News

In response to a request from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, a team of 10 Israeli firefighters has deployed to California to assist in battling some of the largest wildfires in the state's history.

Though other countries have supported California – including Australia and New Zealand on the Mendocino Complex fire in 2018 – this is the first time Israelis have been assigned to fight fires in the United States. The deployment is expected for two weeks.

The Israeli crews arrived in Sacramento over the weekend and will be assigned to wildfires burning throughout Northern California.

The SCU Lightning Complex, the second-largest wildfire in state history, has consumed 391,150 acres and is 72-percent contained, while the LNU Lightning Complex, the third-largest, has burned 375,209 acres and is 74-percent contained.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Public Health officer on Tuesday evening reported the county’s fifth death related to COVID-19, which is part of a cluster of cases that also resulted in a death late last week.

Dr. Gary Pace said his agency received confirmation of the fifth death of an individual with “a COVID-19-related illness” on Tuesday.

“This was the second individual to pass away as a result of a cluster of cases in a local residential facility,” said Pace. “Again, the individual was greater than 65 years old and had chronic medical issues. They had tested positive for COVID-19 last week, and passed away early this morning.”

The county’s fourth COVID-19 death, which occurred on Friday, was in the same residential facility, the county confirmed. However, officials have not disclosed the name of the facility where the outbreak has occurred.

Pace said they are not giving out any additional information to protect the privacy of the person and their family.

He said it has been a trying time for those connected to the residential care facility.

“The public can be reassured staff at the residential care facility are appropriately responding by testing, isolating and quarantining residents and employees, alike, using established protocols,” Pace said.

Pace said the Lake County Public Health Division and the California Department of Public Health continue to provide consultation and every available measure is being taken to limit the probability of spread.

As of Tuesday, Lake County Public Health has reported 346 COVID-19 cases, of which 35 remain active and monitored by health officials and 306 are recovered. Two currently are hospitalized.

“This second tragic death reported in a period of four days again reinforces the need for all Lake County residents to take precautions,” Pace said. “COVID-19 cases do not spontaneously arise in residential care facilities. They are transmitted by people that provide care and services; people that may not have even been aware they had COVID-19. Cases in residential facilities have shaken communities around the United States. We must be vigilant and slow the spread.”

Pace told the Board of Supervisors during its Tuesday meeting that this is a critical time for the Lake County community.

“If we take precautions, we can slow transmission of the virus, protect the vulnerable and allow local businesses to expand services,” Pace said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

This story is being updated on an ongoing basis.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters are at the scene of a wildland fire burning along Highway 20 just east of Clearlake Oaks, with the incident prompting evacuations in the area.

The fire was first dispatched just before 4 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 20 at Catholic Church Road.

The first unit on scene reported that the fire was burning on both sides of the road and running at a high rate of speed up the hill into timber. Wind is reported to be hitting the fire.

Incident command called for the evacuation of Morine Ranch Road just before 4:15 p.m.

Minutes later, incident command asked for Highway 20 to be closed at Sulphur Bank Road and at the Highway 53 intersection.

Dozers are being brought in off of Morine Ranch Road and through the nearby Clearlake Lava quarry, with a task force also responding.

Cal Fire, Lake County Fire and Northshore Fire are being joined by units from the LNU Lightning Complex, with Cal Fire Copter 901 and air attack also on scene, based on radio resources.

Air attack reported that it cannot see long-range spotting on the fire.

Just before 4:30 p.m., incident command asked for law enforcement to be expedited, as they need to evacuate the Highway 20 corridor from Clearlake Lave down to Sulphur Bank Road. A lot of vehicle traffic is building up in that area.

Incident command estimated the fire to be between 10 and 15 acres just after 4:30 p.m.

Radio traffic indicated the helicopter is conducting water drops on the fire.

Just before 6:15 p.m., the sheriff's office reported evacuations were lifted for Morine Ranch Road.

As of 7:10 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said Highway 20 was open to one-way traffic between Sulphur Bank Road and Highway 53.

Additional information will be published as it becomes available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – US Forest Service officials on Tuesday afternoon released new information about the death of a firefighter that occurred on the August Complex on the Mendocino National Forest.

Forest officials said three firefighters were involved in a vehicle crash on the Tatham fire within the complex on Monday.

One firefighter died, a second was receiving attention for burns to their hand and arm, while the third firefighter involved received no injuries, forest officials reported.

"This was a tragic incident and our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the fallen firefighter," said Acting Forest Supervisor Sandra Moore. "Right now we are committed to providing support to those involved, while safely continuing firefighting operations.”

Forest Service officials, Federal Southern Area Blue Team Incident Management and Cal Fire Incident Management Team 4 are working to support the families, who have been notified, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol is currently leading the investigation. Forest Service officials said more details will be made available as they are confirmed.

The August Complex, burning since Aug. 17 and caused by thunderstorms, has burned 242,941 acres and is 20-percent contained, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

The Tatham fire, the portion of the complex where the firefighter’s death occurred, is 15,594 acres and burning in southwest Tehama County.

Approximately 690 personnel are assigned to the complex, the Forest Service said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – One firefighter has died and another was injured while working on the August Complex in the Mendocino National Forest.

Late Monday night, the US Forest Service confirmed the death of the firefighter in an incident that occurred earlier in the day.

A second firefighter is receiving medical attention, the Forest Service said.

Additional details – including information about where on the forest the incident had occurred – were not immediately available, according to Forest Service spokesman Michael R. Williams.

“We are still gathering details and will release additional information as it becomes available,” Williams told Lake County News.

The complex, burning since Aug. 17 in remote portions of the forest, grew to 236,288 acres on Monday afternoon, with containment at 20 percent.

The largest fires in the complex, primarily on the Grindstone Ranger District portion of the forest, include the Doe, 177,536 acres, 59 percent contained; the Glade, 25,358 acres, 0 percent contained; and the Tatham, 14,457 acres, 9 percent contained, the Forest Service reported.

On the Upper Lake Ranger District, the Hull fire north of Lake Pillsbury was at 11,109 acres and 10 percent contained on Monday, the Forest Service reported. Over the weekend officials said the Hull and the Doe actually burned together in the area of Rattlesnake Creek.

More than 670 firefighters were assigned to the incident on Monday, with officials reporting that 200 military personnel also are due to arrive this week to assist the firefighting effort.

Forest officials had reported over the weekend that crews are working in very rugged and steep terrain, some of it too difficult for even hotshot teams to get into safety.

Just two years ago, the Ranch fire portion of the 459,123-acre Mendocino Complex left a large fire scar in the Mendocino National Forest.

Katy Hooper, a spokesperson for the August Complex’s management team, said crews are working in the area of the old Ranch fire scar, using established fire line and fuel breaks to slow the August Complex.

Like the August Complex, the Ranch fire resulted in the death of a firefighter. Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett of the Draper City Fire Department in Utah died Aug. 13, 2018, when he was hit by a falling tree.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Clearlake man has been sentenced to state prison for setting a June fire that occurred east of Clearlake Oaks.

On Monday, Judge J. David Markham sentenced Jose Feliciano Medina Jimenez, 27, to four years in state prison for felony violations of arson of forest land and resisting executive officers by means of threat or violence, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

At the same time, Hinchcliff said Judge Markham ordered Jimenez to register as an arson offender for the rest of his life.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Mule Skinner Road and Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks on June 20 in response to a vegetation fire, as Lake County News has reported.

Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew McCabe arrived and contacted Jimenez standing in the middle of Highway 20 waving his arms, according to investigative reports by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire.

When McCabe attempted to speak to Jimenez, Jimenez removed a large knife from his pocket. Jimenez ignored numerous commands to drop the knife and walked toward McCabe twice with the knife in his hand, the investigative reports said.

After about 10 minutes McCabe was able to get Jimenez to get rid of the knife and was able to handcuff Jimenez. When McCabe tried to place him in his patrol vehicle Jimenez began violently thrashing around, based on the reports.

Jimenez was placed in the vehicle with the assistance of other deputies arriving on the scene. One officer suffered a laceration to his knee, authorities reported.

While in the patrol vehicle, authorities said Jimenez attempted to kick the door open. When deputies opened the door Jimenez jumped out of the vehicle toward the deputies and violently resisted the deputies. The deputies were able to restrain Jimenez with a leg restraint and end his resistance and combativeness.

The reports said a Bic lighter was located in Jimenez’s pocket and he was determined to be under the influence of methamphetamine.

Deputy Antonio Castellanos and Cal Fire arson investigator Gary Uboldi interviewed Jimenez. The reports said Jimenez admitted starting the fire, claiming he became paranoid from the methamphetamine and believed people were spying on him and were going to hurt him.

Jimenez admitted to starting the fire in an effort to get the people to leave. He also admitted to starting the fire in an area with plywood and tires near a tree where it was dry and would be conducive to starting a fire, officials said.

Jimenez also admitted that at the time all of this occurred he had been working cultivating and tending marijuana plants on the property. The sheriff’s reports said deputies eradicated 352 marijuana plants from the property.

Cal Fire investigators Gary Uboldi and Brandon Bertolino conducted the origin and cause investigation for the fire, which fire officials said burned six acres and was quickly suppressed by Cal Fire using multiple engines and aircraft.

Cal Fire prevented the fire from possibly burning hundreds or thousands of acres and numerous structures due to the dry conditions and rural, brushy and steep terrain in the area, Hinchcliff said.

Hinchcliff said Jimenez’s prior criminal history included a conviction in 2017 for driving under the influence causing injury and two federal convictions in 2014 and 2018 for illegal entry into the United States.

Hinchcliff, who handles most of the fire-related prosecutions for Lake County including this case, charged Jimenez with arson, resisting officers and marijuana cultivation. Thomas Feimer was appointed as a public defender to represent Jimenez.

On Aug. 4, pursuant to a plea agreement negotiated with the District Attorney’s Office, Jimenez pleaded no contest to felony arson of forest land and felony resisting officers, with an agreed-upon potential sentence of up to four years state prison, Hinchcliff said.

At the Tuesday sentencing, in addition to sentencing Jimenez to four years in prison and ordering him to register as an arson offender, Hinchcliff said Judge Markham also ordered him to pay $1,200 in restitution.

Hinchcliff said restitution also was reserved for Cal Fire.