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With such a start to the season, officials believe 2008 could match or surpass 2007, which proved a record-breaking year for illegal marijuana eradications both in Lake County and across the state.
Lt. Dave Garzoli of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that the Sheriff’s Marijuana Eradication Program kicked off its annual effort to eradicate illegal marijuana grows on July 7. The program is funded through federal grants.
Garzoli said in the first three days of eradication approximately 53,472 marijuana plants were found and destroyed in areas around Highland Springs Reservoir, the Glen Eden Trail head and White Rock Mountain.
Estimated street value of the marijuana seized is more than $240 million, said Garzoli, a figure calculated at $4,500 per pound at a 1-pound-per-plant yield.
The multi-agency effort includes participation from the state's California’s Multi Jurisdictional Marijuana Eradication Task Force – known as the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP – the Lakeport Police Department, Lake County Narcotics Task Force and the California Department of Fish and Game.
During the eradications officials found at least one firearm left behind when growers fled the area and in other sites located ammunition and shell casings, according to Garzoli.
Officials made no arrests during last week's eradications, Garzoli said. During the operations, one law enforcement officer suffered a heat-related injury and was transported to the hospital.
Based on the first week of operations, Garzoli said 2008 appears to be shaping up much like 2007 in terms of illicit marijuana finds.
Last year, Lake County led the state with the highest number of plants eradicated in a single season – 507,000, a state record – as Lake County News has reported. Plants were seized on private lands but public lands – primarily the Mendocino National Forest – proved a primary discovery area.
Statewide, more than 2.9 million plants were seized with an overall value of $11.6 billion, the California Attorney General's Office reported.
Garzoli said virtually every illegal grow site discovered in Lake County last year had evidence that indicated that it was directed by Mexican organized crime. He said the sites almost always were inhabited by armed Hispanic growers and the environment surrounding these grow sites was devastated with trash, chemicals and plastic pipe.
The same conditions were discovered last week, he added.
Garzoli said the illicit grow sites discovered last week were located in extremely rugged terrain at elevations of 2,400 feet.
Because of the remoteness of the areas, Garzoli said efficient access to the grow sites was possible only
by helicopter via a Short Term Airborne Operation, or STABO.
He said STABO is a technique in which two officers at a time are lifted on the end of a 100-foot rope by a helicopter and flown to and lowered into the marijuana grow site.
Once all officers are deployed on the ground, Garzoli said a search of the grow site for suspects is
conducted. Once it's determined to be clear, they begin eradication, with the marijuana hauled out on the long line.
Once a garden is eradicated, the officers are then lifted to the next site, said Garzoli, continuing on until each illicit garden is destroyed.
The illegal grows on public lands haven't just been destructive to the environment, they've also posed safety hazards for the public and those working on public lands.
On the morning of July 10 firefighters battling the Soda Complex near Lake Pillsbury were patrolling the northern flank of the Mill Fire to identify areas where fire crews should put in containment lines, said Mendocino National Forest spokesperson Phebe Brown.
As they were traveling through the area, firefighters were confronted by two armed men who spoke to them in a threatening manner in a foreign language, she said.
Brown said the firefighters left the area and notified Forest Service law enforcement officials and the Lake County Sheriff's Office, who responded to the Lake Pillsbury area.
“Fire crews did not work that location for a day and a half until the area was secured by law enforcement for firefighter safety,” said Brown.
Brown said neither the growers nor their weapons were discovered; however, officials located and eradicated a small illegal marijuana garden – consisting of 47 plants – on National Forest land in the Sanhedrin Wilderness.
She said law enforcement officials have continued to patrol the area since then while firefighters are on the line.
Garzoli said the illicit marijuana eradications will continue for the rest of the summer.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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An Animal Care and Control dispatcher had told Lake County News last week that the discovery of dead and neglected chickens at a 30th Avenue residence had involved the discovery of numerous roosters outfitted with fighting spurs, or gaffs.
However, Animal Care and Control Officer Terrie Flynn said Monday that no fighting implements were found.
While the investigation is ongoing, Flynn said she does not believe it involved cockfighting.
She said during a welfare check at the residence she found 25 birds with no food or water, with some dead birds mixed in among them. Many of the birds also were injured, she said.
Flynn said she took the birds into protective custody.
“I have located the owner and I'm dealing with that person now,” she said.
The original story reporting the incorrect information has been removed from this site.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Forest Service spokesman Marc Peebles reported Monday that the Soda Complex was at 72-percent containment.
The fire complex has burned 7,567 acres in remote areas to the north and northwest of Lake Pillsbury. There are 326 firefighters assigned to the complex, which is being managed by Southern California Incident Management No. 3, based at Upper Lake High School.
The two fires continuing to burn in the complex are the Mill, at 1,978 acres and 55-percent containment, which is expected to be contained next Saturday, and the Monkey Rock Fire, which Peebles reported has burned 1,829 acres and is 92-percent contained, with full containment estimated for Wednesday.
Elsewhere on the forest, the Yolla Bolly Complex, which has been rolled into the Lime Complex, has grown to a total of 20,988 acres, Forest Service spokesperson Phebe Brown reported Monday. Overall percentage of containment wasn't clear Monday.
Fire restrictions went into effect on Monday across the entire Mendocino National Forest through the end of fire season, Brown reported. Restrictions include requiring spark-arresting devices on all vehicles and chain saws.
Campfires are limited to developed campgrounds, with a campfire permit required to have lanterns or portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel in other forest areas, officials reported.
Elsewhere on the North Coast, the Mendocino Lightning Complex remained at a standstill Monday, with Cal Fire reporting that containment was still at 85 percent, and burned acreage at 53,300. Total suppression costs are at $37.9 million.
As of Monday evening, all evacuation orders for Mendocino County were lifted, according to Cal Fire. Air quality is still in the unhealthy range in some parts of Mendocino County, although Ukiah's air quality is in the “good” range.
Lake County's air basin was looking better Monday, with blue skies appearing in parts of the county once more. Air Pollution Control Officer Bob Reynolds reported that air quality conditions are expected to move into the good to moderate range on Tuesday.
For more information about the forest fires visit Forest Service Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino or www.inciweb.org. For information about other fires around the state, visit www.cdf.ca.gov.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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CHP Officer Adam Garcia said a 31-year-old Willits man – whose name was not available Monday – was injured in the collision, which occurred at 1:35 p.m. Sunday, a quarter-mile south of Arroyo Vista and two miles north of Socrates Mine Road.
Garcia said the man was riding a motorcycle westbound on Highway 175 when he lost control on a sharp left curve and went down onto the asphalt. He then slid into the guardrail that borders the south side of the roadway.
The man sustained major injuries and was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Garcia said, adding he had no further information on the man's condition.
Garcia said CHP Officer Brian Engle is investigating the collision.
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UPPER LAKE – A new incident management team has taken over supervision of the Soda Complex, which officials have estimated could be contained in the coming week.
Southern California Incident Management No. 3 took over the fire's management on Saturday afternoon, said Forest Service spokesman Marc Peebles.
“We're still getting our arms around it,” he said.
The team is working from a headquarters camp at Upper Lake High School, Peebles said Sunday. There is also a remote camp at Soda Spike for firefighters.
The four-fire complex has burned 7,020 acres to date, Peebles said. It was sparked by a lightning storm that passed over Northern California on June 21.
Over the past weekend the two fires that are still burning – the Monkey Rock Fire and the Mill Fire – continued to grow, said Peebles, causing the containment estimates to roll back from 78 percent on Saturday to 64 percent on Sunday. Peebles said 330 firefighters remain assigned to the two remaining fires.
The Monkey Rock Fire, at 1,630 acres and 65-percent contained, is estimated for full containment on Monday, according to Peebles. The Mill Fire has burned 1,600 acres and is 40-percent contained. Peebles said the Mill Fire's estimated containment date is next Saturday.
“There's a lot of line to construct that they're working on it diligently,” Peebles said of efforts to contain the fires.
The fires are located on the forest's Upper Lake Ranger District, in remote lands to the north and northwest of Lake Pillsbury.
Conditions there are very hot, Peebles said. In addition, firefighters are dealing with steep, rugged terrain. “There's all sorts of hazards out there.”
The 1,600-acre Back Fire and the 2,190-acre Big Fire already have been contained, but patrols remain on the areas they burned in case of flareups, Peebles reported.
On Friday a firefighter was taken to emergency care, said Peebles.
“There was a firefight that they thought might have had a heart attack or heard condition,” he said.
However, it was later found out that the firefighter hadn't suffered a heart attack, and the person was treated and released, and is doing OK, Peebles said.
Peebles said the current incident command expects to finish out the fire, and said the headquarters will stay in place Upper Lake until the complex is wrapped up.
Pogie Point Campground at Lake Pillsbury remains closed and is being used as a sleeping area for firefighters, according to officials. They're also asking hunters to be especially careful of fire equipment moving through the forest, with archery season having begun over the weekend.
Peebles didn't have an updated cost estimate for suppression, which on Saturday had been placed at $6.8 million.
In other fire news around the region, the Mendocino Lightning Complex is expected to be contained on Wednesday. So far, it's burned 53,300 acres and is 85-percent contained, according to Cal Fire. Suppression efforts have cost more than $36.5 million, with 2,154 firefighters assigned to the complex.
While evacuations remain in effect in certain communities, an evacuation order was lifted Sunday morning for the community of Rockport.
Cal Fire reported Sunday that the lightning fires around the state have burned a total of 825,218 acres since June 20. There are still 288 active fires around the state, 16 of which are in Cal Fire jurisdiction.
In all, 21,447 fire personnel, 1,593 fire engines, 473 hand crews, 293 dozers, 406 water tenders and 126 helicopters remain committed to the fires, according to Cal Fire.
For more information about the forest fires visit Forest Service Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino or www.inciweb.org. For information about other fires around the state, visit www.cdf.ca.gov.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The California Highway Patrol reported that the crash took place at 1:41 p.m. on Highway 175, a quarter-mile south of Arroyo Vista and two miles north of Socrates Mine Road.
Cal Fire emergency personnel responded to the scene along with CHP.
The victim – whose name has so far not been released – was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of major, unspecified injuries.
No further information was available on the crash late Sunday night.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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