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The Oasis Fire, which broke out on Monday, has burned 1,400 acres on Bureau of Land Management land in the Cache Creek Wilderness Area and in the Northshore Fire Protection District. It's located south of Highway 20 and six miles west of Highway 16.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Cal Fire report suppression costs to date have totaled $2.4 million.
Late Thursday the fire was reported to be 80-percent contained. Cal Fire officials said containment efforts, along with and mop up and patrol of the fire, are continuing.
Air tankers and helicopters, as well as bulldozers, have played a major role in the fire suppression effort this week, as road access to the fire area was limited, according to reports from the scene.
On Thursday evening, reports indicated that the remaining aircraft that were being used to fight the fire would be released on Friday morning.
Resources from Cal Fire, Northshore Fire, Williams Fire Department, BLM and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation totaled 1,114 firefighters – of which 1,059 were with Cal Fire – and 40 engines, 43 fire crews, eight helicopters, 15 bulldozers and 14 water tenders.
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Clouds overnight Wednesday helped to mitigate overnight lows. Daytime temperatures rose higher on Thursday, and will continue throughout the day Friday, the National Weather Service in Sacramento (NWS) predicted.
The NWS has issued both a hazardous weather outlook and a special weather statement for Lake County Friday, with high temperatures close to the century mark.
A strong ridge of high pressure, which is resulting in higher-than-average temperatures, will reach a crescendo today with highs in the upper-90s to near 100 degrees, according to the NWS.
Temperatures in the Central Valley and Sierra Foothills may break records for this date later Friday, the NWS predicted.
Relief from the daytime temperatures should come as the high pressure system moves out on Saturday and temperatures return closer to average, the NWS stated, with highs in the mid-80s.
By Sunday, decreasing daytime temperatures will continue, with The Weather Channel forecasting a chance of rain.
Overnight temperatures will only drop down to the 60s Friday and tomorrow, with lows reaching near 50 by Sunday morning according to the NWS.
High daytime temperatures on Sunday will be much lower, only reaching in to the mid-70s according to the NWS.
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At 6 p.m. Wednesday divers recovered the body of a young man who had been reported missing two and a half hours earlier by the lake's south boat ramp, according to a Thursday report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Just after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday deputies responded to a call regarding a possible missing person, Smallcomb said.
Arriving at the scene, they learned that several persons were recreational swimming in the area just south of Lake Mendocino south boat ramp when one of their friends was seen struggling in the water, and then disappeared from sight. Smallcomb said the friends made several immediate attempts to locate the missing swimmer with negative results.
The Sheriff's Office Volunteer Search and Rescue Dive Team was called to the scene, Smallcomb said. Several members of the dive team's black water unit arrived within and hour and began to search.
At approximately 6 p.m. divers located the missing male in about 15 feet of water in the area where he was last seen swimming with friends, according to Smallcomb's report.
Foul play isn't believed to be involved, and drugs and alcohol do not seem to have contributed to the drowning, Smallcomb said.
Next of kin contact was pending on Thursday, said Smallcomb. Also on Thursday, an autopsy was scheduled.
NORTHSHORE – The Northshore's stretch of Highway 20 saw two serious crashes on Wednesday afternoon.
The crashes occurred near Nice and Upper Lake, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The first crash occurred around 1:45 p.m. near Ceago Vinegarden, outside of Nice and west of Lucerne.
Two vehicles were involved – an older model silver Ford Ranger and a green Ford Taurus. Reports from the scene explained that the pickup had put on its brakes quickly and the Taurus hit the back of it.
The highway's westbound lane was closed for about 45 minutes as Northshore Fire personnel and CHP responded to the scene.
Major injuries resulted, with a helicopter landing nearby to transport the injured. But CHP and Northshore officials were unavailable to give further detail late Wednesday, in part because they were shortly on their way to another crash scene.
The second crash occurred shortly before 4:45 p.m. near Upper Lake. Reports indicated a vehicle pulled out in front of a Dodge pickup towing a travel trailer.
A helicopter was once again summoned to transported injured from the crash.
Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins had to have players leave the soccer field at the nearby county park so the helicopter could land.
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CACHE CREEK WILDERNESS – By day's end on Wednesday a fire on Bureau of Management Land in the Cache Creek Wilderness Area had burned an estimated 1,400 acres.
The Oasis Fire moved into its second full day on Wednesday, with approximately 1,114 firefighters – 1,059 of them with Cal Fire – on the ground trying to knock the fire out.
The fire, which broke out Monday evening, is located south of Highway 20 and six miles west of Highway 16.
It's located both in Lake and Colusa counties, burning on federal land and in the Northshore Fire Protection District, according to Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown.
The Oasis Fire reached 55-percent containment Wednesday, with 75-percent containment reported Thursday morning. Cal Fire said it's expected to be fully contained on Friday.
The cause is still under investigation, officials reported.
Three injuries have been reported so far, according to Cal Fire.
Since it began the fire, which is burning in oak and brush on steep terrain, has jumped fire lines and even Cache Creek itself. On Wednesday afternoon, it jumped a retardant line.
Firefighters had to deal with hot, dry conditions on Wednesday, according to Nancy Carniglia of Cal Fire.
Road access to the area where the fire is burning is limited, so bulldozers, air tankers and helicopters have played an important in the fight.
Cal Fire reported that 15 bulldozers are being used to get access for ground crews, while several air tankers and eight helicopters continued water and retardant drops.
On Wednesday air tankers were being brought in from around Northern California, including McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento, according to reports from the fire scene.
Resources on scene Tuesday included 40 engines, 43 fire crews and 14 water tenders.
Brown, who is working with Cal Fire as an agency representative and medical unit leader, said Northshore Fire resources include one engine from Lucerne and a water tender from Clearlake Oaks, as well as a medic rig that is staffing the fire's base and another medic rig that is transporting injuries out of the Oaks station.
In addition to Northshore Fire and Cal Fire, cooperating agencies include Williams Fire Department, BLM, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and California Highway Patrol.
Costs to fight the fire have been estimated at $1.7 million so far, Cal Fire reported.
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The Oasis Fire, which started Monday evening south of Highway 20 and six miles west of Highway 16, was reported to have burned 1,350 acres by midday Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The cause is under investigation.
The fire currently is at 40-percent containment, with Cal Fire officials estimating full containment on Friday.
On Wednesday morning, six air tankers and five helicopters were making drops on the fire, said Nancy Carniglia with Cal Fire.
That air contingent was small compared to the nearly 1,100 firefighters on the ground, Carniglia said.
Moderate wind conditions weren't causing issues for firefighters on Wednesday, but Carniglia said weather conditions were expected to be hot and dry – with temperatures in the high 90s and low humidity.
Because there are no established roads in the fire area, bulldozers have played a big part in fighting the fire. In addition to building new fire lines, Cal Fire reported the dozers are reopening old dozer lines and improving them to allow vehicles access.
On scene Wednesday were 50 engines, 41 fire crews, five helicopters, 15 dozers and 13 water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
The costs for suppression to date are approximately $461,965, Cal Fire said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at