LAKEPORT, Calif. – The entire city of Lakeport has been ordered to evacuate because of the imminent threat posed by the fast-moving River fire, and Highway 20 has been closed because of the Ranch fire.

Just after 3 p.m. the Lakeport Police Department issued the mandatory evacuation notice, ordering residents to leave immediately and seek shelter at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.

Minutes later, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office followed up by ordering all residents north of Highland Springs and Big Valley Road and south of 20th Street to leave immediately as well.

Finley and the Big Valley Rancheria lso have been placed under an evacuation advisory.

The Highway 20 closure was announced by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 4 p.m.

Radio reports had indicated the fire had jumped the highway.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that the closure was the result of the Ranch fire, and that the highway is closed between the intersection of Highway 20 and Potter Valley Road and the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 20.

The city of Lakeport – which had been under an advisory evacuation notice since Saturday – now joins numerous other parts of the county where residents have been ordered to leave for their own safety because they are in the path of the Mendocino Complex of fires.

Law enforcement officials are now making their way through the city of Lakeport to help evacuate residents.

On Sunday morning, Cal Fire said the complex, which includes the Ranch and River fires, had burned a combined 24,270 acres, with a total of 10 percent containment and thousands of structures threatened.

As the day wore on, the fire fight continued, with the River fire began making runs up ridges near the city during the afternoon.

A community meeting that had been called for Sunday evening in Kelseyville also was canceled due to a lack of available resources, according to Sheriff Brian Martin.

Current evacuations, road closure and other related information are posted below.

EVACUATIONS

LAKE COUNTY

Mandatory evacuations:

• The city of Lakeport.
• Lakeport area north of Highland Springs/Big Valley Road and South of 20th Street.
• The unincorporated area Lakeport, everything south of Scotts Creek Road to Scotts Valley Road to Highway 29; everything west of Highway 29 from Scotts Valley Road to Highland Springs Road; everything north of Highland Springs Road, Mathews Road, George Road and Highway 175 to the Lake-Mendocino County line; everything east of Lake-Mendocino
County line from Scotts Creek Road to Highway 175.
• North of Highway 20, west of Mendenhall Avenue; east of the Mendocino-Lake County line;
south of Mendocino National Forest.
• Blue Lakes.
• Bachelor Valley.
• Witter Springs.
• Elk Mountain Road, north of Rancheria Road to Middle Creek Campground and west to the county line.
• North Scotts Valley Road from the 7000 block to Highway 20.

Advisory evacuation orders:
 
• North of Highway 20, east of Mendenhall Avenue and south of the Mendocino National Forest boundary, west of Robinson Rancheria Casino.
• Finley and Big Valley Rancheria.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Mandatory evacuations:

• 8000 block of River Road, south to the intersection of Highway 175 from the Russian River east to the Lake County line, within the north south points. These evacuations also include all
driveways and homes located between the north south points.
• Potter Valley community.
• All areas north of Highway 20, east of the fire edge, to the Mendocino-Lake County line.
• South of Burris Lane to MeWhinney Creek and east of East Side Potter Valley Road, to include feeder roads utilizing Burris Lane east to the Mendocino-Lake County line.

Evacuation advisories or warnings:

• Highway 20 from the 6000 block to the Lake County line.
• Potter Valley, Burris Lane area.
• North of 8000 block of River Road to Yokayo Ranch Road.

ROAD CLOSURES

• Highway 20, between the intersection of Highway 20 and Potter Valley Road and the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 20.
• Highway 175, at Old River Road to eastbound traffic (Mendocino County).
• Highway 175, at Highway 29 to westbound traffic (Lake County).
• Old River Road, between the 7000 block and Highway 175.
• Old River Road, between the 7000 and 8000 block is open to residents only.
• Scotts Valley Road at Mountview Road/11th Street (Lakeport).
• Hill Road at Scotts Valley Road (Lakeport).
• Laurel Dell near Scotts Valley Road at Scotts Valley Road (Blue Lakes).
• Bachelor Valley Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Witter Springs Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Elk Mountain Road at Rancheria Rd (Upper Lake).
• Blue Lake Road at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Irvine Avenue at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Mid Lake Road at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Mathews Road at Highway 175 (Lakeport).
• Saratoga Springs Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Highland Springs Road at Argonaut Road (Lakeport).
• Highland Springs Road at Bell Hill Road (Lakeport).
• Highland Springs Road at Merritt (Lakeport).
• Parallel Drive at Highway 175 (Lakeport).
• Martin Street at Highway 29 overpass (Lakeport).

EVACUATION CENTERS

Mendocino College, Dance Room at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.

Mountain Vista Middle School, 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville.

Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown.

ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTERS/ASSISTANCE

Lake County

Large livestock can be taken to Cole Creek Equestrian Center, 4985 Steelhead Drive, Kelseyville, telephone 707-279-0915; or to Helen Owens’ A1 Horse Programs, 18585 Guenoc Lane, Hidden Valley Lake, telephone 707-355-0121.

Animal assistance is being offered at the evacuation shelter at Mountain Vista Middle School, 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville.

Lake County Animal Care and Control urges people to try to keep small pets with them, as the shelter itself may need to be evacuated.

Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection has been activated and is evacuating animals. Call Lake County Animal Care and Control from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 707-263-0278.

Mendocino County

Redwood Riders Arena, 8300 East Road, Redwood Valley is accepting horses.

Mendocino County Animal Care, 298 Plant Road, Ukiah is accepting small animals.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – California’s governor has declared a state of emergency due to the Mendocino Complex, which grew by more than 10,000 acres overnight.

The Ranch and River fires make up the 24,270-acre Mendocino Complex, which began on Friday in Mendocino County before moving into Lake County, burning aggressively in steep terrain, fueled by extreme heat, low humidity and gusty winds.

On Sunday morning Cal Fire said the Ranch fire, which began along Highway 20 near Potter Valley, has grown to be the largest of the complex’s two fires, burning 13,242 acres.

On Saturday evening the Ranch fire spread into the Mendocino National Forest, according to forest spokeswoman Punky Moore.

The River fire, which began along Old River Road six miles from Hopland, is up to 11,028 acres, and has destroyed four residences and one outbuilding.

Both fires remained at 5 percent containment on Sunday morning, for a total complex containment of 10 percent, Cal Fire said.

Combined, the fires are now threatening 4,587 structures, Cal Fire said Sunday.

Cal Fire said 820 personnel, 56 engines, 22 water tenders, six helicopters, 27 hand crews and 22 dozers are assigned to the complex.

Earlier reports had indicated injuries to firefighters, but Sunday’s report said none have occurred.

On Saturday afternoon, as the work continued on the complex, the Steele fire began in Napa County, threatening the Berryessa Highlands area, where a mandatory evacuation was later ordered.

Aircraft were pulled from Lake County’s fires and diverted to the Steele fire, with planes later sent back to the Mendocino Complex, based on radio traffic.

The Steele fire has burned 150 acres, destroyed seven structures and damaged one other, and is 50 percent contained, Cal Fire said Sunday.

On Saturday night, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties due to the effects of the River, Ranch and Steele fires.

“Grateful to Governor Brown for declaring a state of emergency in both Mendocino and Lake Counties,” State Sen. Mike McGuire said on his Facebook page. “This declaration will help pave the way for enhanced state and federal financial assistance.”

On Sunday morning the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that it has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the State of California to combat the River Fire burning in Mendocino and Lake counties.

Mandatory evacuations remain in place

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office ordered several mandatory evacuations throughout the day on Saturday, all of which remained in effect on Sunday morning.

A a mandatory evacuation at Sutter Lakeside Hospital was triggered during Saturday afternoon.

Sutter Health spokesman Clayton Warren issued an update Saturday night that said 13 patients were safely evacuated to nearby hospitals by 7:20 p.m.

“As the last patients left the hospital, emergency officials advised us that the fire risk for Sutter Lakeside was greatly reduced – and as a result – requested we keep the emergency department and obstetrics open. The medical/surgical units and the intensive care unit remain closed,” Warren said.

Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare also was reported to have been evacuated on Saturday, based on radio reports.

The entire city of Lakeport was under an advisory evacuation throughout the day Saturday and into Sunday, and local law enforcement patrolled all of the evacuation areas to protect against looters.

On Saturday night, the River fire’s flames crested ridges behind Lakeport and appeared to be approaching the city, as shown in the video below.

However, at that point Supervisor Rob Brown, who was driving the fire area with Sheriff Brian Martin, said the fire still appeared to be several miles and ridges away.

Brown and other local officials will host a community meeting about the fires at 5 p.m. Sunday at Kelseyville High School.

Firefighters worked the incident through the night, with structure protection in areas like Bachelor Valley a priority, according to radio reports.

Reports from the scene Saturday night stated that power was cut to the Bachelor Valley area as part of the firefighting effort.

Cal Fire anticipates that the Mendocino Complex will be fully contained on Aug. 5.




In other fire news, Gov. Brown announced on Saturday that the state has secured a presidential declaration requested on Friday providing direct federal assistance to further support the communities impacted by the Carr Fire, following an emergency proclamation issued for Shasta County this week.

The Carr fire in Redding ballooned to 89,194 acres by Sunday morning, with 5 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.

The incident has claimed the lives of two firefighters and three civilians, according to Redding area media reports.

Cal Fire said the Carr fire has destroyed 517 structures and damaged 135 others, and continues to threaten nearly 5,000 more.

Gov. Brown ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of two firefighters who died while working on the Carr Fire, and issued emergency proclamations for Riverside and Mariposa counties this week due to fires.

A summary of Mendocino Complex evacuations, road closures and shelter information is listed below. Updates will be issued throughout the day as information changes.

EVACUATIONS SUMMARY

LAKE COUNTY

Mandatory evacuations:

• The unincorporated area Lakeport, everything south of Scotts Creek Road to Scotts Valley Road to Highway 29; everything west of Highway 29 from Scotts Valley Road to Highland Springs Road; everything north of Highland Springs Road, Mathews Road, George Road and Highway 175 to the Lake-Mendocino County line; everything east of Lake-Mendocino
County line from Scotts Creek Road to Highway 175.
• North of Highway 20, west of Mendenhall Avenue; east of the Mendocino-Lake County line;
south of Mendocino National Forest.
• Blue Lakes.
• Bachelor Valley.
• Witter Springs.
• Elk Mountain Road, north of Rancheria Road to Middle Creek Campground and west to the county line.
• North Scotts Valley Road from the 7000 block to Highway 20.

Advisory evacuation orders:

• Area south of Park Way and east of Highway 29 to Big Valley Road, including the entire city of Lakeport.
• North of Highway 20, east of Mendenhall Avenue and south of the Mendocino National Forest boundary, west of Robinson Rancheria Casino.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Mandatory evacuations:

• 8000 block of River Road, south to the intersection of Highway 175 from the Russian River east to the Lake County line, within the north south points. These evacuations also include all
driveways and homes located between the north south points.
• Potter Valley community.
• All areas north of Highway 20, east of the fire edge, to the Mendocino-Lake County line.
• South of Burris Lane to MeWhinney Creek and east of East Side Potter Valley Road, to include feeder roads utilizing Burris Lane east to the Mendocino-Lake County line.

Evacuation advisories or warnings:

• Highway 20 from the 6000 block to the Lake County line.
• Potter Valley, Burris Lane area.
• North of 8000 block of River Road to Yokayo Ranch Road.

ROAD CLOSURES

• Highway 175, at Old River Road to eastbound traffic (Mendocino County).
• Highway 175, at Highway 29 to westbound traffic (Lake County).
• Old River Road, between the 7000 block and Highway 175.
• Old River Road, between the 7000 and 8000 block is open to residents only.
• Scotts Valley Road at Mountview Road/11th Street (Lakeport).
• Hill Road at Scotts Valley Road (Lakeport).
• Laurel Dell near Scotts Valley Road at Scotts Valley Road (Blue Lakes).
• Bachelor Valley Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Witter Springs Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Elk Mountain Road at Rancheria Rd (Upper Lake).
• Blue Lake Road at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Irvine Avenue at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Mid Lake Road at Highway 20 (Blue Lakes).
• Mathews Road at Highway 175 (Lakeport).
• Saratoga Springs Road at Highway 20 (Upper Lake / Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs Community).
• Highland Springs Road at Argonaut Road (Lakeport).
• Highland Springs Road at Bell Hill Road (Lakeport).
• Highland Springs Road at Merritt (Lakeport).
• Parallel Drive at Highway 175 (Lakeport).
• Martin Street at Highway 29 overpass (Lakeport).

EVACUATION CENTERS

Mendocino College, Dance Room at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.

Mountain Vista Middle School, 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville (This facility is reported to be full.)

Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown.

ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTERS/ASSISTANCE

Lake County

Large livestock can be taken to Cole Creek Equestrian Center, 4985 Steelhead Drive, Kelseyville, telephone 707-279-0915; or to Helen Owens’ A1 Horse Programs, 18585 Guenoc Lane, Hidden Valley Lake, telephone 707-355-0121.

Animal assistance is being offered at the evacuation shelter at Mountain Vista Middle School, 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville.

Lake County Animal Care and Control urges people to try to keep small pets with them, as the shelter itself may need to be evacuated.

Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection has been activated and is evacuating animals. Call Lake County Animal Care and Control from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 707-263-0278.

Mendocino County

Redwood Riders Arena, 8300 East Road, Redwood Valley is accepting horses.

Mendocino County Animal Care, 298 Plant Road, Ukiah is accepting small animals.

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.

Mendocino County River fire evacuations by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Fire-related issued knocked out power to thousands of residents on the Northshore and in Mendocino County on Saturday night.

The Mendocino Complex’s Ranch fire branch’s approach to Upper Lake had spurred a number of mandatory and advisory evacuations in the area on Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.

Shortly before 10:20 p.m. Saturday, radio reports indicated that the entire Bachelor Valley area near Upper Lake had been deenergized as part of the firefighting effort for the Mendocino Complex.

Then at approximately 10:24 p.m., power went out along a large swath of the Northshore, from Nice to Lucerne.

At about 11 p.m., State Sen. Mike McGuire reported on his Facebook page that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was working on a “widespread outage that is impacting significant parts of Mendocino County including Willits, parts of Ukiah, a lot of the Mendocino Coast (including Fort Bragg) and parts of Lake County. We are in touch with PG&E representatives, more to report soon. “

PG&E said the Northshore outage in Lake County impacted 5,142 customers.

About an hour later, McGuire followed up by reporting that PG&E had determined the outage was caused by heavy smoke around the electrical lines in the Highway 20 area. He explained that heavy smoke is a conductor of electricity.

He said that, at that point, there continued to be significant fire activity south of Blue Lakes on Highway 20.

The company initially did not have a cause and had estimated power wouldn’t be restored until Monday afternoon.

However, just before 3 a.m., power came on in areas including Lucerne, with PG&E’s outage map showing the outage to be resolved a short time later.

At about the same time, McGuire said that PG&E had restored power in Ukiah.

Separately, PG&E reported some two outages in the mandatory evacuation zone in the unincorporated Lakeport area with more than 100 customers impacted.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A community meeting in response to the Mendocino Complex will be held on Sunday evening in Kelseyville.

Supervisor Rob Brown said the meeting will take place beginning at 5 p.m. at Kelseyville High School, 5480 Main St.

Brown said he, along with Sheriff Brian Martin and State Sen. Mike McGuire, will be among the officials on hand to discuss the complex of fires with the community.

The Ranch and River fires began Friday in Mendocino County and have since pushed into Lake County’s borders, triggering both mandatory and advisory evacuations on Saturday.

On Saturday night, the River portion of the complex appeared to be continuing its push toward Lakeport, with flames cresting the ridges behind the city visible from across Clear Lake on the Northshore.

However, Brown said Saturday night that he and Martin had driven the fire area and it appeared that the fire was still several miles – and several ridges – away.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s air quality conditions continued to worsen on Saturday primarily due to the thick smoke from the approaching Mendocino Complex, including the Ranch and River fires, and other major wildland incidents in the state.

Lake County Air Quality Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart issued an air quality alert for “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” results from the heavy smoke conditions, as well as the forecast for extended smoke impacts.

Gearhart said Saturday that the particulate levels in Lake County are in the range from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” in the Lakeport and west county areas and “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” to “unhealthy” air quality in the eastern and southern portions of the county.

The higher levels of smoke are expected to continue through the weekend. With the expected weather conditions smoke levels are expected to degrade, Gearhart said.

All areas may experience “very unhealthy” air quality, and individuals should take precautions. The smoke is expected to remain in Lake County through the weekend, though Gearhart said the county may see periods of variable air quality as the winds shift through the next few days.

Conditions can change quickly. Smoky conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individual including children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions.

Individuals with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and other lung or heart diseases should carefully adhere to their medical treatment plans and maintain at least a five-day supply of prescribed medications. They should limit outdoor activity and unnecessary physical exertion while smoke is present. Air conditioning that recirculates indoor air should be used, when available. Drinking plenty of water to avoid drying of the airways is recommended, unless restricted for medical reasons.

If you cannot leave the smoky area, good ways to protect your lungs from wildfire smoke include staying indoors and reducing physical activity.

Wearing an air purifying respirator can also help protect your lungs from wildfire smoke. Air purifying respirators, such as N-95 or P100 filtering face pieces, may be effective in reducing some of the harmful particulate matter, but they also increase the work of breathing, can lead to physiologic stress, and are not recommended as a general protective measure.

Dust masks are not protective against the ultra fine particulate, which is the pollutant most detrimental to health caused by wildfire smoke.

With air quality forecast to be in the “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” range, people are recommended to use caution, avoid strenuous activity, avoid outdoor activities, and reduce other sources of air pollution (such as smoking, use of aerosol products, frying or broiling meats, burning candles, vacuuming, etc.) and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

Localized areas of very unhealthy or hazardous air quality, regional haze, and particulate from these fires can be expected until the regional fires are fully contained and the weather pattern shifts to clear the smoke. Take appropriate measures until the smoke clears.

This story is being updated on a rolling basis.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the River and Ranch fires bearing down on Lake County, local officials have issued new evacuation orders as crews on the fire lines try to stop the fires’ advance.

A new size estimate hasn’t yet been offered of the complex, which as of Saturday morning had burned 9,500 acres, with hundreds of structures threatened.

Just before 1:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office ordered mandatory evacuations for the area west of Highway 29 in and around the city of Lakeport, including all areas west of Highway 29 between Highland Springs Road and 11th Street/Scotts Valley Road, and west to the Lake/Mendocino County line.

That was followed at 4 p.m. by a mandatory evacuation order for Bachelor Valley and Witter Springs. Shortly before that order, radio traffic indicated the Ranch fire had jumped Bachelor Valley Road.

Minutes later, Incident command issued a call for an immediate need strike team of three engines to respond to Bachelor Valley for structure protection, according to radio reports.

About 20 minutes later, Scotts Valley was ordered to evacuate to the north and exit onto Highway 20.

At 4:30 p.m., Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport was reported to be under mandatory evacuation. 

Sutter Health spokesman Clayton Warren said one patient from the emergency room and 14 other patients were evacuated. He said staff are now coordinating with the Sutter Health transfer center to determine which hospitals they’ll be transported to next, with Novato a possible location.

At 4:37 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office ordered residents on Elk Mountain Road north of Rancheria Road to evacuate immediately.

Law enforcement officers of multiple agencies have been working on evacuations throughout the day.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said shelters have been set up at Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville, 5081 Konocti Road, and at Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown.

Shortly after 5 p.m., air operations on the complex reported that all aircraft – with the exception of one plane to be used for operations – were being pulled from the incident, with no more retardant to be dropped for the day, due to a fire that had broken out in the Berryessa Highlands in Napa County on Saturday afternoon.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, Lake County Animal Care and Control staff and volunteers with the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection group, or LEAP, were reported to be working their way through the mandatory evacuation area.

At about 5:45 p.m. teams were reported to be working along Scotts Valley Road, picking up animals including goats, a mini donkey and an ostrich.

Emergency operations centers are now in operation in both Mendocino and Lake counties in response to the complex.

On Saturday afternoon, the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services reported that a proclamation of a local emergency had been declared due to the fires.

Caltrans reported that Highway 175 is closed from the junction of Highway 101 in Hopland to 1.4 miles west of the south junction with Highway 29 at Mathews Road due to the fire.

As of 5:30 p.m., Highway 20 and Highway 29 remain open, according to Caltrans.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the following list of mandatory and advisory evacuations just before 8 p.m.

Mandatory evacuation orders

River fire

– All areas west of Highway 29 between Highland Springs Road and 11th Street/Scotts Valley Road, and west to the Lake/Mendocino County Line. This includes all of Hendricks Road.

Ranch fire

– Witter Springs, Bachelor Valley, Saratoga Springs.
– Elk Mountain Road, north of Rancheria Road to Middle Creek Campground and west to the county line.
– East side of Elk Mountain Road, from Rancheria Road to the Middle Creek Campground.
– Blue Lakes.

Advisory evacuation orders

River fire

– South of Park Way and east of Highway 29 to Big Valley Road – basically everything east of 29 between Park Way and Big Valley.

Ranch fire

– Entire community of Upper Lake and surrounding areas.

Additional updates will be posted below.

UPDATES:

6:55 p.m.: Firefighters report that people are stopping along Highway 20 and causing a dangerous situation. They also were concerned that the Ranch fire was going to cross the highway and reach high tension power lines. The specific location was not reported. The fire also was said to be making significant runs.

7:04 p.m.: Two planes were requested to respond to the River fire.

7:05 p.m.: The spread of the Ranch fire along Highway 20 was reportedly slowing, with firefighters holding it in a creekbed, with the wind in their favor. The California Highway Patrol was clearing people off Highway 20. There were still concerns about the fire getting to power lines.

7:16 p.m.: The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeport Police Department and allied agencies – Clearlake Police, Ukiah Police and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office – are actively patrolling for unauthorized entry into evacuation areas. Officials said any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters a disaster area and who willfully remains within the area after receiving notice to evacuate or leave shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

7:20 p.m.: From the Lake County Sheriff’s Office: “This is a mandatory evacuation notice for the east side of Elk Mountain Road from Rancheria Road to the Middle Creek Campground. Residents are advised to evacuate immediately. A shelter has been established at the Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville, and another at the Twin Pines Casino in Middletown that will open after 11 p.m.

7:38 p.m.: The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation advisory for the entire community of Upper Lake and the surrounding areas due to the approach of the Ranch Fire.

8:36 p.m.: A mandatory evacuation notice for the Blue Lakes area has been issued. The Lake County Sheriff's Office asks residents to please leave immediately.  

9:38 p.m.: Cal Fire reports the Ranch fire now at 5,000 acres and 5-percent contained, while the River fire is 9,000 acres, also 5-percent contained. Total structures threatened by both remains at 386. So far, two structures destroyed.

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.

This story has been updated with advisory evacuation information and a map of the mandatory evacuation area.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With fires that began in Mendocino County on Friday continuing to grow and approach Lake County communities, on Saturday afternoon local officials expanded the advisory evacuation area to include the entire city of Lakeport and a new mandatory evacuation order for an area near the city.

The Mendocino Complex, composed of the Ranch and River fires, grew to 9,500 acres on Saturday morning.

That breaks down to 3,500 acres and 2 percent containment on the Ranch fire, which began along Highway 20 eight miles northeast of Ukiah, and 6,000 acres and 2 percent containment for the River fire, which began off of Old River Road near Hopland.

Two structures have so far been destroyed and a total of 386 are threatened, Cal Fire said.

Officials also said that seven firefighters have been injured in battling the complex.

Resources assigned on Saturday to the complex included 470 personnel and 40 engines, 20 water tenders, two helicopters, 16 hand crews and 15 dozers.

Due to the River fire portion of the complex, on Saturday the sheriff’s office issued a mandatory evacuation notice for the area west of Highway 29 in and around the city of Lakeport.

The area to be evacuated includes all areas west of Highway 29 between Highland Springs Road and 11th Street/Scotts Valley Road, and west to the Lake/Mendocino County line.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Lakeport Police Department jointly issued an advisory evacuation notice to the entire city of Lakeport and the surrounding areas.

Evacuation is recommended but not required. The Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Office encourage those who are able to evacuate to consider doing so now.

A shelter has been established at Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville, 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville.

Advisory evacuations also remain in effect for Bachelor Valley, Blue Lakes, Witter Springs, north Scotts Valley Road from the 7000 block to Highway 20, and Highway 20 from the 6000 block to the Lake County line.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two wildland fires in Mendocino County continued to grow overnight, with Lake County officials prepared in the event the fires reach local communities.

The Ranch and River fires, which were first reported about an hour apart on Friday afternoon, were combined into the Mendocino Complex overnight, according to Cal Fire.

Just after midnight early Saturday, Cal Fire issued an update on the complex, which together have burned 8,300 acres, with zero containment, and two structures – one residence and one outbuilding – destroyed. Two firefighters have been injured.

Officials said at that time that there were no roadway closures but urged drivers along Highway 20 and Highway 175 to use caution and watch for emergency vehicles entering and exiting the roadway.

Available mapping shown above illustrates that both fires are close to the Lake County line, with spots on the River fire appearing to have crossed into Lake County.

The Ranch fire, located along Highway 20 near Old Lake County Highway eight miles northeast of Ukiah, was first reported at about noon on Friday.

Cal Fire said the Ranch fire was up to 2,700 acres by midnight.

The fire was reported to be moving toward Lake County, which prompted evacuation warnings Friday evening for the areas of Bachelor Valley, Blue Lakes, Witter Springs, north Scotts Valley Road from the 7000 block to Highway 20, and Highway 20 from the 6000 block to the Lake County line, according to Cal Fire.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that, in the event it issues a mandatory evacuation notice due to the fire, an evacuation shelter will be opened at Mountain Vista Middle School at 5081 Konocti Road, Kelseyville.

Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection, the volunteer group working under the auspices of Lake County Animal Care and Control, also has been on standby since Friday afternoon in the event evacuations are necessary.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison told Lake County News on Friday afternoon that his agency was ramping up in the event that the fires reached Lake County.

The River fire, which was reported at about 1 p.m. Friday along Old River Road six miles north of Hopland, has burned the largest portion of the complex’s acreage, and was at 5,600 acres early Saturday, according to Cal Fire.

In Mendocino County, mandatory evacuations are in effect for the River fire area, from the 8000 block of River Road, south to Highway 175, and from the Russian River east to to the Lake County line, and area which the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said includes the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning, or advisory, for the area south of Highway 175, east of Old River Road to Highway 101 and east to Old Toll Road and Ranch Road area.

An evacuation center for Mendocino County residents has been established at the Mendocino College Dance Room at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.

The J arena located at 4800 Burke Hill Road, Ukiah, is accepting animals but not horses; instead, horses will be sheltered at the Redwood Riders Arena, located at 8300 East Road in Redwood Valley. Small animals will be accepted at the Mendocino County Animal Shelter, 298 Plant Road in Ukiah.

Concerns about fire and safety also led the county of Lake to temporarily close Mt. Konocti County Park, the regional trails and the Highland Springs Recreation Area until further notice.

The Bureau of Land Management also implemented a temporary closure of the North Cow Mountain Recreation Area, rifle range and South Cow Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area due for public safety due to the proximity of both the River and Ranch fires.

Lake County Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart had reported on Friday that the Mendocino County fires – as well as the Carr fire Shasta County to the north – were sending smoke into the local air basin.

As the night wore on, Lake County’s air quality continued to degrade, with a pervasive smell of smoke and reports from residents in a number of areas of falling ash.

Gearhart said air quality could drop into the “unhealthy” range for all residents, although air quality could vary if there are wind shifts in the area.

Both Lake and Mendocino counties are under a heat advisory through Sunday night due to a forecast for temperatures that could top the century mark. Those high temperatures are expected to create more challenges for a firefighting force that’s already stretched in light of resource needs at other incidents around the state.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – One mosquito sample collected in Lake County has tested positive for West Nile virus this week, health officials reported Friday.

The mosquitoes, Culex tarsalis, or Western encephalitis mosquito, were collected in Lower Lake on July 26, according to the Lake County Vector Control District.

The district reported that this is the first detection of WNV in Lake County in 2018.

The Lake County Vector Control District traps and tests mosquitoes throughout the county to identify the areas that have the highest risk, and targets those areas for source reduction and treatment using an integrated vector management program.

“The hot weather we’ve had this summer is perfect for both West Nile virus and mosquitoes to multiply quickly,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of the Lake County Vector Control District. “This is the first West Nile virus we’ve found in Lake County this year, and in most years, we continue to find West Nile virus into September.”

No other West Nile virus activity has been detected in Lake County yet this year. Statewide, 24 California counties have detected WNV this year, mainly in mosquitoes. Twelve human cases of West Nile virus illness have been reported in California residents this year.

While less than 1 percent of individuals – about 1 in 150 people – infected with West Nile virus will develop severe illness from West Nile virus infection, the disease can cause symptoms that can last for several weeks, and neurologic effects can be permanent. In some individuals, the infection can be fatal. People over age 50 and diabetics are at risk for the more severe forms of the disease.

The most recent confirmed case of WNV infection in Lake County was in 2016.

“Since there is no West Nile Virus vaccine for humans, the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites,” says Lake County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Erin Gustafson. “All residents of Lake County should get in the habit of taking precautions against mosquito bites while mosquitoes are active. We are fortunate to have had only a few cases of human illness, but finding the virus in mosquitoes is a reminder that we must take precautions throughout the WNV season.”

“You can reduce your risk of catching the infection by staying indoors during early morning and evening hours, keeping window screens in good repair, wearing protective clothing and use of insect repellents according to package instructions,” according to Dr. Gustafson.

“Other steps you can take to protect your family from West Nile virus are dumping or draining containers of water, using mosquito repellent, and contacting the District to get mosquitofish if you have a pool or spa that isn’t being maintained,” Dr. Scott recommended.

Mosquitoes that transmit WNV develop in the water in out-of-service swimming pools and spas, animal watering troughs, ornamental ponds, rain barrels, and other sources of standing water. The district has free mosquito-eating fish to control mosquitoes in these sources.

Residents with questions or who would like help with a mosquito problem, including reporting a neglected pool or spa, should contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 or visit www.lcvcd.org.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/. Information about mosquito repellents can be found on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake and neighboring counties are under a heat advisory through Sunday night due to a forecast that calls for temperatures expected to top the century mark.

The National Weather Service issued the heat advisory, in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday.

The agency said a heat advisory means that a prolonged period of hot temperatures is expected and will create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible.

Forecasters are predicting daytime highs in the upper 90s and lower 100s around the region.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for daytime temperatures as high as 104 degrees on Saturday and 105 degrees on Sunday, with nighttime temperatures in the 60s.

Much of Mendocino County is under the same heat advisory, according to the National Weather Service.

The high temperatures are a concern for firefighters, who are battling the Mendocino Complex of fires – consisting of the Ranch and River fires – that began Friday.

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.

Some people think that what they need is a “simple will.” Actually what they need is the “right will.”

What the “right will” is depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the estate, the simplicity or the complexity of the gifting scheme, contingency planning if beneficiaries die, whether a probate will be required, whether a living trust is involved, the type of assets to pass under the will, the capacity of the testator (i.e., person signing the will) both to understand and to sign the will, and whether the will is likely to be disputed.

When no probate is required a “simple will” is more likely to be sufficient. Also, if the testator has diminished capacity to understand what their will says then a simple will may also be more appropriate.

A California statutory will, a short formal will, or a handwritten holographic will can all be simple wills.

A California statutory will is a free form available online. The testator has a series of choices and decisions to make. He or she fills in the appropriate blanks in the form, initials each page and signs and dates the will before two disinterested witnesses who also sign. It allows no deviations or elaborations from the form.

A short formal will is one prepared by an attorney. It is signed and dated by the testator and witnessed by two impartial witnesses.

A short formal will can address issues beyond the limited scope of a California statutory will and is the only choice if the testator is physically unable to sign the will.

A testator who wants some contingency planning or who wants any conditions placed on gifts would not use a statutory will.

A holographic will requires that the major substantive terms be handwritten by the testator who must declare his testamentary intention to make a will. No witnesses are required.

Someone without time to see an attorney who is travelling or going into surgery might use a holographic will as a temporary measure.

When is a probate required? Probate estates appraised at or above $150,000 gross value require a court supervised probate. An important exception applies to assets going to the decedent’s surviving spouse. Assets passing to a surviving spouse do not require a probate, no matter the value, and can be transferred using a spousal property petition.

A probate may still be required to transfer other assets of the decedent’s estate going to other beneficiaries. Transferring assets in a small estate with a gross value under $150,000 to non-spousal beneficiaries usually involves either affidavits or a court petition to confirm title to real and personal property.

A formal will is far better equipped for probate administration. Wills are more than just statements of testamentary wishes. They contain important provisions relevant to probate administration that are often missing in simple wills.

Such provisions include whether a family homestead and family allowance should be allowed, the personal representative’s powers and authorities, definitions, and whether a bond is required. Otherwise the probate administration may run into difficulties.

If the will is likely to be contested by an heir or beneficiary then a formal will that includes disinheritance and no contest provisions is needed.

If the decedent uses a living trust to avoid probate then a supporting “pour over will” still accompanies the living trust. It gives any assets remaining outside the living trust to the trustee for unified administration as part of the trust estate.

Having a will is usually necessary. When a California resident dies “Intestate,” i.e., without a will, the estate (other than any assets passing to designated death beneficiaries or held in a living trust) go to the decedent’s heirs under the probate code. The intestate distribution is not always what the decedent would have wanted.

Therefore, having a will or a trust to carry out your wishes only makes sense.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235. His Web site is www.DennisFordhamLaw.com.

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, has started its search for planets around nearby stars, officially beginning science operations on July 25.

TESS is expected to transmit its first series of science data back to Earth in August, and thereafter periodically every 13.5 days, once per orbit, as the spacecraft makes it closest approach to Earth.

The TESS Science Team will begin searching the data for new planets immediately after the first series arrives.

"I'm thrilled that our new planet hunter mission is ready to start scouring our solar system's neighborhood for new worlds," said Paul Hertz, NASA Astrophysics division director at Headquarters, Washington. "Now that we know there are more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the strange, fantastic worlds we're bound to discover."

TESS is NASA's latest satellite to search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets.

The mission will spend the next two years monitoring the nearest and brightest stars for periodic dips in their light.

These events, called transits, suggest that a planet may be passing in front of its star. TESS is expected to find thousands of planets using this method, some of which could potentially support life.

TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Dr. George Ricker of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission.

Additional partners include Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia; NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley; the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts; MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts; and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

More than a dozen universities, research institutes and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission.