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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters on Thursday continued to build fire line and increase containment on two wildland fires burning in northern Mendocino County, while more resources were released from the incident.
The North Pass Fires continued to hold at a total of 41,983 acres on Thursday, with containment now at 70 percent, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service.
The fires, located in the Williams Valley 10 miles northeast of Covelo, were sparked by lightning on Saturday, Aug. 18.
A total of 16 structures have been destroyed to date, with nine injuries reported, according to the latest report.
Some evacuations remain in effect along Indian Dick Road (Forest Road M-1) and Mendocino Pass Road (Forest Highway 7), Cal Fire and the US Forest Service reported.
The Covelo Ranger District north of Mendocino Pass Road to the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forest boundaries also remains under closure order, although the closure area is being reevaluated each afternoon, officials reported.
Personnel and resources continued to be rolled back on Thursday. Approximately 901 personnel were on scene, along with 34 engines, 15 fire crews, one air tanker, five helicopters, five bulldozers and 24 water tenders.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While smoke has continued to pour into Lake County from wildland fires in Colusa and Mendocino counties, conditions are expected be better on Friday, air quality officials reported.
The smoke Lake County residents have seen in the air this week is coming from the 16 Complex in Colusa County and the North Pass Fires in Mendocino County.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District issued a Thursday afternoon report explaining that weather forecasts indicate favorable conditions should continue to push smoke away from the Lake County air basin. However, settling of smoke into the basin is likely and could result in intermittent air quality degradation.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said air quality conditions were significantly better than forecast for Thursday, due primarily to better meteorological conditions that are anticipated.
Areas close to the fires experienced some degradation of air quality Thursday, but most areas of the Lake County experienced good to moderate air quality, Gearhart said. Levels of ozone and particulate were elevated, but did not exceed state health-based air quality standards.
Gearhart said the prediction for Friday is for “good “ to “moderate” air quality in Lake County. The Northshore, Clearlake and the county’s southeastern portions could see more impact.
Smoke impacts are most likely to occur during the early morning hours through midday Friday, Gearhart said.
At times on Friday, areas of the county could experience “ unhealthy” air quality levels as smoke settles into the basin, he said.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two Kelseyville men have been arrested as the result of a narcotics investigation that began because of an out-of-state traffic stop.
Robert Baratz, 53, was arrested on Aug. 17 and 47-year-old Greg Andrew Gordon was arrested on Wednesday, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Along with the arrests, the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force seized 261 marijuana plants and $44,741, Brooks said.
On Aug. 15 narcotics detectives were contacted by a special agent from the Utah Bureau of Investigations who reported that a Utah state trooper had conducted a vehicle stop and seized 35 pounds of processed marijuana, Brooks said.
During the Utah trooper’s investigation, the driver of the vehicle admitted to receiving processed marijuana on at least five different occasions from a “friend” in Lake County, according to Brooks. The driver would then transport the marijuana to Milwaukee, Wis.
Utah investigators located evidence with the marijuana that identified Gordon as the possible origin of the marijuana, Brooks reported.
Based on that information, on Aug. 15 narcotics detectives conducted surveillance at Gordon’s residence and noticed a large green house which contained numerous growing marijuana plants, Brooks said.
Brooks said that on Aug. 16 detectives secured a search warrant for Gordon’s person, home and vehiclen. On Aug. 17 at approximately 8:48 a.m. narcotics detectives served the warrant at Gordon’s home, which is located on Kelsey Creek Drive in Kelseyville.
When narcotics detectives entered the property, they contacted Baratz, who Brook said was detained without incident. Baratz said he was living on the property and tending the marijuana plants for Gordon, who was not home. Baratz said Gordon had traveled to Wisconsin with a friend.
During a search of the home, detectives located and seized more than three pounds of processed marijuana and 261 marijuana plants, Brooks said.
Detectives also located $44,741 inside a safe in the master bedroom, which was seized for asset forfeiture. In addition, Brooks said detectives located indicia showing that Gordon was shipping marijuana outside the state of California for sale.
Brooks said Baratz was arrested the cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and the possession of a deadly weapon. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, with bail set at $15,000. Jail records indicated he later was released from custody.
On Aug. 29, narcotics detectives obtained a warrant of arrest for Gordon. On Wednesday detectives arrested Gordon on the arrest warrant, Brooks said.
Gordon was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, with bail set at $15,000. Jail records indicated he later was released.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The two wildland fires burning since Tuesday in the Rumsey Canyon area of Colusa County more than doubled in size overnight.
The 16 Complex, located off of Highway 16 south of Highway 20, had burned 7,236 acres by Thursday morning, with containment remaining at 10 percent, according to Cal Fire.
Personnel assigned increased to 1,312, with 58 fire engines, 54 fire crews, 21 bulldozers, eight helicopters and four airtankers, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire said the complex is burning in a mix of grass, brush, and oak woodland in steep and rugged terrain, with firefighters working to build and strengthen containment lines.
The fire is continuing to move north toward the junction of Highway 20 and Highway 16, and and was threatening the Cortina Rancheria area, where an advisory evacuation warning was in effect. Cal Fire said no structures have been damaged so far.
Officials said Highway 16 is closed from Highway 20 to the town of Rumsey.
The 16 Complex has been sending smoke and haze into Lake County. Lake County Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert for Thursday, with conditions expected to range from “moderate” to “unhealthy.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As losses go, Clear Lake’s 27-20 defeat at Durham last week left a nice aftertaste.
A wine connoisseur might say it was the kind of loss that first pounded the palate with heavy tones of frustration and disappointment, then gave way to subtle hints of promise and potential with lingering undertones of confidence.
As losses go, Kelseyville’s 52-6 defeat at the hands of Upper Lake in the Knights’ home opener on Friday had a bitter taste to it from the opening kickoff, which Jeremy Martin returned for a touchdown (and a 7-0 Cougar lead 15 seconds into the game). Six days later, it still tastes bad.
First, let’s expand on the Cardinals’ opener at Durham, a bigger and more experienced team and allegedly one of the Northern Section’s better Div. III outfits.
The initial frustration was severe because Clear Lake, overwhelmed by the Trojans, 40-10, in last year’s opener, nearly won. Maybe even should have.
Durham needed a 40-yard fluke of a pass play to score the winning touchdown, and the Cards still rallied in the closing minutes, marching from their own 20 to inside the Trojans’ 6-yard line, where they took three shots at the end zone before time ran out.
“We had every chance to win,” said head coach Milo Meyer, whose team plays its home opener Friday against Stellar Prep of Hayward. “We made some mistakes, but overall, I’m pleased with the way we played, especially on defense.”
The Cards’ undersized defense shut down Durham – except for a couple of long TD passes, one being an “Immaculate Reception” kind of play.
“Defensive coordinator Steve Newnham did an outstanding job with a defense that basically took away their spread offense,” Meyer said.
The Cardinals, who trailed 13-7 at the half, rallied for a 20-13 lead in the third quarter, and were clinging to a 20-19 advantage in the fourth quarter when Durham backup quarterback Hayden Southam, on a fourth-and-10, threw long to receiver Zach Marks, who earlier in the half had scored on a 70-yard pass play.
The Cardinals had Marks covered this time – double covered in fact, which in this case caused a problem.
When defenders David Mansell and Jonah Wilcox went up to knock down the pass, they collided, with the ball caroming into the hands of Marks, who completed the 40-yard touchdown play. The two-point PAT gave Durham a 27-20 lead.
Mansell is one of four players on the Clear Lake varsity with no previous football experience. Meyer, anticipating a low turnout (the Cards have 20 players on the varsity), scoured the campus last spring for athletic types to fill out the roster, and he found a “project” in Mansell, who otherwise is known for his basketball skills.
“His play was a very pleasant surprise,” Meyer said of the 6-foot, 185-pound junior, who along with playing in the defensive secondary, started at wide receiver and caught three Kenny Henninger passes, including a 7-yarder that gave Clear Lake an early 7-0 lead.
The Cards, who don’t have a lot of experience, struggled offensively at times – but still had success moving the ball both on the ground and through the air.
Luke Punzalan rushed for 163 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown and Henninger, the 5-7, 140-pound junior, hit on 7 of 18 passes for 110 yards (including the TD toss to Mansell).
But he also threw a couple of interceptions, one that was returned 70 yards for a touchdown that pulled Durham even at 7-7 in the second quarter.
The Cardinals (0-1) will again face a bigger opponent on Friday, but Stellar Prep (1-1), with 19 sophomores and two juniors on an all-underclass team, don’t have a lot of experience.
Sort of like Clear Lake, whose poise and resilience last week indicated they were growing up in a hurry. And made for a very nice aftertaste.
Kelseyville’s loss to Upper Lake was a different kind of tasting experience – yucky all the way through.
First Martin returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Then the Knights took over and promptly fumbled the ball back over to Upper Lake. Kelseyville lost another fumble in the first quarter and the Cougars cashed in for an early 28-0 lead.
“Historically, we haven’t started games very well,” said Ishihara, in his third season as the Knights’ head coach. “And that was certainly the case against Upper Lake.”
The fumbling problem isn’t new, either. Last year they coughed the ball up at the most inopportune times, costing them a chance to win two, maybe three games.
Ishihara addressed the problem this summer by running extra “strip drills,” when his ball carriers were subjected to a mob of defenders intent on whacking, poking, punching or wrestling the football out of their hands.
But you wouldn’t have known from their opener.
The Knights weren’t going to win this game, of course, but in a season-opener in front of a home crowd, you know Ishihara expected a better showing – a close game for a quarter, maybe even a half.
“The touchdown on the kickoff and then the fumble – it was the worst way to start a game,” said Ishihara, whose Knights (0-1) travel to Crockett to play John Swett (1-1) on Friday night.
“It affected a lot of the kids,” Ishihara said. “We’re going to have to play a lot better.”
Good enough, hopefully, to wash that bitter taste from the palate.
Email Rich Mellott at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Wildland fires burning in Colusa and Mendocino counties are sending smoke into Lake County's air basin, resulting in the Lake County Air Quality Management District issuing an air quality alert for Thursday.
By Wednesday night the 16 Complex in Colusa County had reached 3,500 acres, while the North Pass Fires in northern Mendocino County was 41,983 acres, according to Cal Fire. The fires have resulted in smoke, haze and degraded air quality for Lake County.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District reported that weather forecasts indicate favorable west winds will push smoke away from the Lake County air basin on Thursday afternoon. Overnight settling of smoke is likely and could linger into the morning hours.
Air quality conditions significantly improved through most of the county from early morning to late afternoon on Wednesday, due primarily to better meteorological conditions, Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart reported.
Areas close to the fires experienced significantly degraded air quality on Wednesday, but most areas of Lake County experienced good to moderate air quality, according to Gearhart. Levels of ozone and particulate were elevated, but did not exceed state health-based air quality standards.
Gearhart said air quality on Thursday is expected to be in the “moderate” to “unhealthy” range. The greatest concern exists for the Northshore communities, Clearlake and the southeastern portions of Lake County, although all areas of the county may be impacted.
Smoke impacts are forecast to be most significant from the early morning hours through mid-day Thursday, Gearhart said. At times on Thursday, areas of the county could experience “unhealthy” to “hazardous” air quality levels as smoke settles into the basin.
Smoky conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individual including young children, the elderly, and individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
The moderate to unhealthy air quality alert results from fine particulate in the smoke and ground level ozone, generated by combustion products in the smoke combined with the high temperatures, significant sunlight, and humidity.
Other chemical reactions reduce visibility by forming secondary particulates. Poor air quality, haze and particulate from the ongoing wildfires is expected to continue throughout Lake County until the fires are out.