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Shortly before 1 p.m. Friday Cal Fire aircraft were circling over a residential area in Nice, where a three-story home at 3116 Knob caught fire, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Steve Hart.
Four engines from Northshore Fire, two engines from Cal Fire and one engine from Lakeport Fire responded to the blaze, Hart said.
With the heat being so bad – Hart estimated it was around 103 or 104 degrees – they had extra crews on scene so they could switch the firefighters out quickly.
Hart said the fire extended from the basement area all the way to the attic, which presented a big problem for the firefighters.
He said crews leapfrogged each and other chased the fire from floor to floor. Some crews were pulling out the ceiling to expose the fire so other crews could come in behind them to work on attacking and extinguishing it.
At the same time, Cal Fire had two air tankers and an air attack circling overhead. Hart said they didn't end up needing to drop water, but were there in case the fire got into nearby vegetation.
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to contain the fire, and Hart said they managed to save the house.
“We contained the fire on the north third of the residence and were able to save the reminder of the house all the way up to the main floor,” Hart said.
Hart said the fire's cause was a direct result of overuse of appliances associated with a marijuana grow operation, which was located throughout the home. The appliance usage overloaded the circuits and the fire broke out.
He estimated the home's value to be about $500,000 with about $100,000 damage resulting from the fire.
The home's renter was out of town at the time and the residence was unoccupied, Hart said. There were no injuries to firefighters and no other structures were threatened or damaged.
As the fire was burning in Nice, a wildland fire broke out on Sulphur Bank and North Drive in Clearlake Oaks, according to Northshore Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Pat Brown.
Cal Fire led the response to the five-acre fire, with Battalion Chief Linda Green acting as incident commander, he said.
Brown said Cal Fire sent two aircraft, one helicopter, four engines and two hand crews, with Northshore sending Brown, an engine and a water tender and Lake County Fire sending two engines, a water tender and Battalion Chief Charlie Diener.
Cal Fire also reported a small fire in Upper Lake was quickly contained early Friday afternoon.
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LAKE COUNTY – Lake County residents who are considering purchasing high energy efficient appliances will have more opportunities for rebates from the California Cash for Appliances PLUS program after July 29.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) issued draft guidelines expanding the Cash for Appliances rebate program to include high energy efficient dishwashers, freezers, water heaters, and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The expanded program is California Cash for Appliances PLUS.
Consumers still have up to 120 days from the purchase date to submit their rebate application by mail.
Choices for eligible models include 273 clothes washers, 139 refrigerators and 314 room air conditioners. A complete list of eligible models may be viewed at www.cash4appliances.org/products/index.html.
To date, the CEC has received more than 59,000 applications with approximately $19 million still available for rebates. A tracker is updated on the remaining amount of funds available at www.cash4appliances.org.
The California Cash for Appliances PLUS rebate program proposal will be heard at the July 28 CEC business meeting. Consumers can begin to purchase from the new selection of appliances beginning on July 29 until funds are exhausted. Rebates are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Consumers are eligible for a rebate when they purchase a qualified high energy efficient appliance, properly recycle their old appliance, and submit a complete application package within 120 days of the appliance purchase.
Instructions on how to complete an application for the California Cash for Appliances rebate is available at www.cash4appliances.org/consumers/Rebate-Form.pdf.
Eligible energy efficient appliances and rebate amounts available are: refrigerators $200, clothes washers $100, and room air conditioners up to $50. Proposed energy efficient appliance rebate include: dishwashers $100, freezers $50, water heaters $300-$750, and HVAC systems: $500-$1000.
To be eligible for the rebate, Lake County residents must recycle their old appliances at South Lake Refuse and Recycling, who will issue a Recycling Form. Recycling Forms can only be issued at South Lake Refuse and Recycling to be eligible for the Cash for Appliances Rebate program.
South Lake Refuse and Recycling is located at the entrance of the Eastlake Landfill, 16015 Davis St., Clearlake, and open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
To recycle appliances any time, customers in the unincorporated areas may call their hauler to schedule a “bulky item pick up” for a $10 fee.
All county residents may drop off appliances at Lake County Waste Solutions, 230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport in addition to South Lake Refuse and Recycling also for a $10 fee.
Because of the continued availability of funds, the CEC is expanding consumer choices for high energy efficient appliances.
The revised rebate program guidelines can be viewed at
www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CEC-400-2009-025/CEC-400-2009-025-CMF-REV4.PDF.
Additional information also is available through retailer locations throughout the county and consumers can call the toll-free number for questions at: 1-888-390-4034.
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David Day, 43, was taken into custody on Thursday after Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies found him in possession of the stolen Bobcat industrial tractor, according to a report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said that on Thursday deputies received information from Butte County law enforcement that a tractor theft had taken place in the Chico area.
At 2:30 a.m. Thursday Deputies Brixie and Demarco were working in the area of southern Willits and Highway 101 when they observed a pickup pulling a trailer loaded with a Bobcat loader/tractor, Smallcomb said.
The deputies followed the suspect vehicle south on Highway 101 to the East Highway 20 exit. Smallcomb said they learned the vehicle's and trailer's license information came back from the Butte County area.
Brixie and Demarco – along with other deputies and officers from the California Highway Patrol – conducted a traffic stop in the area of Highway 20 and Marina Drive, Smallcomb said.
Once the vehicle was stopped, Smallcomb said the deputies were able to substantiate that the Bobcat tractor/loader was indeed one of the implements stolen from the Chico area.
The suspect driver, who was identified as Day, was subsequently arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail for possession of stolen property. Smallcomb said Day's bail was set at $15,000.
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The burglaries in Chico's Bidwell Park – the third largest municipal park in the state – began June 22 and are continuing, according to Sgt. Rob Merrifield of the Chico Police Department.
Merrifield reported that over the past four weeks seven vehicle burglaries were reported.
In each case, the thieves broke windows and removed purses and small electronics such as iPods, he said.
The locations varied but most occurred in remote parking lots such as Browns Hole, Horseshoe Lake and the Easter Cross. Merrifield said at least one burglary took place at One Mile.
He warned that leaving valuables in vehicle when using the park is an invitation to theft. Thieves
target these parking lots because they know that park users frequently leave purses, electronics and wallets in the vehicle while they run or hike in the park.
Leaving the purse or wallet under the seat is no defense, Merrifield added.
Police also are reminding the public to report suspicious activity in the park. Merrifield said to be alert for people watching the parking lots and take note of any vehicles that appear to be casing the area, and to report thefts to authorities immediately.
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The first, a 4.0-magnitude temblor, was centered one mile north of The Geysers and was recorded just after 8:30 a.m., as Lake County News reported midday Thursday.
The second, measuring 3.8, was reported at 4:54 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
Its epicenter was one mile north northwest of The Geysers, five miles west southwest of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, at a depth of 1.3 miles, the survey reported.
Cobb resident Roger Kinney, who shares earthquake reports with Lake County News, said he and his wife both felt the quake and saw the water in their swimming pool undulating as a result.
By 11 p.m. Thursday the US Geological Survey had received 12 shake reports from eight zip codes, including Kelseyville, Calistoga, Sebastopol, Cloverdale, San Pablo, Oakland, Port Costa and Creston, a small town located in San Luis Obispo County, approximately 424 miles away from the quake's epicenter.
So far this month there have been five earthquakes measuring 3.0 in magnitude or above, based on US Geological Survey records.
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