Friday, 29 November 2024

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – One driver died and one was seriously injured and later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a Friday morning crash near Middletown.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office did not release the name of the crash victim – a 74-year-old man from St. Helena – pending the notification of family.

Bryan K. Taber, 43, of Clearlake Oaks, the other driver involved in the crash, sustained major injuries and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription medication and cannabis, the CHP said.

The CHP said that the crash occurred at 7:20 a.m. Friday on Highway 29 just north of Grange Road.

Taber was driving a blue Kia Optima northbound on Highway 29 at a stated speed of 55 miles per hour when, for reasons still under investigation, he drifted across the solid double yellow lines and collided head-on with a white Chevrolet Prizm driven by the St. Helena man, who was traveling southbound, the CHP said.

After the collision, the CHP said both vehicles came to rest blocking the southbound lane of Highway 29.

The CHP said the driver in the Chevrolet Prizm was pronounced dead in the driver seat by medics on scene.

Taber sustained major injuries and was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital in Clearlake, the CHP said.

After a DUI investigation, the CHP said Taber was suspected of being under the influence and placed under arrest.

Due to Taber's injuries, the CHP said he was released from custody to the hospital for treatment.

Both parties were wearing their seatbelts at the time of this collision, the CHP said.

The CHP said the crash blocked the highway’s southbound lane for several hours.

Friday’s crash was the second fatal wreck in Lake County this week. A Clearlake woman died Tuesday morning following a head-on crash on Highway 53, as Lake County News has reported.

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.
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The California Independent System Operator has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, beginning Saturday and extending through Monday, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Labor Day weekend temperatures are forecast to be 10 to 20 degrees above normal for California, and the power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use.

Overnight temperatures statewide are projected to be at least 10 degrees higher than normal, which doesn’t allow infrastructure to cool down.

High heat is also predicted throughout the West for the weekend, which can limit the ISO’s ability to import energy to serve demand.

Consumers can actively help by shifting energy use to morning and nighttime hours. Conservation can lower demand and avoid further actions, including outages, and lessen the duration of possible power interruptions.

For example, consumer conservation efforts during a heatwave on Aug. 17 and 18 were key to preventing expected power outages.

Consumers are urged to conserve electricity when the grid is most stressed in the afternoons and evenings, when temperatures remain high and solar production is falling due to the sun setting.

The ISO recognizes that reducing energy use during the hot time of the day is a hardship, especially for those working from home or for families with children schooling at home.

However, if a large enough number of consumers conserve even in small ways, they can help grid operators avoid more serious system emergencies.

Between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., the ISO is urging consumers to:

– Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, if health permits.
– Defer use of major appliances.
– Turn off unnecessary lights.
– Unplug unused electrical devices.
– Close blinds and drapes.
– Use fans when possible.
– Limit time the refrigerator door is open.

Consumers can also take steps to prepare for the Flex Alert by doing the following before 3 p.m.:

– “Pre-cool” their homes, or lower air conditioning thermostats.
– Charge electric vehicles.
– Charge mobile devices and laptops.
– Run dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances.
– Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.

For information on Flex Alerts, to get more electricity conservation tips, and to sign up for conservation alerts, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Wildfire activity continues to threaten communities throughout California, and this emergency has resulted in a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

The declaration enables assistance for affected residents of Lake, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

LNU Lightning Complex survivors are eligible to apply for federal assistance as well as housing, unemployment assistance, crisis counseling and legal services.

If you suffered losses not fully covered by private insurance, register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

Individual Assistance is available for eligible un- or underinsured residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

FEMA’s Critical Need assistance can also provide lodging reimbursement to eligible applicants who were displaced from their primary dwelling.

The deadline to apply for FEMA Critical Need assistance is this Saturday, Sept. 5.

Disaster survivors may apply for FEMA assistance:

· Online, at www.DisasterAssistance.gov;

· Via smartphone, by downloading the application from www.fema.gov or a mobile App Store; or

· By phone, toll-free at 800-621-3362.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, and use a Text Telephone, (TTY) may also call 800-462-7585.

FEMA assistance is an important and valuable recovery tool. If you were displaced or otherwise affected by the LNU Lightning Complex event, and some of your losses may not be covered by insurance, please register with FEMA today.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As the August Complex continues to spread across the Mendocino National Forest, officials on Friday issued an evacuation warning for an area of Mendocino County near the fires.

The US Forest Service said Friday the complex of lightning fires is up to 298,269 acres with containment remaining at 23 percent.

There are 1,015 resources committed to the complex including 22 crews, four camp crew, seven helicopters, 50 engines, 19 dozers, 26 water tenders and three masticators, the Forest Service said.

On Friday, an evacuation warning was issued for all Mendocino County areas within the Mendocino National Forest, north of Hull Mountain.

Officials said this action is necessary to address the fact that numerous private in-holdings – cabins, primary residences and undeveloped private lands – exist within the boundary of the Mendocino National Forest.

Residents are asked to be prepared for possible evacuation. The Forest Service said weather forecasts predict a shift from southwesterly to northeasterly winds from Monday through Tuesday, which may increase fire activity in the complex.

A breakdown of the warning levels can be found here.

Friday’s issuance of a new evacuation warning follows action the Forest Service took on Thursday to lift the evacuation warning for the Pillsbury Ranch area.

The Hull, Doe, Tatham, and Glade fires have merged to form one large fire. The individual breakdown of the fires given by the Forest Service are as follows: Doe fire, 258,192 acres, 23 percent contained; Tatham fire, 15,594 acres, 9 percent contained; and the Hull fire, 13,177 acres, 10 percent contained.

Firefighters have completed burnout operations from Bald Mountain, working east down the M61 road to the M1 road, to address spot fires and contain the fire’s movement toward Monkey Rock.

Additional resources have been brought in to assist with containment on the Hopkins fire located in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and Shasta Trinity National Forest. Heavy equipment, hotshot crews and aircraft are working on this fire, officials said.

Mendocino National Forest officials issued a new closure for the August Complex on Saturday, Aug. 29. The Forest Order 08-20-11 and map are posted on the forest website.

Daily updates and the virtual community meeting held on Wednesday can be found on the Mendocino National Forest Facebook page.

The most up to date information on the August Complex can be found on InciWeb.


The August Complex as mapped on Friday, September 4, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Labor Day typically marks the end of the summer travel period, but 2020 has been anything but typical.

Although many Californians may forgo the long weekend road trip this year for a staycation, the California Highway Patrol will still implement its Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period, or MEP.

The CHP advises all drivers to take precautions that keep themselves safe behind the wheel and protect others – such as buckling up, avoiding distractions, adhering to a safe and legal speed, and never driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Last year during the Labor Day holiday weekend, 45 people were killed in crashes throughout
California. Nearly three-quarters of all the vehicle occupants killed within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt.

In addition, the CHP made more than 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence during the 78-hour enforcement effort in 2019.

“Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence is extremely dangerous, not only to the person driving but to everyone on the road with them,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “If you travel this holiday weekend, make smart decisions and drive to arrive.”

To help keep California’s roadways safe and assist motorists this weekend, all available CHP officers will be on patrol for the MEP, which begins at 6:01 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7.

This year, in addition to the MEP, the Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations produced a powerful public service announcement on the devastating impact driving under the influence had on a CHP officer and his family. You can watch the documentary called Falling here; it’s also presented above.

Over the past few years, the CHP increased its training efforts to detect impaired drivers. All CHP officers and sergeants have received additional training in the detection of impaired drivers.

California also has the highest number of personnel trained as Drug Recognition Experts, or DREs, in the nation. For the Labor Day MEP, DREs will be on duty throughout the state.

The CHP also reminds Californians to take safety precautions recommended by the California Department of Public Health to protect themselves, their families, and others from COVID-19 including physical distancing, wearing a face-covering if you go out in public, washing your hands for 20 seconds, and remaining at home if you become sick.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Two hundred soldiers are preparing to join the effort to contain the August Complex of lightning fires on the Mendocino National Forest.

The August Complex was up to 261,204 acres on Wednesday, a growth of about 19,000 acres over the previous day, with containment remaining at 20 percent and 700 personnel assigned, according to the US Forest Service.

The complex’s main fires include the Doe/Glade fire, 223,310 acres, 23-percent contained; the Tatham, 15,594 acres, nine-percent contained; and the Hull, 13,177 acres, 10-percent contained.

The largest portion of the complex, which began Aug. 17, has burned on the Grindstone Ranger District in Glenn and Tehama counties.

The Hull fire is burning in northern Lake County on the Upper Lake Ranger District north of Lake Pillsbury and also has crossed into Mendocino County. That fire resulted in an evacuation warning that’s still in effect for the Pillsbury Ranch community.

Over the weekend, the Hull fire and the Doe fire burned together, officials said.

“So far, we’ve been making very good progress,” Dean Gould, forest supervisor for the Sierra National Forest and agency administrator for the August Complex, said during a Wednesday virtual community meeting, which can be seen in the video above.

He said they have been able to get some aircraft on the complex, which has helped improve the situation.

In the two and a half weeks the complex has been burning so far, Gould said the firefighting effort has cost $10.5 million.

On Monday, one firefighter was killed and another injured while working on the Tatham fire portion of the complex, as Lake County News has reported.

During the community meeting, Gould did not offer any new information on the vehicle crash.

He said an investigation is underway and information will be released once it is complete.

He also reported that more than 200 Army soldiers from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, had arrived to assist on the complex and will be going operational on Thursday.

The US Forest Service reported that the soldiers arrived on Monday night and have been learning firefighting tactics on the ground in preparation.

Operations Section Chief Jon Wallace of the Southern Area Blue Team Incident Team said during the community meeting that all of the complex’s major fires have burned into the largest fire, the Doe.

Wallace said the operations south of Lake Pillsbury have gone very well, with the area burned out and the active fire within the containment lines. He said patrolling and mop up are underway.

Wallace said Cal Fire has been a key partner for the Forest Service in the fire suppression effort.

“Cal Fire has been helping us out tremendously on this fire with the full gamut of their personnel and equipment,” Wallace said, adding they wouldn’t be where they were without Cal Fire’s help.

Gould reported that the Southern Area Blue Team Incident Team, which has been overseeing the complex since Aug. 27, has had its assignment on the complex extended to Sept. 11, at which point another incident management team will transition into the leadership.

On Aug. 29, a forest closure was issued for the fire area and Gould said a revised forest order is due to come out over the next few days, which will open a good portion of the Snow Mountain Wilderness.

“We are doing our very best to open areas up just as quickly as we can, in a safe manner,” Gould said, adding that there will be more revised orders coming out on a periodic basis.

For those needing access to private property, Gould encouraged them to stop by their district forest office so staff can make sure the property owners have the right documentation and law enforcement officials working on the incident can be made aware of planned visits.

For general questions about the August Complex, people are invited to email the incident management team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 530-487-4602.

Information about the fire also is posted on Inciweb and on the forest’s Facebook page and website.

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.



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Lamb exhibitors for the Lake County Junior Livestock Auction at the fairgrounds in Lakeport, California, on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Photo courtesy of Sheli Wright.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For decades, Labor Day weekend has meant the Lake County Fair and one of its highlights, the Junior Livestock Auction.

However, with COVID-19 this year forcing the fair’s cancellation, Fair CEO Sheli Wright and the fair board worked to find an alternative for the young people who have spent the past year raising livestock for the show and auction.

The result is an online auction for the Junior Livestock Auction and metal fabrication projects.

The auction at www.stockshowauctions.com will begin at 3 p.m. Friday. It will continue until 6 p.m. Sunday.

There are nearly 150 animals and projects for sale during the auction.

Goat exhibitors for the Lake County Junior Livestock Auction at the fairgrounds in Lakeport, California, on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Photo courtesy of Sheli Wright.


Organizers have made sure there was still a show component for the young people and their animals.

On Wednesday, the goat and lamb exhibitors for the Lake County Junior Livestock Auction did a great job showing their animals and following social protocol in the unique structure of a difficult year, Wright reported.

When asked, Wright said exhibitors reported they have been using YouTube, Zoom and other forms of social media to interact and learn how to care and show their animals.

With no one in the stands and one parent allowed the event was small but the kids had a great time, Wright said.

For help with placing bids online, call 1-833-675-7469.

The Lake County Fair can be reached at 707-263-6181 or visit www.lakecountyfair.com.

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.
Angelina Vanderweken received a $250 scholarship from the Lake County Fair Foundation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Presenters are Jeff Warrenburg, foundation president, and Debbie Strickler, secretary. Photo courtesy of Sheli Wright.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office will reopen portions of the Cache Creek Natural Area, which is part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, in Lake and Colusa counties due to reduced wildland fire danger.

The area will be reopened to the public at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, for hiking, biking, hunting, horseback riding and camping.

Public lands in and adjacent to the monument were temporarily closed on Aug. 19, as a safety precaution due to the proximity of the LNU Lighting Complex Fire.

Portions of the Cache Creek Natural Area north of the County Road 40 Bridge will reopen, including the Cache Creek Ridge Trail, Cache Creek Wilderness, Cowboy Camp and the associated equestrian area, Highbridge Trailhead, Redbud Trail and Perkins Creek Ridge Trail. The Buck Island Rafting Area will reopen, but no vehicle access will be available.

These areas are being reopened as they were not impacted by the fire. However, Blue Ridge Trail, Fiske Creek Trail and Frog Pond Trail remain closed due to wildland fire activity.

BLM closure orders remain in effect for Cedar Roughs Wilderness; Knoxville Management Area, including the Knoxville Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, Hunting Creek Campground and the North Staging Area; Berryessa Management Area; as well scattered tracts at Stebbins Cold Canyon, in Napa, Solano and Yolo counties.

The burn area is still under an evacuation order, as well as a closure order by the Sonoma County Health Officer.

Multiple fires have merged to form the LNU Lightning Complex, which has burned more than 375,000 acres in six counties: Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo.

The public is reminded to stay vigilant on current fire conditions, adhere to road closures and any evacuation warnings. Please also drive slowly and yield to emergency personnel in the area.

The latest fire information is available here.

Resource specialists are assessing the burned areas and BLM will reopen these areas as soon as they can do so safely.

For specific questions, call the Ukiah Field Office at 707-468-4000.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday firefighters were clearing out vegetation within the LNU Lightning Complex as they continued to increase containment on the vast burn area, while one National Guard firefighter was rescued after a fall in rugged terrain in Sonoma County.

Containment on the 375,209-acre complex rose to 78 percent on Wednesday night, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said resources on the incident include 2,452 personnel, 221 engines, 56 water tenders, 19 helicopters, 46 hand crews and 63 dozers.

The Hennessey fire portion of the complex was up to 76 percent containment on Wednesday. Its 317,909 acres stretch across Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties.

In Sonoma County, the Walbridge fire west of Healdsburg is 54,940 acres and 87-percent contained, while the 2,360-acre Meyers fire north of Jenner was 100-percent contained as of Tuesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter “Henry-1” was dispatched to a remote area off of Stewarts Point and Skaggs Springs Road to rescue an injured National Guard firefighter who had slipped and fallen 100 feet down a hill in extremely steep terrain, officials reported.

The helicopter crew used a 200-foot-long line to rescue the man, who had a leg injury, the sheriff’s office said.

In Lake County, firefighters were working to burn off an island of vegetation within the burn area near Butts Canyon Road and Oat Hill Road on Wednesday night.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office sent out a Nixle alert to let community members know that smoke and flames might be visible from the Middletown area but that fire personnel were aware and monitoring it.

Cal Fire said the number of structures threatened on Wednesday totaled 2,693. Due to continuing damage assessments, the count of structures destroyed has risen to 1,464, with damaged structures at 231.

The number of structures destroyed in Lake County remains at nine, including eight homes and one other structure.

Evacuation warnings for parts of the southeast portion of Lake County as well as an evacuation order for an area south of Middletown remained in place on Wednesday night, Cal Fire reported.

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.







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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More residents of the area threatened by the LNU Lightning Complex were allowed to go home on Thursday as firefighters made containment gains.

The two-and-a-half-week-old complex has been held at 375,209 acres since the start of this week, with containment up to 86 percent on Thursday night, Cal Fire said.

The 317,909-acre Hennessey fire on the east side of the complex in Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties rose to 85 percent containment on Thursday night.

In Sonoma County, the Walbridge fire west of Healdsburg rose to 92 percent containment while remaining at 54,940 acres. The 2,360-acre Meyers fire north of Jenner was fully contained earlier this week.

As the incident gets closer to full containment, firefighters and equipment are being released. Cal Fire’s Thursday evening report showed there were nearly 400 fewer firefighters assigned.

Total resources assigned on Thursday night included 2,053 personnel, 166 engines, 55 water tenders, 19 helicopters, 42 hand crews and 52 dozers, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said crews will continue to work to build containment lines and fire suppression repair teams remain active throughout the area.

Dry and hot weather is predicted and southwest winds were expected in the area overnight, which officials said could cause flareups in interior islands deep within the fire’s perimeter.

Cal Fire said 1,350 structures remain threatened, while 1,491 have been destroyed and 232 damaged. Lake County’s tally remains at nine destroyed structures, eight of them homes.

Growing containment and reduced threat to structures led to officials on Thursday lifting the evacuation order for all residents and areas south of Butts Canyon Road, east of Highway 29, and north and west of the Lake-Napa County line. At the same time, the evacuation warning was fully lifted for all residents and areas north of Morgan Valley Road, east of Highway 53, south of Highway 20 and west of the Lake-Colusa County line.

Cal Fire said evacuation warnings remain in effect for areas east of Middletown, areas north and south of Lower Lake, and areas around Middletown proper.

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.







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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The lightning fire complex burning in the Mendocino National Forest has burned nearly 26,000 more acres over the past day, with firefighters making minor containment gains.

The August Complex currently sits at 287,106 acres with containment improving 3 percent to 23 percent, the US Forest Service reported on Thursday afternoon.

Officials said there are 733 resources committed to the complex including 15 crews, one camp crew, seven helicopters, 47 engines, 18 dozers, 26 water tenders and three masticators.

More resources are moving up to the Hopkins fire – 9,402 acres, 0-percent contained – to slow the spread of fire growth on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and to protect structures and cultural resources in the area, the Forest Service reported.

The Doe fire, the largest fire on the incident at 276,615 acres, grew slowly towards natural drainages on the north end of the fire, the Forest Service reported.

In the Crane Mills area, officials said an additional crew conducted burn out operations between Mitchell Place and Russell Cabin. Firefighters will continue to improve containment lines as southwest winds begin on Thursday.

On the northwest end of the Doe fire, an additional crew is providing support between Buck Rock and Howards Lake where the fire crossed primary containment lines. The Forest Service said Government Flat to Anthony Peak is another area of focus on Thursday for continued structure protection.

On the western perimeter of the fire, officials said southwest winds are expected to push the fire away from the homes and cabins between Plaskett Ridge and the FH7 road.

On the southwest perimeter of the Doe fire where the Hull fire began, additional crews will continue to support containment lines between Bald Mountain south to Monkey Rock where a spot fire occurred yesterday off the M1 road, the Forest Service reported.

Officials said firefighters continue to monitor the southern and eastern perimeters of the fire, where containment lines stretch from Lake Pillsbury to Elk Creek, all the way up to Salt Creek Conservation Camp.

Smoke will result in poor air quality Thursday afternoon as smoke settles into drainages, officials said.

Mendocino National Forest officials updated the area closure for the August Complex on Saturday, Aug. 29. The Forest Order 08-20-11 and map are posted on the forest website.

Daily updates and the virtual community meeting can be found on the Mendocino National Forest Facebook page.

The most up-to-date information on the August Complex can be found on InciWeb.


The August Complex as mapped on Thursday, September 3, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Lake County and much of the rest of California due to near-record temperatures expected to occur this weekend and into early next week.

The excessive heat watch is in effect from Saturday morning through Tuesday afternoon.

Temperatures during that time period are expected to reach between 100 and 110 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

The Lake County forecast anticipates temperatures of up to 105 degrees on Labor Day.

On Wednesday, during a virtual community meeting on the August Complex in the Mendocino National Forest, incident meteorologist Chuck Redmond explained that a high-pressure system moving over the western United States will cause temperatures to rise to as much as 110 degrees in lower elevations and up to 95 degrees in higher elevations.

He said that the system also will bring very dry conditions and very low humidity.

This week, in addition to high temperatures, air quality remains a concern due to smoke from the area’s wildland fires.

The Lake County Air Quality Management District has issued an air quality alert in effect through Thursday night due to conditions rated as "unhealthy for sensitive individuals" to "unhealthy."

Air quality conditions are expected to be potentially unhealthy until the region’s wildland fires are fully contained, officials reported.

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.

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