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Firefighters were dispatched to the deadly blaze off of Old Long Valley Road shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown.
Local officials did not release the name of the victim on Monday, but Brown said the man was a retired Cal Fire dozer operator and a lifelong Lake County resident.
Brown said the single family dwelling was fully involved by the time Northshore Fire personnel arrived on the scene.
He said the burning home caused some nearby oak trees to catch on fire, but firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire before it got into the wildland.
The couple had escaped but the husband returned to try to find his dog, and perished in the fire, Brown said.
Northshore Fire sent two battalion chiefs, two engines and a water tender out of the Clearlake Oaks station, with one engine and a medic unit out of the Lucerne Station, Brown said. Lake County Fire responded with a water tender under automatic aid, and Cal Fire sent two engines and two battalion chiefs.
Brown said the fire, which started inside the home, has been ruled accidental.
Investigators from both Northshore Fire and Cal Fire are documenting the blaze, he said.
When the man's body was removed from the home, Brown said firefighters draped his body in the American flag.
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The fatal crash occurred at 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a Monday report from the California Highway Patrol.
A 2004 silver Dodge Stratus was traveling north on Highway 29, south of Highway 175 to Cobb, at an undetermined speed when the solo male occupant was unable to negotiate a left curve in the road, the CHP said.
The Stratus went left across the southbound lane where it hit a dirt embankment along the road's west edge. The CHP report said the vehicle spun in a counter-clockwise direction with the rear of the vehicle striking a tree, causing major inward intrusion on the rear of the car.
The vehicle continued to spin around before coming to rest facing north along Highway 29's west shoulder, the CHP said.
The report explained that a preliminary CHP investigation indicated that the rear inward intrusion caused the gas tank to ignite and start a fire.
The CHP said passing motorists stopped and attempted to help the driver while emergency personnel were en route. However, the fire burned the vehicle so quickly the driver couldn't escape.
The driver's death was attributed to the fire before it could be extinguished, the CHP said.
By the end of Monday the driver hadn't been identified. The CHP said no one else was injured due to the crash and fire.
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The chip seal is intended to extend the life of the pavement, delaying major rehabilitation which will eventually cost tens of millions of dollars, the agency reported.
The new high-traction surface will increase wet weather safety and the rubberized binder is helping to recycle more than 34,000 passenger car tires. Over the next several months the aggregate, or chips, will settle and the surface will become more smooth, Caltrans reported.
These projects, with a combined cost of about $2.1 million, are complete except for construction of the center line rumble strip and final striping, which is anticipated to be completed within three weeks, according to the report.
The striping, the agency said, is being delayed due to a nationwide shortage of reflective highway paint, caused by the combination of a chemical plant breakdown earlier this year and an increased number of highway projects funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
For the most current road information on all state highways, call 1-800-427-7623 (1-800-GAS-ROAD) or visit www.dot.ca.gov.
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Beginning Friday, Sept. 3, at 6:01 p.m., officers will join motorists on California’s roads for the Labor Day MEP.
The holiday enforcement initiative continues through 11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 6.
“I hope everyone enjoys the Labor Day weekend by keeping safety in mind,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “With many families headed for fun, the highways will be crowded and congested with traffic. Mixing these factors with alcohol, speed and not wearing a safety belt can lead to a deadly consequence.”
Although fatalities caused by collisions were far lower than previous Labor Day weekends, last year 12 people were killed in crashes on California roadways.
In addition, 75 percent of all vehicle occupants killed in CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
In addition to the Labor Day MEP, the CHP is in the midst of an aggressive crackdown on impaired driving which began on Aug. 20.
The national campaign, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest,” is a coordinated effort of law enforcement agencies throughout the country and continues through the holiday weekend.
Last year during the Labor Day weekend, CHP officers throughout the state made 1,417 arrests for driving under the influence.
“If we find you driving impaired we will arrest you, no exceptions,” added Commissioner Farrow. “DUI is a careless disregard for human life.”
Motorists are encouraged to call 911 if they encounter a suspected drunk driver. To help law enforcement intervene, callers should be prepared to provide dispatchers a description of the vehicle, its location and direction of travel.
“Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Designate a driver in advance, always wear your seat belt, don’t speed and be sure to pay attention to the road,” added Farrow.
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The pageant will take place on Friday, Sept. 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Museum Park area at the fairgrounds in Lakeport.
“We're really looking forward to hosting this event during the Lake County Fair,” said Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons.
“The date worked well, and we had a stage available in the Museum Park, which is pretty quiet and well separate from the demolition derby in the grandstands and the other stages,” Persons said. “We worked with Konocti Christian Academy to provide a classroom to be used for a dressing room just adjacent to the stage, and it all seems to be working out. It should be a great night.”
In the 1960s and 1970s, the pageant was held in conjunction with the annual county fair, but in the late 1970s the pageant date was changed and the event has taken place several weeks prior to the Lake County Fair in most years since.
This year's pageant includes six contestants for the title of Miss Lake County, and three contestants for the title of Miss Teen Lake County.
The pageant is an official preliminary to the Miss California and Miss America pageants which are talent based scholarship programs, and is not associated with the Miss USA beauty contest system.
The Miss America scholarship system is the largest provider of scholarships for young women in the world.
In 2009, the Miss America Organization and its state and local affiliates provided more than $45 million in scholarships to young women.
The 2010 contestants for Miss Lake County include Lauren Berlin, Alissa Iaccino, Carly Davis, Jennifer Humble, Salsei Monthei and Michelle Wells. Contestants for Miss Teen Lake County include Sarah Christensen, Faith Hornby and Makayla Paulson.
Like in all Miss America preliminaries, the contestants are judged in five categories. The one with the highest overall score among the panel of judges is crowned Miss Lake County. The categories include a personal interview (25 percent of total score), talent (35 percent of total score), evening wear (20 percent of total score), swimwear (15 percent of total score), and the on-stage question (5 percent of total score).
In the personal interview, each contestant participates in a private interview with the panel of judges. Scoring is based on overall communication skills including personality and intelligence, overall first impression and personal appearance, and whether the contestant possesses quality that would make her a good Miss America. The audience doesn't get to see this interview, as it takes place earlier in the day.
For the talent portion, each contestant performs a 2 minute routine of their own choosing. Scoring is based on skill, personality, interpretive ability, technical skill level, stage presence and a totality of all elements. Talent performances can range from singing to dramatic monologues to playing a musical instrument.
During the evening wear portion, each contestant appears onstage in an outfit of her own choosing representative of something she would wear to a social event. Scoring is based on overall first impression, sense of confidence, personality and stage presence, walk and posture, appropriateness of attire and sense of attractiveness.
For swimwear, each contestant appears briefly on stage in a swimsuit of her own choosing. Scoring is based on overall first impression, statement of physical fitness and health, overall physique which is pleasing to her height, weight, and bone structure, walk, posture and grace, sense of confidence, and presence on stage.
The on-stage interview phase of competition is designed for the contestant to make an on-stage statement of her interests, opinions, and aspirations.
Overall "first impression," charisma, and stage presence to be a spokeswoman for the state/local organization will be evaluated. Judges will give special attention to whether or not the contestant answered the question she is asked and if she had the commanding presence to make the audience want to listen to her.
The pageant is a separately ticketed event from the Lake County Fair, with advanced sale tickets that include both fair admission and pageant admission on sale now for a reduced price of $15.
On the day of the event, attendees will need to purchase both a full price fair admission and a full price pageant admission for entrance into the pageant venue.
Sales outlets for the reduced price pageant tickets include CPS Country Air Properties, Your One Stop Party Shop, Skin Fitness, Healing Earth, Focused on Wine, Totorica Plumbing and Elegant Touch.
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