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SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The growth of the LNU Lightning Complex led to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office calling for a new round of evacuations in the south county on Wednesday night.
Cal Fire said the complex has so far burned 124,100 acres, with no containment. The complex’s 3,500-acre Morgan fire is burning inside Lake County.
Just before 9:45 p.m. Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s issued a new evacuation order for residents in a portion of southern Lake County.
The new evacuations do not include Middletown proper, officials said.
The evacuation order covers the following areas:
– The east side of Highway 29 north of the Lake/Napa County Line up to the southern intersection of Highway 29 and St. Helena Creek Road, across from the Twin Pine Casino.
– All of St. Helena Creek Road, to the intersection of Highway 29 and St. Helena Creek Road/Butts Canyon.
– South of Butts Canyon Road to the Lake/Napa county line.
All previous evacuation orders are still in effect.
Residents are advised that there is an immediate threat to life and property from the wildfire and are urged to evacuate.
Those in need of shelter please proceed to the Kelseyville High School located at 5480 Main Street.
Evacuees are directed to gather all family members, pets and essential items, including medications. Turn off all appliances and lights in your home and lock it before leaving.
Cal Fire said the complex has so far burned 124,100 acres, with no containment. The complex’s 3,500-acre Morgan fire is burning inside Lake County.
Just before 9:45 p.m. Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s issued a new evacuation order for residents in a portion of southern Lake County.
The new evacuations do not include Middletown proper, officials said.
The evacuation order covers the following areas:
– The east side of Highway 29 north of the Lake/Napa County Line up to the southern intersection of Highway 29 and St. Helena Creek Road, across from the Twin Pine Casino.
– All of St. Helena Creek Road, to the intersection of Highway 29 and St. Helena Creek Road/Butts Canyon.
– South of Butts Canyon Road to the Lake/Napa county line.
All previous evacuation orders are still in effect.
Residents are advised that there is an immediate threat to life and property from the wildfire and are urged to evacuate.
Those in need of shelter please proceed to the Kelseyville High School located at 5480 Main Street.
Evacuees are directed to gather all family members, pets and essential items, including medications. Turn off all appliances and lights in your home and lock it before leaving.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday the LNU Lightning Complex nearly tripled in size, continuing to burn across Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties, threatening homes and prompting evacuations, while other fires across the region also continued to grow.
Cal Fire said the complex reached 124,100 acres on Wednesday evening, with no containment.
It is threatening 25,000 structures. Cal Fire said the complex has so far destroyed 105 structures and damaged 70 others.
The portion of the complex impacting Lake County is the Morgan fire, at 3,500 acres and zero-percent containment on Wednesday night.
That fire had burned to the Lake-Napa County line by Tuesday afternoon, prompting an initial round of evacuations in the county’s southeast corner. By Wednesday morning it was confirmed to be well within Lake County’s boundaries.
Later on Wednesday, more evacuations were called for Hidden Valley Lake and the Jerusalem Valley area. Reports from the scene stated that authorities closed southbound Highway 29 in order to allow both lanes of the highway to be driven north by evacuees.
Deputies and firefighters spent hours going house to house, notifying residents of the need to evacuate, according to radio traffic.
Sheriff Brian Martin reported that firefighting resources are in short supply. On Wednesday night, assigned personnel totaled 587 – a fraction what other large incidents have had assigned over the course of recent years – with 71 engines, 27 water tenders, six helicopters, nine hand crews and 28 dozers.
Because of so many fires around the state, Cal Fire said its resources have been stretched thin.
Adding to the difficulties for firefighters, the National Weather Service has placed much of Northern California – including Lake County – under a red flag warning until Thursday morning due to weather and fire conditions.
The complex and some other major fires locally and around the region have been attributed to what Cal Fire officials on Wednesday morning called a “historic lightning siege” that had occurred during the previous 72 hours.
Cal Fire said 10,849 lightning strikes across the state during that time frame caused more than 367 new fires, with 6,900 firefighting personnel assigned to those incidents.
With firefighter resources depleted, Cal Fire said the state of California is asking for 375 additional engines and more hand crews from out of state.
Fires burning in Glenn, Mendocino counties
Elsewhere around the region, in Glenn County, the August Complex of 35 lightning-caused fires in the Mendocino National Forest had ballooned overnight from 3,000 to 30,000 acres, as Lake County News has reported.
By Wednesday evening, the fire had more than doubled to 65,030 acres, the US Forest Service reported.
New fires were reported in Glenn County on Wednesday, including the Ivory fire near Elk Creek, which by early afternoon had burned 400 acres with no containment, and the 4-8 fire west of Willows, which was 90-percent contained at 250 acres. The causes of these fires are under investigation.
In Mendocino County, the Creek fire – located four miles northeast of Covelo – has burned 800 acres with 60-percent containment as of Wednesday evening, with two outbuildings destroyed and eight other structures threatened, according to Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit.
Cal Fire said firefighters worked overnight and stopped the Creek fire’s progress, with evacuation orders lifted earlier Wednesday but evacuation warnings remaining in place.
Also in Mendocino County, the 3-19 incident east of Potter Valley remained at 62 acres on Wednesday evening, with containment up to 50 percent. Cal Fire said forward progress on that incident also has been stopped.
In Redwood Valley, Cal Fire said forward progress had been stopped on the 12-acre Red fire, with 20 percent containment.
The causes of the fires in Mendocino County are reported to be under investigation and in reports from Cal Fire haven’t been specifically linked to lightning.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer reported on Wednesday that the county has had its third COVID-19-related death.
Dr. Gary Pace said the individual died on Wednesday.
“This person was younger than 65, and recently entered the hospital with symptoms consistent with COVID-19,” Pace said.
“We send our deepest condolences to all of those connected to this individual. To protect the privacy of this person and their family, we will not be giving out any further information at this time,” Pace said.
Lake County’s two previous deaths related to COVID-19 were announced on July 3 and Aug. 5, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace explained in a previous interview that the presumed cause of death is determined by the individual’s attending doctor, not Public Health, and that people aren’t identified as having COVID-19 without a positive test.
He said the cause of death is usually decided based on a number of factors, including underlying conditions, symptom progression and recent test results, with autopsies typically not required if the illness follows an expected course.
Lake County’s total COVID-19 caseload on Wednesday had risen to 281 cases, of which 21 are active, none are hospitalized and 257 are recovered, according to the Public Health COVID-19 dashboard.
Statewide, county Public Health departments on Wednesday reported more than 641,000 COVID-19 cases and 11,500 deaths.
The announcement of Lake County’s third COVID-19 death followed by a day the Board of Supervisors’ action to approve a second reading of an ordinance to enforce COVID-19 Public Health orders that require masking and social distancing. It will go into effect 30 days from the approval.
Pace said the latest death “is another tragic reminder that all Lake County residents must take precautions that can slow the spread of this virus.”
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Dr. Gary Pace said the individual died on Wednesday.
“This person was younger than 65, and recently entered the hospital with symptoms consistent with COVID-19,” Pace said.
“We send our deepest condolences to all of those connected to this individual. To protect the privacy of this person and their family, we will not be giving out any further information at this time,” Pace said.
Lake County’s two previous deaths related to COVID-19 were announced on July 3 and Aug. 5, as Lake County News has reported.
Pace explained in a previous interview that the presumed cause of death is determined by the individual’s attending doctor, not Public Health, and that people aren’t identified as having COVID-19 without a positive test.
He said the cause of death is usually decided based on a number of factors, including underlying conditions, symptom progression and recent test results, with autopsies typically not required if the illness follows an expected course.
Lake County’s total COVID-19 caseload on Wednesday had risen to 281 cases, of which 21 are active, none are hospitalized and 257 are recovered, according to the Public Health COVID-19 dashboard.
Statewide, county Public Health departments on Wednesday reported more than 641,000 COVID-19 cases and 11,500 deaths.
The announcement of Lake County’s third COVID-19 death followed by a day the Board of Supervisors’ action to approve a second reading of an ordinance to enforce COVID-19 Public Health orders that require masking and social distancing. It will go into effect 30 days from the approval.
Pace said the latest death “is another tragic reminder that all Lake County residents must take precautions that can slow the spread of this virus.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Overnight, the August Complex of lightning fires on the Mendocino National Forest grew dramatically in size, fanned by winds and low humidity.
The fires began on Sunday morning on the Glenn County side of the forest in the wake of thunderstorms that passed over the region.
Forest officials said the complex is made up of 35 fires caused by the storms.
On Tuesday night, the fires had been reported at a total of 3,000 acres burned.
By Wednesday morning, officials said the fires and grown to 30,000 acres due to low humidity and wind gusts of 25 miles per hour.
Officials said structures and power lines are threatened in the community of Elk Creek.
The fire led to evacuation orders for the communities of Chrome, Burrows Gap, Elk Creek, Red Mountain and the area of the Mendocino National Forest along forest Highway 7 in western Glenn County.
On Wednesday afternoon, authorities expanded the evacuation order to all areas west of County Road 306, with the order extending the full length of Glenn County from the Tehama County line in the north to Colusa County line in the south, and all areas west to the Mendocino County line.
Grindstone Rancheria has been placed under an evacuation warning, as has the area of Newville from County Road 306 along County Road 200 to Black Butte Lake, the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Authorities have set up a temporary evacuation site staffed by Glenn County Health & Human Services Agency and the American Red Cross at the Willows Memorial Hall, 525 W. Sycamore St., with an animal shelter open at the Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E Yolo St. in Orland.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As a complex of lightning-caused fires continues to rapidly grow, residents in a portion of southern Lake County on Wednesday afternoon were ordered to immediately evacuate.
Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living in and around Hidden Valley Lake and Jerusalem Valley areas of Lake County due to the approach of the LNU Lightning Complex, which has burned more than 46,000 acres in five counties.
Those under evacuation order are residents living north of Butts Canyon Road, south of Hofacker Lane to Morgan Valley Road, east of Highway 29 and west of the Lake/Napa County line.
Sheriff Brian Martin said resources are stretched thin, there is significant wind in the area, and the decision was made to issue the order after consulting with Cal Fire and the Incident Management Team.
He said shortly after 2 p.m. that evacuation sirens were to be activated in Hidden Valley Lake.
Martin urged people not to panic or rush, and that they had adequate time to evacuate if they started preparing to leave immediately.
Those in need of shelter are asked to proceed to a temporary evacuation point that has been set up at the former Pearce Field airport off of Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Martin said the ability to shelter people will be very limited, so he urged evacuees to use other sheltering options if available.
Evacuees are asked to stay in their vehicles and wear masks when they arrive at the temporary evacuation point. A shelter is being established and they will be directed to the shelter by temporary evacuation point staff.
Authorities urged residents in the evacuation area to immediately gather all family members, pets and essential times including medications, turn off appliances and lights, and lock homes when leaving.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living in and around Hidden Valley Lake and Jerusalem Valley areas of Lake County due to the approach of the LNU Lightning Complex, which has burned more than 46,000 acres in five counties.
Those under evacuation order are residents living north of Butts Canyon Road, south of Hofacker Lane to Morgan Valley Road, east of Highway 29 and west of the Lake/Napa County line.
Sheriff Brian Martin said resources are stretched thin, there is significant wind in the area, and the decision was made to issue the order after consulting with Cal Fire and the Incident Management Team.
He said shortly after 2 p.m. that evacuation sirens were to be activated in Hidden Valley Lake.
Martin urged people not to panic or rush, and that they had adequate time to evacuate if they started preparing to leave immediately.
Those in need of shelter are asked to proceed to a temporary evacuation point that has been set up at the former Pearce Field airport off of Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Martin said the ability to shelter people will be very limited, so he urged evacuees to use other sheltering options if available.
Evacuees are asked to stay in their vehicles and wear masks when they arrive at the temporary evacuation point. A shelter is being established and they will be directed to the shelter by temporary evacuation point staff.
Authorities urged residents in the evacuation area to immediately gather all family members, pets and essential times including medications, turn off appliances and lights, and lock homes when leaving.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County was ringed by wildland fires on Tuesday as firefighters in neighboring Glenn, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties continued efforts to contain new and ongoing incidents, one of which led to a call for evacuations in a remote portion of southern Lake County.
Since early Monday morning, local and state firefighters in Napa County have been fighting the LNU Lightning Complex, which is composed of more than 60 fires, some less than an acre.
However, the size of the complex’s largest fires ballooned on Tuesday, reaching 32,025 acres by nightfall and threatening 1,900 structures, according to a Cal Fire report.
The complex’s biggest fires in Napa County include the 10,000-acre Hennessey fire on Hennessey Ridge Road and Chiles Pope Valley Road, east of St. Helena, which has burned one structure and two outbuildings; the 10,000-acre Gamble on Berryessa Knoxville Road, west of Brooks; the 8,000-acre 15-10 fire near Putah Creek Bridge and Berryessa Knoxville Road; the 1,000-acre Spanish fire near Spanish flat; and the 2,500-acre Markley fire near Monticello dam.
Two more fires included in the complex are in Sonoma County: the 13-4 fire west of Healdsburg, which has burned 500 acres, and the 11-16 fire north of Jenner, which is 25 acres.
As of Tuesday night, no containment had been achieved on any of those seven major fires, Cal Fire said.
Due to the approach of one of the LNU Lightning Complex’s smaller fires to the Lake County line, on Tuesday afternoon the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area of Reiff Road and Morgan Valley Road, south to the Lake/Napa County line.
Authorities said they set up a temporary evacuation point at the former airport property off of Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News on Tuesday evening that a fire in the LNU Complex called the Gold Mine fire was responsible for the evacuation order impacting southeast Lake County.
Martin said the fire was at the Napa-Lake County line and had been spotting.
“The good thing is, for Lake County, it’s threatening areas that are very sparsely inhabited,” he said.
Martin said his department was able to contact everyone in the evacuation area. Many expressed their desire to stay put although some did opt to leave.
If the weather holds up, the fire should have minimal impact on Lake County, Martin said.
He said he expected his agency and Cal Fire will reevaluate the situation on Wednesday morning and decide if the evacuation order should be lifted or remain in place.
In Mendocino County, Cal Fire said the Creek fire began along Highway 162 and Short Creek Road near Covelo shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday. As of early evening, it had burned one structure and was threatening eight others, with 200 acres burned and 5-percent containment.
Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit said it’s also working on the 62-acre 3-19 fire east of Potter Valley. It is 30-percent contained and is not threatening any structures.
At the same time, efforts are continuing to contain the August Complex, which includes at least 20 lightning-caused fires throughout the Mendocino National Forest in the Grindstone Ranger District in Glenn County.
US Forest Service officials said Tuesday night that the August Complex has burned 3,000 acres and has resulted in a closure on the M9 Road from the forest boundary west to the junction with the M4 Road for firefighter and public safety.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Since early Monday morning, local and state firefighters in Napa County have been fighting the LNU Lightning Complex, which is composed of more than 60 fires, some less than an acre.
However, the size of the complex’s largest fires ballooned on Tuesday, reaching 32,025 acres by nightfall and threatening 1,900 structures, according to a Cal Fire report.
The complex’s biggest fires in Napa County include the 10,000-acre Hennessey fire on Hennessey Ridge Road and Chiles Pope Valley Road, east of St. Helena, which has burned one structure and two outbuildings; the 10,000-acre Gamble on Berryessa Knoxville Road, west of Brooks; the 8,000-acre 15-10 fire near Putah Creek Bridge and Berryessa Knoxville Road; the 1,000-acre Spanish fire near Spanish flat; and the 2,500-acre Markley fire near Monticello dam.
Two more fires included in the complex are in Sonoma County: the 13-4 fire west of Healdsburg, which has burned 500 acres, and the 11-16 fire north of Jenner, which is 25 acres.
As of Tuesday night, no containment had been achieved on any of those seven major fires, Cal Fire said.
Due to the approach of one of the LNU Lightning Complex’s smaller fires to the Lake County line, on Tuesday afternoon the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area of Reiff Road and Morgan Valley Road, south to the Lake/Napa County line.
Authorities said they set up a temporary evacuation point at the former airport property off of Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News on Tuesday evening that a fire in the LNU Complex called the Gold Mine fire was responsible for the evacuation order impacting southeast Lake County.
Martin said the fire was at the Napa-Lake County line and had been spotting.
“The good thing is, for Lake County, it’s threatening areas that are very sparsely inhabited,” he said.
Martin said his department was able to contact everyone in the evacuation area. Many expressed their desire to stay put although some did opt to leave.
If the weather holds up, the fire should have minimal impact on Lake County, Martin said.
He said he expected his agency and Cal Fire will reevaluate the situation on Wednesday morning and decide if the evacuation order should be lifted or remain in place.
In Mendocino County, Cal Fire said the Creek fire began along Highway 162 and Short Creek Road near Covelo shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday. As of early evening, it had burned one structure and was threatening eight others, with 200 acres burned and 5-percent containment.
Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit said it’s also working on the 62-acre 3-19 fire east of Potter Valley. It is 30-percent contained and is not threatening any structures.
At the same time, efforts are continuing to contain the August Complex, which includes at least 20 lightning-caused fires throughout the Mendocino National Forest in the Grindstone Ranger District in Glenn County.
US Forest Service officials said Tuesday night that the August Complex has burned 3,000 acres and has resulted in a closure on the M9 Road from the forest boundary west to the junction with the M4 Road for firefighter and public safety.
Email Elizabeth Larson at