CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office is reportedly working with the Northshore Fire Protection District to investigate a fire that destroyed a mobile home at the Elem Indian Colony early last Saturday morning.

The sheriff's office called the fire “an apparent arson.”

Capt. James Bauman said that at 4:20 a.m. Saturday, June 25, Northshore Fire Protection firefighters and several sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the Elem Indian Colony on Sulphur Bank Road on a report that a mobile home was on fire and that at least one occupant was still inside.

The mobile home at 22 Pomo Drive was reportedly “fully involved” when emergency personnel arrived, Bauman said.

Upon arrival, firefighters began battling the blaze, Bauman said, while sheriff’s deputies quickly learned that all occupants had made it out of the mobile home unharmed.

Within less than 15 minutes of their arrival, firefighters had the blaze under control. However, the home was later determined to be a total loss as a result of the fire, Bauman said.

He said sheriff’s deputies at the scene learned from witnesses that several men had been seen running away from the fire as it broke out. It also was reported that the owners had been threatened the previous day that the home would be burned down.

Nathan Mark Brown, 60, had just taken delivery of the new mobile home the previous day from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Bauman said detectives with the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit were called out to assist with the investigation.

Bauman said that the investigation has so far revealed that Nathan Brown and his son, 40-year-old Robert Anthony Brown, were both in the mobile home when the fire started. Robert Brown told deputies he had stayed awake all night due to the threats made the previous day.

Nathan Brown told deputies that he was in one bedroom of the home when he heard a “crackling” sound outside, according to Bauman's report. When Nathan Brown went outside, he saw that one end of the mobile home was on fire so he quickly went back in and woke up his father.

The father and son ran out of the trailer and considered trying to fight the fire with an extinguisher but it was already out of control, Bauman said.

Bauman said sheriff’s detectives are currently trying to positively identify the male subjects who witnesses reported seeing running away from the fire in order to determine their involvement in what appears to be an arson.

The criminal investigation, as well as the exact cause and origin of the fire, are pending further investigation, Bauman said.

 

Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown, who had released a report to Lake County News on the fire over the weekend, said the district had asked for the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in investigating the incident.

Brown said Northshore Fire is very concerned about increasing problems at the colony.

He told Lake County News on Monday that he's spoken with BIA officials and is awaiting an answer about his request from BIA on Tuesday.

For Northshore Fire's part, “The fire is still under investigation,” he said.

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