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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In response to continuing poor air quality conditions due to wildfires burning east of Clearlake Oaks, air quality officials issued another alert for Tuesday.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the Wye and Walker fires have resulted in the smoke, haze, and degraded air quality.
On Monday, ozone and particulate levels exceeded state health-based standards for small respirable particulate and ozone (photochemical smog), Gearhart reported.
He said the prediction for Tuesday is for “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” to “unhealthy for everyone” air quality in Lake County.
The Northshore communities, Clearlake and the eastern portions of Lake County are expected to be impacted the most, Gearhart said. Areas closer to the active fires may experience “hazardous” air quality due to the high levels of fine particulates and ozone.
Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individual including young children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
The extreme heat forecast for Lake County can make the stress worse if combined with physical exertion, he said.
Gearhart said the 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 that grow in size as they draw moisture out of the air, he said.
Poor air quality, haze, and particulate from the ongoing wildfires is expected to continue throughout Lake County until the fires are out, Gearhart reported.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Hundreds of Spring Valley residents got the word Monday evening that they could go back home after they were ordered from their homes the night before due to the Wye Fire.
Cal Fire said the Wye Fire – which now includes the Walker Fire – had reached 6,000 acres by Monday evening, and was 25 percent contained.
The fires had broken out Sunday afternoon in the area of Highway 20 and Highway 53 and near Walker Ridge Road.
Cal Fire reported at 7 p.m. Monday that the mandatory evacuation order for Spring Valley – including Old Long Valley Road and New Long Valley Road – had been lifted, and that residents would be able to return to their homes as of 8 p.m. with the help of an escort.
The California Highway Patrol had begun escorting motorists along a reopened stretch of Highway 20 east of Highway 53 at about 6 p.m. Traffic was limited to a single-lane, guided by a CHP pilot car.
Shortly before 8 p.m. Lake County News received a report from a citizen of backed up traffic in the area of Highway 20 and 53, with the possibility that the highway was to be closed again. When contacted, Cal Fire’s information center said they didn’t have information on another closure.
Cal Fire said the Wye Fire had threatened a total of 480 homes in the Long Valley and Spring Valley areas.
The fire destroyed two structures and damaged a third; the exact locations weren’t reported by the agency.
There also were two injuries from the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.
Evacuees had been housed at a Red Cross shelter set up at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, and an assistance center also was set up at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge.
On Monday, dozens of people, their pets and livestock waited at the lodge for conditions to change so they could return home.
Cal Fire indicated that evacuations in the Wilbur Hot Springs area due to the Walker Fire were still in effect.
Total fire personnel on scene Monday included 358 firefighters, of which 290 were Cal Fire staff, the agency said.
There also were 21 engines, six fire crews, two air tankers, seven helicopters, eight bulldozers and six water tenders working on the fires, according to Cal Fire.
An estimated time of containment hasn’t been announced.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday evening fire officials said they were partially opening a section of Highway 20 to traffic.
The announcement came only an hour after Caltrans officials had said they anticipated the highway remaining closed due to firefighting efforts on the Wye incident, which has burned an estimated 5,000 acres since Sunday.
Cal Fire said just after 6 p.m. that Highway 20 east of Highway 53 to Wilbur Springs will be open to single-lane traffic.
Motorists will be led through the area by a California Highway Patrol pilot escort.
Cal Fire said the road opening is subject to change due to fire activity.
The highway had remained closed Sunday evening and much of Monday due to the fire, as Lake County News has reported.
The fire had burned on both sides of the highway, and had damaged guardrails, road signs and power lines.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to wildland fires burning in the south county officials are keeping Highway 20 closed, with no time of reopening set.
Cal Fire said shortly after 5 p.m. Monday that Highway 20 east of Highway 53 would remain closed due to the Wye and Walker fires, both burning since Sunday east of Clearlake Oaks.
Cal Fire has combined the two fires – which had burned a total of 5,000 acres as of Monday afternoon, with 25 percent containment reported – into one incident.
Highway 20 was briefly opened Monday morning before it was closed due to the close proximity of the fire, a firing operation that was being conducted and issues with people trying to return to Spring Valley, which remains under an evacuation order.
The Wye Fire burned along both sides of Highway 20, destroying trees and vegetation, and burning guardrails, highway signs and power lines.
Caltrans said that there was no estimated time for reopening the highway, but said its crews will remain on hand throughout the night ready to shuttle traffic through as soon as it is safe.
Follow CaltransDist1 on Twitter for traffic updates on State highways in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties.
For the most current road information on all California State highways, call 1-800-427-7623 or visit www.dot.ca.gov .
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Red Cross shelter is open in Clearlake, providing support for Spring Valley residents affected by the Wye Fire in Lake County, according to the American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Counties.
The shelter opened late last night at the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake, to provide residents in need a safe place to stay.
Cal Fire reported that 480 residents from Spring Valley, Old Long Valley Road and New Long Valley Road were evacuated Sunday night.
In addition to shelter, Red Cross volunteers are providing food, water, and support for both physical and mental health. Today 25 people are eating lunch at the shelter.
Red Cross also coordinated in-kind donations of water and paper products to people congregating at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge, 15900 E. Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.
The Moose Lodge, which is not functioning as an official shelter, coordinated the donation of lunch, provided by members of the community.
People who need more information on Red Cross services can call 707-577-7601.
For information about road closures or other fire-related information, they should call Cal Fire, 707-967-1400.
Information is also available on the local Red Cross Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RedCrossSonomaMendoLake , and Web site, www.arcsm.org .
Those who want to help can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps people in disasters like the fire in Lake County, as well as emergencies across the country:
- Visit www.redcross.org .
- Call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
- Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
- Mail donations to American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE FIRE.
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Firefighters have achieved some containment on two major wildland fires burning east of Clearlake Oaks, with one of the fires destroying three structures.
On Monday Cal Fire said the Wye Fire, which began near the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 53, was at 3,000 acres – dialed back from a 5,000-acre estimate the agency gave on Sunday – with firefighters getting 25 percent containment on the fire.
While the Wye Fire’s acreage estimate was reduced, the Walker Fire, burning near Walker Ridge Road, increased to 2,000 acres, with 30 percent containment, Cal Fire said.
The Walker Fire had resulted in evacuations in the Wilbur Hot Springs area, which straddles the Lake and Colusa county lines, according to the agency.
“Both fires continue to be very active this morning,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told Lake County News.
The Wye Fire is still threatening homes and ranches in Spring Valley, according to Cal Fire, where evacuations were remaining in effect.
Cal Fire said 480 residents from Spring Valley, as well as the Old Long Valley Road and New Long Valley Road areas, were evacuated Sunday night.
Two structures were destroyed and one was damaged, but Berlant said he had not been able to confirm their exact location or whether or not they were residences or outbuildings.
There had been concerns that if the wind shifted it could push the fire toward Clearlake, but Berlant said the fire is continuing to move in the opposite direction from the city.
Cal Fire reported that it was dealing with challenging fire behavior on the Wye incident, along with low reality humidity, very high temperatures and erratic winds.
On Monday firefighting personnel were focusing efforts on building fire containment lines, firing operations and structure defense.
Berlant said the incident command post was set up at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Martin Street in Lakeport.
At about 10 a.m. Caltrans reported that Highway 20 east of Highway 53 had reopened, but within a half hour it was being ordered to be closed again due to traffic issues, including people trying to go down New Long Valley Road into Spring Valley.
“The fire is actually on (Highway) 20 right now,” said Berlant, adding that motorists were being asked to find alternate routes.
Reports from the scene also indicated that firing operations would be taking place, making the highway closure necessary.
California Highway Patrol Officer Joe Wind said the agency had been asked to close the highway down, with Cal Fire estimating that the firing operations would be done and the roadway could be reopened at around 3 p.m. Monday.
“All that can change, though,” Wind added.
With the exception of just a few households, “Everyone has been evacuated out of the Spring Valley area,” said Pam Plank, Red Cross’ Lake County disaster coordinator.
Those few residents remaining are being assisted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, Plank said.
Red Cross has an emergency shelter set up at Highlands Senior Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave., in Clearlake. There also is an evacuation center set up at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge, 15900 E. Highway 20, where people with large animals can stop in and get assistance, she said.
However, so far there is not a switchboard community members can call to locate loved ones, she said.
Plank had reported on Sunday night receiving about 250 evacuees from the area.
Several CHP units were on the scene of the fire on Sunday, helping get people safely out of the area, said Wind.
“They were assisting with evacuation procedures and the closure and everything else,” he said.
Berlant said Cal Fire is working to find out the cause of the incidents.
“We have investigators who are on the scene of both fires,” he said.
However, with Sunday in the triple digits, coupled with incredibly dry vegetation, it presented “perfect conditions for fires,” Berlant said.
Also on Monday, Lake County Air Quality Management District issued an alert, warning that air quality is expected to be seriously degraded as the fires continue to burn, with forecasted winds adding to the serious conditions.
Cal Fire said there were 324 personnel on the fire Monday, along with 44 engines, eight fire crews, seven bulldozers, two airtankers and four helicopters.
Cooperating agencies include Cal Fire, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Colusa County Sheriff’s Office, CHP, Caltrans, Pacific Gas & Electric, Red Cross, Bureau of Land Management and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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