NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – State and federal firefighters responded Saturday afternoon to a fire burning in the Mendocino National Forest that resulted in campground evacuations.

The Mill Fire is located near Upper Letts Lake southwest of Stonyford, inside neighboring Colusa County, according to officials.

The U.S. Forest Service is leading the response, with Cal Fire reporting late Saturday that it was assisting with the effort.

The fire was first reported shortly before 3 p.m., at which point it was estimated to be about three to five acres with a moderate rate of spread, according to initial reports from the scene.

By about 6 p.m. the fire was confirmed at 100 acres, according to Tamara Schmidt, a Mendocino National Forest spokesperson.

“It’s still in initial attack,” Schmidt told Lake County News Saturday evening.

The cause is still under investigation, Schmidt said.

She said resources were continuing to come in Saturday night and Sunday.

Concerns about people in the canyon arose quickly after the fire was first reported, according to radio traffic.

“Mill Valley Campground was evacuated immediately,” Schmidt said.

Campers at Letts Lake Campground also were urged to evacuate as a precaution, said Schmidt.

Schmidt said they were advised to take Miner Ridge to Forest Road M5, as the way to Stonyford was unavailable due to the fire.

The fire was being hit hard from the air, with air tankers and copters at work, based on radio reports.

Cal Fire helicopters were reported to be using an area near Lake Pillsbury to land so they could refuel, according to California Highway Patrol reports.

Before 6 p.m. calls were put out on the radio for a fifth air tanker, because the terrain was too steep and dangerous for ground crews. Additional Type 2 helicopters for the effort weren’t available in the area, and a request was made for smokejumpers.

In one area, tankers were working to keep the fire from crossing a drainage of the Eel River, radio reports indicated.

Additional information on the fire will be posted as it becomes available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A vegetation fire broke out near the county landfill early Friday evening.

The fire, initially reported before 6 p.m., was located in the area of Davis Avenue near the Eastlake Landfill, according to reports from the scene.

Initial reports indicated that the fire had burned as much as seven acres.

Because the fire was located in the State Responsibility Area, Cal Fire took over incident command, with Lake County Fire Protection also working the fire.

Ground crews and Cal Fire air attacks and a helicopter worked on the fire, according to witnesses and radio traffic.

The fire was reported contained at 6:17 p.m., but mop up and overhaul were reported to be continuing.

Some Lake County Fire units remained on scene until after 11 p.m. and a Cal Fire engine was assigned to stay at the scene overnight, according to reports from the scene.

Information on the cause and the fire’s final acreage total were not immediately available from Cal Fire Friday evening.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A pickup caught fire along Highway 29 Thursday afternoon, igniting a small wildland fire nearby.

The pickup fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. on Highway 29 at Hofacker Lane between Lower Lake and Hidden Valley Lake, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Minutes later, the fire had moved into nearby brush, with a large cloud of black smoke covering the roadway, the CHP reported.

Cal Fire responded with engines and a helicopter and contained the fire. Shortly after 4 p.m. the fire was estimated to have burned around two acres, based on the CHP report.

Additional details on whether there were injuries or what caused the pickup to catch fire weren’t immediately available.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) has received a $5,820 grant from the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) ( www.calparks.org ) to support AMIA’s efforts to keep the Cache Creek Nature Trail boardwalk at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park accessible and in good repair.

“Many of our monthly Nature Walks and all of our school field trips include traveling over this part of the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park trail system,” said AMIA Secretary Gae Henry. “The Cache Creek Nature Trail and its boardwalk provide access to some of the best riparian habitats in the Park which could otherwise only be visited by water. The boardwalk is in need of repair and provides the only way for those with mobility issues to explore these fabulous habitats.”

“We appreciate everything that CSPF is doing to both assist the nonprofits that are working to prevent park closures as well as to help keep those Parks in good repair,” said AMIA President Roberta Lyons.  

“The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association is grateful for this financial support,” added AMIA Treasurer Henry Bornstein. “This grant will help us to meet our goal of keeping the park open and accessible to all members of the public.”

AMIA is a nonprofit association cooperating with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to promote educational and interpretive activities at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

AMIA is currently in negotiations with DPR to enter into an operating agreement that will allow Anderson Marsh State Historic Park to remain open during the state’s current budget crisis.

For information about Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, AMIA and how you can help, go to www.andersonmarsh.org or contact AMIA at either This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-995-2658.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Firefighters responded to a fire on Friday afternoon near Kelseyville that burned a small area of vegetation along with tires and debris.

The fire was reported at around 2:30 p.m. on Bell Hill Road near Adobe Creek Road.

Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire responded to the incident, where grass and a large pile of tires and debris were reported to be burning next door to a vineyard, according to radio and witness reports.

Engines, water tenders and a Cal Fire helicopter that was used for water drops were among the resources sent to the scene, where about a half acre was reported to have burned, reports from the scene indicated.

Radio reports indicated “shaky containment” at 2:45 p.m., with the fire fully controlled shortly after 4 p.m.

Mop up was continuing on scene late Friday afternoon.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A fight in Clearlake Wednesday night sent one man to a regional trauma center with several stab wounds.

The stabbing was reported at about 10:20 p.m. behind Silk’s Bar and Grill, located at 14825 Lakeshore Drive.

Clearlake Police Sgt. Martin Snyder said officers arrived to find an adult male subject with three apparent stab wounds – two to the body and one to the face.

By the time police arrived, the suspect had fled on foot, Snyder said.

Lake County Fire Protection District, which also responded, requested a REACH air ambulance to come in to transport the victim out of county, according to radio reports.

REACH 1 set down at a landing zone at the ball field at Redbud Park, which is located next to the business, just before 11 p.m. Radio traffic indicated firefighters were having issues with transport due to the crowd.

Snyder said the male victim was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of his wounds.

He said the name of the man was not yet being released, with the investigation ongoing.

Snyder said the stabbing victim is expected to be released from the hospital Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, “The suspect is still outstanding,” Snyder said.

He described the suspect as a white male adult in his mid 30s.

Anyone with information about the fight should contact the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.

The incident at Silk’s was the first of a rash of assaults late Wednesday and early Thursday, with a total of three people flown out to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

A short time after the Silk’s stabbing, another assault victim was reported in the 16000 block of Main Street in Lower Lake, with a CalStar air ambulance requested to transport that subject for treatment of head trauma, radio reports stated.

At about the same time an assault was reported in the 2200 block of Diane Way in Lakeport involving a 19-year-old male subject, according to radio reports.

At 1:45 a.m. Thursday, Lakeport Police and firefighters responded to the Clearlake Club on the report of multiple assault victims down as the result of a bar fight.

The third air ambulance of the night was requested, which REACH 6 arriving at a landing zone at the old Natural High School property on N. Main Street.

The air ambulance lifted off at 2:40 a.m. for Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with a 28-year-old male who had been injured in the fight, Lakeport Police reported.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Over the tops of the steep hillside St. Olof vineyard and through the plush foliage of trees, hangs another Lake County Quilt Trail gem, titled “Twisted Star.”

Cindi and Eric Olof, 5615 Highland Springs Road, Lakeport, own the Olof Cellars and the barn holding the quilt block.
 
From a distance there is a slight view from Highland Springs Road. GPS location: N 38° 58´36¨ W 122° 53´40.¨ For a closer look-see, the owners prefer visitors call for an appointment at 707-391-7947.
 
Cindi Olof’s great-grandmother was of Norwegian ancestry and introduced her to the art of quilting.

Searching for a pattern that embraced Scandinavian appliquéd knot designs, she chose an enter-twined star and filled the block with very bright colors.
 
Olof said, “This is a wonderful community project. It makes people smile.”
 
Day to day information about the Lake County Quilt Trail can be found on Facebook. Pictures of the artists and projects in progress are posted frequently.
 
Information, history, and application forms to join this on-going project are found at www.lakecountyquilttrail.com .

Bethany Rose, 707-263-5744, is available for questions or visit Kerrie’s Quilting Shop at 1853 N. High Street, Lakeport, 707-263-8555.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Northshore man was arrested early Thursday for allegedly abandoning six puppies last week.

Joseph Christian Rapp, 29, a handyman from Nice, was arrested for cruelty to animals and for abandoning the puppies, both of which are felonies, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Deputy Mauricio Barreto arrested Rapp exactly one week after the six German Shorthaired Pointer mix puppies were found in the area of 4500 Hill Road by a Lake County Waste Solutions driver, according to sheriff’s and Animal Care and Control officials.

Brooks’ report said the driver had noticed the puppies inside a dog crate, sitting next to some residential garbage containers, on Thursday, June 28.

Barreto, who responded to the scene, found the puppies cold, emaciated and covered in feces, vomit and urine, as was the inside of the dog crate. Brooks said Barreto also noticed that one of the puppies appeared to be extremely sick and was unable to move.  

The deputy took the puppies to Lake County Animal Care and Control, where Director Bill Davidson said they were tested for canine parvovirus, a disease that’s particularly deadly for puppies. Five of them tested positive for the disease.

Officials said the puppies – estimated to be about 3 months old – had been sick for an extended period of time and should have been taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

Davidson said one of the puppies died later on June 28, the healthy puppy was transferred to Lake County Animal Services for foster care and the other four remained at the shelter for treatment, under the supervision of the shelter’s director of veterinary services, Dr. Anthony Wong.

Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic donated fluids and other supplies to help the pups, and Lake County Animal Services provided funds to cover their care.

Davidson shared the story with Lake County News and other local media. After the articles appeared, “several very valuable tips were called in as to who the person that dumped the puppies might be,” he said Thursday.

That information was forwarded to Barreto, who had continued to pursue the case over the past week, Davidson said.

The leads Barreto received ultimately led him to Rapp, who several people had indicated was responsible for the crimes, Brooks said.

At 7 a.m. Thursday Barreto went to Rapp’s residence and contacted him, Brooks said.

During an interview with Barreto, Rapp allegedly admitted to dumping the puppies because they were sick, according to Brooks.

Brooks said Rapp told the deputy that he had planned on shooting the puppies, but he was unable to find anyone who would loan him a firearm.

Barreto arrested Rapp and took him to the Hill Road Correctional Facility, where Rapp was booked, with his bail set at $15,000. Jail records showed he remained in custody Thursday night.

A review of Lake County Superior Court records indicated Rapp had no previous local criminal cases.

Davidson said Kennel Coordinator Sara Schramm has diligently been watching the puppies every day, and on Tuesday they began eating and showing interest in food, which he said was “a very good sign.” They’ve also been moved in foster care.

However, Davidson said late Thursday afternoon one of the puppies took a turn for the worse and was taken to Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic for a blood transfusion.

“We’ll hope for the best,” he said.

Lake County Animal Services is holding an online fundraiser through ChipIn to help pay for the puppies’ expensive medical care.

The fundraiser is continuing until July 28 and can be found at http://lakecounty.chipin.com/parvo-pointer-pups .

As of Thursday evening, the fundraiser had brought in $755.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Police are seeking suspects in an early Thursday morning bar fight in Lakeport that seriously injured a Northshore man and led to what police said was a retaliatory break-in a short time later.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen reported that a 28-year-old man from Nice – whose name was not released – sustained head injuries in the fight, which occurred at the Clearlake Club, located at 210 N. Main St.

He said his officers have identified one possible suspect, but no arrests had been made early Thursday, with the investigation continuing.

Rasmussen said Lakeport Police units were dispatched at 1:45 a.m. to the bar on the report of an in-progress physical fight involving numerous subjects.

When they arrived officers found the victim down on the street, in the intersection of N. Main and Second streets, with what appeared to be a serious head injury, Rasmussen said.

Officers observed a crowd of at least 65 people on the street and sidewalk adjacent to the bar. Rasmussen said the crowd was hostile, with people challenging each other.

Rasmussen said the incident was not a gang fight. He said the people involved were intoxicated.

Lakeport’s officers requested emergency backup from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, which each sent units, Rasmussen reported.

Lakeport Fire Protection District transported the fight victim to the old Natural High School property in the 800 block of N. Main Street, where a landing zone was set up.

There, the REACH 6 air ambulance arrived to transport the man to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. REACH 6 lifted off at 2:40 a.m., according to radio reports.

Rasmussen said N. Main Street between First and Third streets was closed for approximately 45 minutes while the investigation was ongoing.

Then, at 2:55 a.m., officers were dispatched to a Sixth Street residence to investigate the report of an in-progress break-in, Rasmussen said.

He said officers were familiar with the residence and knew the occupant was associated with the fight at the Clearlake Club.

Upon arrival, officers located four males and one female subject in the area of the residence, as well as two other subjects inside of the residence. Rasmussen said officers also located a broken window at the
home.

He said all of the subjects were uncooperative with investigating officers but the information developed so far indicates that the break-in was directly related to the Clearlake Club bar fight.

Rasmussen said police didn’t have sufficient information or evidence to make arrests related to the early Thursday break-in, which they’re continuing to investigate.

Anyone with information regarding one or both of the incidents is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

An international team of astronomers using data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made an unparalleled observation, detecting significant changes in the atmosphere of a planet located beyond our solar system.

The scientists conclude the atmospheric variations occurred in response to a powerful eruption on the planet’s host star, an event observed by NASA’s Swift satellite.

The stellar flare, which hit the planet like 3 million X-flares from our own sun, blasted material from the planet’s atmosphere at a rate of at least 1,000 tons per second.

“The multiwavelength coverage by Hubble and Swift has given us an unprecedented view of the interaction between a flare on an active star and the atmosphere of a giant planet,” said lead researcher Alain Lecavelier des Etangs at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (IAP), part of the French National Scientific Research Center located at Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.

The exoplanet is HD 189733b, a gas giant similar to Jupiter, but about 14 percent larger and more massive.

The planet circles its star at a distance of only three million miles, or about 30 times closer than Earth’s distance from the sun, and completes an orbit every 2.2 days.

Its star, named HD 189733A, is about 80 percent the size and mass of our sun.

Astronomers classify the planet as a “hot Jupiter.” Previous Hubble observations show that the planet’s deep atmosphere reaches a temperature of about 1,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,030 C).

HD 189733b periodically passes across, or transits, its parent star, and these events give astronomers an opportunity to probe its atmosphere and environment.

In a previous study, a group led by Lecavelier des Etangs used Hubble to show that hydrogen gas was escaping from the planet’s upper atmosphere. The finding made HD 189733b only the second-known “evaporating” exoplanet at the time.

The system is just 63 light-years away, so close that its star can be seen with binoculars near the famous Dumbbell Nebula. This makes HD 189733b an ideal target for studying the processes that drive atmospheric escape.

“Astronomers have been debating the details of atmospheric evaporation for years, and studying HD 189733b is our best opportunity for understanding the process,” said Vincent Bourrier, a doctoral student at IAP and a team member on the new study.

In April 2010, the researchers observed a single transit using Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), but they detected no trace of the planet’s atmosphere.

Followup observations in September 2011 showed a surprising reversal, with striking evidence that a plume of gas was streaming away from the exoplanet at 300,000 mph. At least 1,000 tons of gas were leaving the planet’s atmosphere every second.

This turn of events was explained by data from Swift’s X-ray Telescope. On Sept. 7, 2011, just eight hours before Hubble was scheduled to observe the transit, Swift was monitoring the star when it unleashed a powerful flare.

“The planet’s close proximity to the star means it was struck by a blast of X-rays tens of thousands of times stronger than the Earth suffers even during an X-class solar flare, the strongest category,” said co-author Peter Wheatley, a physicist at the University of Warwick in England. After accounting for the planet’s enormous size, the team notes that HD 189733b encountered about 3 million times as many X-rays as Earth receives from a solar flare at the threshold of the X class.

These findings will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday Caltrans awarded $48.5 million of state Safe Routes to School Program funds for 139 projects – including projects for four Lake County schools – to increase safety and help reduce injuries and fatalities among children in grades K-12 who walk and bicycle to school.  

“Safety is Caltrans’ No. 1 priority,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “We are committed to providing the highest safety possible for our children as they travel to and from school in California.”

Among the state-funded projects are new sidewalks, bicycle lanes and other safety improvements.

Caltrans chose each project based upon need, effectiveness and how quickly it could be delivered.

By improving safety, more kids are encouraged to walk and bicycle to school, resulting in healthier children while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle congestion.

More than $7 million of the funds were awarded to critical safety projects in rural counties. In addition, 82 projects totaling $28 million will create jobs and benefit at least one low-income school within each project.  

In Lake County, $188,300 was awarded to construct sidewalks and curbs, and upgrade crosswalks from Austin Road between Olive Street and Locust Street for Burns Valley Elementary School students, and for Pomo Elementary School, where Arrowhead Road between Scenic Road and Vista Street will be upgraded. The total cost for both projects is $210,100.

Another $346,900 will be used to construct sidewalks and curb ramps, and install crosswalks near Kelseyville Elementary School and Mountain Vista Middle School. The Kelseyville improvements will take place on Konocti Road between Cold Creek Drive and Oak Hills Lane. Total project cost is $386,000.

In neighboring Mendocino County, $394,500 was awarded to construct sidewalks and curbs, and install bike lanes near Calpella Elementary School and The Waldorf School of Mendocino County.

Farther up the North Coast, Humboldt County received $300,000 to construct a raised crosswalk, raised medians, sidewalks and curbs near Grant Elementary School and McKinleyville High School, and $152,000 to construct sidewalks, and install crosswalks, in-pavement crosswalk lighting, LED signs, and pavement markings near Eagle Prairie Elementary School and Monument Middle School.

To date, the state and federal Safe Routes to School programs have awarded $472 million for safety projects around California’s schools.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With kitten season in full swing, Lake County Animal Care and Control has many young felines needing people of their own.

Tabbies, tuxedos, a black kitten with green eyes, long haired and short haired are among the varieties of kitten that you can find at the shelter.

Thanks to the shelter’s new veterinary clinic, many of these kittens already are spayed or neutered and ready to go right to new homes.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .