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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Fires around Lake County kept firefighters particularly busy on Saturday.
Shortly after 10:30 a.m. Saturday a fire was reported in the 1500 block of East Highway 20 near the Pomo Pumps gas station in Nice.
Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire and Cal Fire were dispatched to the incident, called the Pomo fire, with Cal Fire sending aircraft that helped contain the fire.
While structures were reported to be threatened initially, not were damaged based on scanner reports, with the blaze running into an area that had burned earlier this year.
Cal Fire said the incident was contained at 16 acres just an hour after dispatch. The cause remains under investigation.
Then, at around 2:45 p.m., a fire was reported at Highland Springs reservoir.
Witnesses reported the fire was started by juveniles with fireworks, and supplied authorities with pictures of them.
Two groups of juveniles were seen leaving, one group running for cover in trees, another group trying to walk out of the area, according to radio traffic.
The 200-foot by 100-foot fire was quickly contained, based on radio reports.
Later, shortly after 11 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the 13000 block of Manakee Avenue in Clearlake on the report of a residential structure fire.
Firefighters arriving on scene minutes later reported that another two structures had caught fire, with power lines down and some wildland also involved.
Just after 11:20 p.m., firefighters reported over the scanner that they had contained the fires in the first two structures and had knocked down the wildland fire.
The fire in the third structure was contained just after 12:30 a.m., with reports from the scene indicating there would be several hours of mop up.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has many dogs of all sizes and many breeds ready for adoption this week.
The dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Chihuahua, German shepherd, husky, Labrador Retriever, pit bull terrier, Pomeranian, terrier and shepherd.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
Those animals shown on this page at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
The shelter is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: PRESTON DYCHES
What’s up for July? Mars shines in the evening sky, 60 years after its first close-up, Venus brightens your mornings, and the eagle soars overhead.
First up, Mercury is visible for a brief time following sunset for the first week of July. Look for it very low in the west 30 to 45 minutes after sundown. It sets within the hour after that, so be on the ball if you want to catch it!
Mars is visible for the first hour or two after it gets dark. You'll find it sinking lower in the sky each day and looking a bit dimmer over the course of the month, as our two planets' orbits carry them farther apart. The crescent Moon appears right next to Mars on the 28th.
July is the 60th anniversary of the first successful flyby of Mars, by NASA’s Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965. Mariner 4 sent back the first photos of another planet from deep space, along with the discovery that the Red Planet has only a very thin, cold atmosphere.
Next, Saturn is rising late in the evening, and by dawn it's high overhead to the south.
Looking to the morning sky, Venus shines brightly all month. You'll find it in the east during the couple of hours before sunrise, with the Pleiades and bright stars Aldebaran and Capella. And as the month goes on, Jupiter makes its morning sky debut, rising in the hour before sunrise and appearing a little higher each day.
By the end of the month, early risers will have the two brightest planets there greeting them each morning. They're headed for a super-close meetup in mid-August, and the pair will be a fixture of the a.m. sky through late this year. Look for them together with the crescent moon on the 21st and 22nd.
Aquila, the eagle
From July and into August, is a great time to observe the constellation Aquila, the eagle.
This time of year, it soars high into the sky in the first half of the night. Aquila represents the mythical eagle that was a powerful servant and messenger of the Greek god Zeus. The eagle carried his lightning bolts and was a symbol of his power as king of the gods.
To find Aquila in the sky, start by locating its brightest star, Altair. It’s one the three bright stars in the Summer Triangle, which is super easy to pick out during summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. Altair is the second brightest of the three, and sits at the southernmost corner of the triangle.
The other stars in Aquila aren’t as bright as Altair, which can make observing the constellation challenging if you live in an area with a lot of light pollution. It’s easier, though, if you know how the eagle is oriented in the sky. Imagine it’s flying toward the north with its wings spread wide, its right wing pointed toward Vega. If you can find Altair, and Aquila's next brightest star, you can usually trace out the rest of the spread-eagle shape from there. The second half of July is the best time of the month to observe Aquila, as the Moon doesn't rise until later then, making it easier to pick out the constellation's fainter stars.
Observing the constellation Aquila makes for a worthy challenge in the July night sky. And once you're familiar with its shape, it's hard not to see the mythical eagle soaring overhead among the summertime stars.
Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Thousands of people packed into the city of Lakeport for its annual July 4 celebration on Friday.
The day was marked by a variety of activities and vendors.
The event culminated in the nighttime fireworks display over Clear Lake.
If you missed the celebration in Lakeport, don’t worry, there’s more to come on Saturday.
Clearlake’s daylong celebration will begin with the parade on Saturday morning, continuing through the day and ending with the fireworks display.
On Saturday evening there will be fireworks in Lakeport at Konocti Vista Casino and at the Lakeport Speedway following racing action.
More details on the Saturday evenings are below.
SATURDAY, JULY 5
CLEARLAKE
Redbud Parade and Festival
The Lakeshore Lion’s Club of Clearlake is sponsoring its 67th annual Redbud Parade and Festival.
The parade will start at Redbud Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, and will proceed down Lakeshore Drive to Austin Park.
The theme of this year’s parade is “Cruising the 50s.”
The event will feature local marchers, marching bands, decorated floats, vintage cars, parade and show horses, fire and police vehicles, and much more.
The city of Clearlake will host a free concert showcasing Dylan Schneider at 7 p.m.
The Lakeshore Lion’s Club will sponsor the firework display at dark.
LAKEPORT
Konocti Vista community fireworks show and party
Konocti Vista Casino will hold its free community fireworks show.
The evening will begin with a party at 6 p.m. featuring vendors, food, a DJ and bar, with the Fun Zone Arcade open indoors.
Fireworks start at dusk, approximately 9:30 p.m. They can be viewed from the marina and parking lot.
Konocti Vista is located at 2755 Mission Rancheria Road.
Lakeport Speedway fireworks display
Lakeport Speedway will host its annual fireworks display following an evening of racing on Saturday, July 5.
Grandstands open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. and fireworks to follow.
Visit https://www.lakeportspeedwaytickets.com/ for more information and to buy tickets.