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The collision, which Lake County News reported on Saturday, took place at 1:35 a.m. that same day, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia.
Justin Rodella, 26, of Middletown was driving his 1997 Jeep Wrangler northbound on Highway 175 south of Wildcat Road when he struck a deer in the road and swerved to the right, according to Garcia.
Rodella's Jeep then went up an embankment, struck a tree and traveled left, going back into the roadway, Garcia said.
When the Jeep reentered the road Garcia said it was struck by a 1985 Dodge Ram SUV driven by Timothy Tillman, 30, of Cobb.
The collision caused the Jeep to roll over; Garcia said it came to rest on its right side in the southbound lane.
Garcia said Rodella sustained major non-life threatening injuries. He was flown by REACH helicopter to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, which later released him.
Rodella was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, said Garcia.
Garcia said Officer Steve Tanguay is investigating the collision.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported Monday evening that 14 large fires have burned nearly 270,000 acres across Southern California. In San Diego County alone more than 168,000 acres have burned.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office reported that 250,000 people have been evacuated from Southern California communities.
Lakeport Fire Protection District Chief Ken Wells said firefighters from four Lake County agencies and one department in Mendocino County left early Monday morning as part of a five-engine strike team.
They met at the intersection of Highway 53 and 20 to travel to Interstate 5 and down to Southern California, said Wells. He received a call from them at 10 a.m. while they stopped along the way.
Wells said Lake County resources heading south include four engines – one each from Lakeport Fire Protection District, Northshore Fire Protection District, Lake County Fire Protection District and South County Fire Protection District – with each engine accompanied by three firefighters.
In addition, Lakeport Fire Protection District sent a strike team leader and an assistant strike team leader was supplied by Northshore Fire Protection District, said Wells.
The fifth engine with three more firefighters came from Anderson Valley, said Wells.
Wells said local firefighters were first alerted that they might be needed early Sunday afternoon by Mark Reina of Cal Fire, who is involved with coordinating firefighter response for the local Office of Emergency Services.
Local fire agencies have a mutual aid policy, said Wells, and earlier this summer responded to the Lick Fire in Morgan Hill.
On Sunday night, Reina let local agencies know that they would, indeed, be needed, Wells said.
“We don't really know the commitment time when they call us,” said Wells, adding that Lake County's firefighters will remain in Southern California “as long as they need us.”
He added that, with the fires burning now in Southern California, “it's probably going to be a longtime commitment.”
In addition to Lake County firefighters, Fire Captain Justin Benguerel of Cal Fire said Monday that firefighters from the agency's Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit were activated Sunday and began leaving that same afternoon.
The Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit sent 20 “overhead” positions – or personnel who help runs firefighting teams – Benguerel said.
In addition, Benguerel said the unit sent two engine strike teams totaling 10 engines, 30 firefighters and one leader; three crew strike teams totaling 54 people; and one bulldozer strike team, which included two bulldozers and five personnel.
Benguerel said the unit was putting together another engine strike team Monday morning.
Cal Fire's local unit often sends strike teams to fires around the state, said Benguerel. But the recent mobilization is significant, he said.
“We haven't seen this type of mobilization on this type of scale since 2003,” said Benguerel, when the unit sent aid to the 280,278-acre Cedar Fire in San Diego County.
State sends resources to assist
On Monday, Gov. Schwarzenegger directed the California National Guard to make 1,500 guardsmen – including 200 troops currently patrolling the California/Mexico border – available to support the firefighting efforts. Schwarzenegger also quested four National Guard helicopters through the Office of Emergency Services.
Also at Schwarzenegger's direction, by Monday more than 2,300 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmates and more than 170 custody staff had joined city and county fire departments and state agencies as part of a major coordinated effort to battle the widespread wildfires in Southern California. Additional crews are being mobilized.
In order to make more resources available for the firefighting effort, on Sunday night Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Officer Adam Garcia of the California Highway Patrol reported that the accident occurred at 6:40 p.m. on Sunday along High Valley Road, 1.4 miles past the end of the pavement in the area north of Clearlake Oaks.
Justin Watkins, 23, of Clearlake was at the wheel when he began having problems with his vehicle's transmission, Garcia reported.
The vehicle's engine was shut off as Watkins drove downhill, said Garcia. Watkins went around a corner too fast, and experienced trouble with the steering and breaks.
As a result the vehicle went off the road's south edge and rolled over a few times before coming to
rest about 130 feet down the hill, said Garcia.
Watkins was uninjured, said Garcia. However, one of Watkins' passengers, 30-year-old Anthony Thomas of Clearlake, was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via REACH air ambulance with moderate to major injuries, according to Garcia.
The other passengers included 22-year-old Cheryl Harmen and 21-year-old Jessica Bal, both of Clearlake, who were both transported by Clearlake Oaks Fire Department ambulance to Redbud Community Hospital, each with minor to moderate injuries, Garcia reported.
Garcia said a third passenger, Keoni Barry, 30, of Clearlake sustained minor injuries but was not transported.
CHP Officer Mark Barnes is investigating the incident, Garcia said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The event was held Saturday at Buckingham.
Auction chair Marie Beery noted that "it was a beautiful event ... taken to another level this year with the participation of Narsai David and (auctioneer) Archie McLaren."
Wine Alliance member Wilda Shock reported Monday that more than 400 people attended the auction.
She said Wine Alliance Treasurer Rob Roumiguiere reported that the live auction's 34 lots brought $71,300, with 84 silent auction lots bringing an additional $14,500.
The single item bringing the highest bid in the live auction was Mike and Jan Thompson's "Pig Out at the Pump House" for $5,200, said Shock. A private tasting, tour and lunch at Ceago Vinegarden brought $3,600 and then was doubled for another group, netting $7,200.
The travel and wine packages in the live auction were geographically varied and included some special wine lots put together by master of ceremonies Narsai David which weren't included in the printed program, Shock added.
Event sponsors provided $65,500, said Shock, with ticket sales totaling more than $36,000.
Another large contribution, said Shock, came from the 21 wineries and 22 restaurants and food purveyors who donated all their goods and services. This year saw the largest number ever of winery and restaurants participants.
Seven Lake County wineries contributed to the Syrah Blend cuvee crafted by Jed Steele and Joy Merrilees at Steele Wines; five wineries donated to the Sauvignon Blanc cuvee, Shock said. These special blends were offered in one 9-liter bottle each in the live auction, and served at the tables of the major sponsors. A new feature this year was a bottle of donated Dusinberre champagne served to the tables of the high bidders for each live auction lot.
The event also included a special Congressional recognition of Gerald Ployez, who served as the Lake County Wine Alliance's first president when the nonprofit formed in 2000.
This year's Wine Auction beneficiaries include Sponsoring Survivorship, the Adult Day Care/Respite Day Care Centers, Habitat for Humanity of Lake County, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lake County, Lake County Community Radio/KPFZ, the fine arts programs at the five Lake County high schools, and the Meals on Wheels on programs at five senior centers.
Organizers report that more than $530,000 has been contributed to community groups in Lake County from the proceeds of the first six auctions. The auction chair is Marie Beery, assisted by Linda Byrd, co-chair, both of Kelseyville.
Estimated proceeds that will be donated to the selected beneficiaries will be between $85,000 and $90,000, Shock said, roughly equivalent to the funds raised in the two auctions. She said auction bidders are directly benefiting the organizations with their purchases, as sponsors and ticket sales primarily cover expenses of producing this major event, and those costs have increased every year.
Plans for next year's event are about to begin. The Wine Auction committee is meeting next week to start the review process and planning for the 2008 event, scheduled for Oct. 18.
Information about sponsorships and donations may be obtained from the Lake County Wine Alliance, P.O. Box 530, Kelseyville 95451; phone 866-279-WINE.
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CHP and Clearlake Police held the checkpoint on Highway 53 north of Dam Road, between 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday, according to Officer Adam Garcia.
Garcia said officers screen 299 vehicles and gave 17 sobriety tests. They issued 21 citations and impounded seven vehicles.
CHP arrested four drivers for DUI, said Garcia, and made four other arrests, one for a warrant, two for possession of marijuana and one for public intoxication.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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“The significant rain we have had thus far, and the forecast of additional precipitation, will allow the unit to transition from fire season into a winter readiness mode,” Unit Chief Ernie Loveless said in a written statement.
Fire Prevention Specialist Suzie Blankenship told Lake County News that Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit has 225 personnel and 400 seasonal firefighters across 21 stations, two conservation camps and two bases for air operations. The unit covers 2,102,000 acres in the State Responsibility Areas in all of Lake, Napa and Sonoma, and parts of Colusa, Solano and Yolo counties.
In Lake County alone Cal Fire covers 390,000 acres, Blankenship said, and has three unit stations.
Cal Fire reported that the end of fire season in the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit coincides with the closing of the fire season in the neighboring Santa Clara Unit, which includes Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, and the areas of Stanislaus and San Joaquin west of I-5.
With the end of fire season, Cal Fire is releasing seasonal firefighters, downstaffing some fire stations and ending contracts for fixed wing aircraft such as air tankers. Loveless said the reduction in staffing and resources “is indicative of a major reduction in the wildland fire danger.”
However, Loveless said area residents need to remember that even with the rains, a period of dry windy conditions could dry fuels to the point where wildland fires are possible. As a result, Loveless said Cal Fire is prepared to quickly “ramp up” if conditions dictate.
Cal Fire reported that the end of fire season also lifts the suspension on burning permits in State Responsibility Areas. State law requires those burning in State Responsibility Areas to have a permit from Cal Fire from May 1 until the end of declared fire season.
To conduct controlled burns, individuals must meet all fire and air pollution permit requirements, according to Cal Fire, who urged the public to contact their local fire agency and air quality district for requirements.
The burn ban in the county at large is up to the Lake County Air Quality Management District, said Blankenship.
On Friday Bob Reynolds of the Lake County Air Quality Management District reported that the burn ban was lifted. All burns in the Lake County Air Basin require burn permits, Reynolds said.
A busy fire season
“Lake County had a lot of fires,” Blankenship said of the 2007 fire season.
However, none were overly large, she added.
The largest was a 128-acre fire near Robinson Rancheria that broke out July 28, said Blankenship. Investigators eventually concluded that the fire was caused by children playing with matches.
The season's second-largest fire, said Blankenship, was a 100-acre fire near that broke out July 16 near the Noble Ranch subdivision off of Spruce Grove Road.
That fire ignited when a plastic tarp flew into power lines, which shorted the lines, causing one of them to break, according to a report from Cal Fire Battalion Chief Eric Hoffman. That broken power line then hit the ground, igniting the fire.
Blankenship said 60 percent of all human-caused fires during fire season are caused by equipment, particularly use of mowers in the heat of the day after the relative humidity drops.
As we head into the cooler months, Blankenship said Cal Fire is encouraging county residents to clear the required 100 feet of defensive space around their homes, which will help protect them during the fire season.
Cal Fire reported that the closing of fire season doesn't end the agency's fire protection responsibilities.
Cal Fire provides year round emergency response as the fire department for Napa County, the Town of Yountville, the South Lake Fire Protection District and The Sea Ranch. Additional response is also provided by contract to the Cloverdale Fire Protection District and to Sonoma County in both the western and southern portions of the county.
In addition, Cal Fire also provides personnel and incident management expertise for emergencies statewide, including earthquakes and floods.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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