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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Community members are rallying to offer prayers, and emotional and financial support for two young men severely injured in a home fire in Hidden Valley Lake this week.

The fire at 18390 North Shore Drive Tuesday destroyed the home and injured resident Jordan Armstrong and his friend, Kevin Hart, according to the “Please PRAY for Jordan Armstrong” Facebook page.

South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton said investigators ruled the fire’s cause “accidental but undetermined.”

Armstrong and Hart both were flown to out-of-county hospitals with serious burns, as Lake County News has reported.

On Thursday, UC Davis Medical Center spokesperson Phyllis Brown said Armstrong was in “fair” condition.

His Facebook page reported that he suffered burns over 30 percent of his body.

Officials originally reported that Hart had been was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. However, his family said on a Facebook page for him, titled “Kevin’s Blood Drive,” that he also was at the UC Davis Medical Center Burn Center, where he was undergoing skin graft surgeries.

The Facebook page in his honor said he has suffered burns over 80 percent of his body, along with a broken nose and swollen face. He has a tracheotomy to help his breathing.

Hart’s family and friends are requesting community members participate in a blood drive for Hart through Blood Source, 3505 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, telephone 916-456-1500, www.bloodsource.org. His blood type is O+ but his family is asking for all blood types to donate.

Both young men are reportedly facing months of hospitalization and numerous reconstructive surgeries, according to the two Facebook pages.

The Hidden Valley Community Church is taking donations for Armstrong. Checks can be sent to the Hidden Valley Community Church, P.O. Box 1049, Middletown, CA 95461, with “Jordan Armstrong” in the subject line. For more information the church can be contacted at 707-987-3510.

 

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

A Kern County man has become California’s first flu fatality of this influenza season, state health officials said Thursday.

The California Department of Public Health said the man was in his late 30s.

“This death is a somber reminder that the flu can be a serious and even deadly disease,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health and state public health officer, in a report issued by the agency. “I encourage Californians to get their flu vaccine to help protect themselves and their families.”

Statewide surveillance shows that influenza activity remains low in California. Typically, influenza peaks between January and March.

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu-associated deaths nationwide range from an estimated 3,000 to 49,000 annually.

Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait told Lake County News in a Thursday e-mail that it has been a fairly quiet flu year so far as well for Lake County, where flu concerns are heightened due to the large senior population.

So far this flu season, vaccine totals for Lake County Public Health are “definitely fewer than last year,” said Tait.

However, she added that local pharmacies have done a lot of vaccinating this year.

She said Lake County has no special concerns due to this year’s flu season, but added, “the usual precautions are as important as always.”

Some of those usual precautions offered by health officials include staying home when sick; covering coughs or sneezes with an elbow or a tissue, and then properly disposing of used tissues; washing hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and trying to stay healthy by eating right, staying hydrated, not smoking, and getting adequate rest and exercise.

The seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over 6 months of age and includes protection against the H1N1 strain, the California Department of Public Health reported. It is particularly important for people at high risk of complications, including pregnant women, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, children and older adults to be vaccinated.

Chapman urged Californians to get their flu shot if they have not done so already. In addition, the nasal spray flu vaccine is available for healthy individuals ages two through 49 who are not pregnant.

“Since the flu season can last through May, it is not too late to get a flu vaccine,” Chapman said. “There is plenty of flu vaccine available.”

Tait said Lake County Public Health has plenty of the $2 vaccine available. The department can be reached at 800-794-9291 or 707-263-1090 for more information.

The California Department of Public Health offers more information on flu prevention at its Web site, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/immunize/Pages/default.aspx.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Designated drivers, buckled-up vehicle occupants and undistracted motorists adhering to the speed limit along the state’s roadways are just a few of the items that appear on the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) wish list this holiday season.

“As you prepare for the holiday traffic and winter weather, remember to plan ahead and leave yourself some extra time to make the trip,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Rest assured that the CHP will be out there to assist you whenever there is a need.”

Throughout their holiday travels motorists may encounter a number of CHP officers who begin their annual Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) on Friday, Dec. 23, at 6:01 p.m.

The CHP will continue the holiday enforcement effort through Monday, Dec. 26, at 11:59 p.m.

“This time of year more people travel, celebrations increase and the weather can be a challenge,” said Commissioner Farrow.

Last year during the Christmas holiday weekend, four people were killed in collisions in California, according to the CHP.

One week later, 25 people were killed in crashes during New Year’s weekend; half of those who died were not wearing a seat belt, the CHP reported.

In addition, the CHP said it made 658 arrests for driving under the influence during the Christmas MEP and 961 arrests the following holiday weekend.

“It’s important to remember as the holiday celebrations kick into high gear during the next couple of weeks, always designate a driver before the party begins,” added Commissioner Farrow.

The CHP will conduct a similar MEP effort over the New Year’s holiday weekend which begins Friday, Dec. 30, at 6:01 p.m. and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.

 

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