.
This led to the decision to forgo the use of bands with extensive instrumentation, since each interval between bands requires a lot of time in setup.
On the other hand, there was a desire to limit the number of solo guitar and voice performers, simply because the audience responds well to dynamic variety.
Fortunately the competition for the stage included an enticing assortment of styles and techniques.
The music chosen will range in time from the Renaissance to today, in style from singer-songwriter to showbiz, in length from one to five minutes.
Some of the performers will be people you’ve seen before on the theatrical stage, some will be people you’ve heard good things about, or heard before a small audience in a bar somewhere, but with the right venue and the finish coming from professional lights and sound, you will see and hear them at their peak.
Tickets for Winter Music Fest will go on sale soon. All tickets will be $15.
Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24.
For more information, call the Lake County Arts Council at 707-263-6658 or go to www.lakecountyartscouncil.com .
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant in Upper Lake are reopening this Saturday following a closure for extensive upgrades that began Jan. 2.
Owner Bernie Butcher said the hotel reopens this Friday, Jan. 25, with the restaurant resuming business on Saturday, Jan. 26. Four musical events are on tap to mark the occasion.
“The kitchen and other renovations have gone extremely well,” said Butcher. “We have some real pros on the project with Mitchell Construction in Lakeport as general contractor and subs like Totorica Plumbing and N & A Electric. It’s amazing what they’ve accomplished in three short weeks.”
To mark the reopening, the Tallman will host its first “Concert with Conversation” of the new year on Saturday evening in the Meeting House featuring Paul McCandless on reed instruments together with Spanish guitarist Antonio Calogero. Tickets at $25 plus tax are available at the Hotel.
On Sunday, Jan. 27, the Blue Wing will host the Sylvia Herold Jazz Trio from San Francisco at brunch and folksinger Dennis Percell at supper time. The John Mattern Band with Jeff Massonari on guitar will start a new season of Blue Wing Monday Blues at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28.
“Customers won’t see a big physical difference,” said Blue Wing Chef Brian Rebitzke, “but we’ve got all new kitchens from the plumbing and flooring on up in both the Hotel and Restaurant. So an improved workspace means that our staff is more committed than ever to providing patrons with top quality food in a timely manner.”
In addition to the kitchens, the hotel has taken advantage of the downtime to do extensive deep cleaning and repairs.
The hotel’s innovative geo-exchange heating and cooling system has also been thoroughly overhauled by Air Connection, Inc. of Santa Rosa.
“Everything is spotless and ready to go,” said hotel manager Susan Mesick. “As the economy slowly improves, we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of new guests coming to Lake County – and hopefully staying at the Tallman.”
