HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Law enforcement officials are investigating the discovery late Monday morning of a man's body in a pond on the Hidden Valley Lake golf course.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office was notified at 11:45 a.m. Monday that the body was found, with a deputy on scene minutes later, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

While Brooks was able to confirm the body's discovery, he said it was too early in the investigation to be able to offer additional details.

He said the sheriff's office is working now to formally identify the man.

A Lake County News correspondent who was at the scene Monday afternoon said the pond where the body was found is located between the golf course's first and ninth fairways, and is visible from the clubhouse.

Sheriff's investigators, Cal Fire firefighters and Hidden Valley Lake security were among the agencies on scene.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

John Lindblom contributed to this report.

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.

NICE, Calif. – A Cal Fire strike team on its way to one of the state's major wildland fires is being credited with helping to prevent a fire that burned three structures in a Nice neighborhood on Saturday night from doing even more damage.

The fire, first reported at 10 p.m. at 6979 Plumas St., destroyed a modular home and its garage, as well as a doublewide trailer, according to Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown.

Initial reports indicated that Lake County Central Dispatch received more than 100 calls about the fire, according to Brown.

Brown said the five-engine strike team was traveling through Lake County when the Plumas Street fire was dispatched.

“We were able to grab them,” he said, with Northshore Fire making contact with Cal Fire and having the strike team diverted to the Plumas Street incident.

Those Cal Fire engines arrived ahead of Brown and other units from Northshore Fire and Lakeport Fire, he said.

“We could have lost more houses if we didn't have that strike team here,” Brown said.

Brown said the fire started in the modular home, which was burned along with its garage, and then the fire ran up a hill and burned the doublewide trailer.

The occupants of the two homes were away when the fire started, said Brown.

During the firefighting effort, there was one injury reported; Brown said a fire captain rolled an ankle.

All of the structures were destroyed, with Brown estimating total damages at about $200,000.

Brown said the fire burned very hot and very fast. Because of so many nearby homes clustered around the fire, firefighters went into defensive mode and hit the fire hard, running a 5-inch hose from a hydrant and using an estimated 700 gallons a minute for at least an hour.

The fire's cause is under investigation, Brown said.

A fire crew remained on scene through the night until a fire investigator arrived. Brown said the last Northshore Fire engine cleared the scene at about 9 a.m. Sunday.

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.

NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, now holds the off-Earth roving distance record after accruing 25 miles of driving, and is not far from completing the first extraterrestrial marathon. The previous record was held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover.

“Opportunity has driven farther than any other wheeled vehicle on another world,” said Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager John Callas, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. “This is so remarkable considering Opportunity was intended to drive about one kilometer and was never designed for distance.”

A drive of 157 feet on July 27 put Opportunity's total odometry at 25.01 miles.This month's driving brought the rover southward along the western rim of Endeavour Crater.

The rover had driven more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) before arriving at Endeavour Crater in 2011, where it has examined outcrops on the crater’s rim containing clay and sulfate-bearing minerals.

The sites are yielding evidence of ancient environments with less acidic water than those examined at Opportunity’s landing site.

If the rover can continue to operate the distance of a marathon – 26.2 miles – it will approach the next major investigation site mission scientists have dubbed “Marathon Valley.”

Observations from spacecraft orbiting Mars suggest several clay minerals are exposed close together at this valley site, surrounded by steep slopes where the relationships among different layers may be evident.

The Russian Lunokhod 2 rover, a successor to the first Lunokhod mission in 1970, landed on Earth's moon on Jan. 15, 1973, where it drove about 24.2 miles in less than five months, according to calculations recently made using images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) cameras that reveal Lunokhod 2's tracks.

Irina Karachevtseva at Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography's Extraterrestrial Laboratory in Russia, Brad Jolliff of Washington University in St. Louis, Tim Parker of JPL, and others, collaborated to verify the map-based methods for computing distances are comparable for Lunokhod-2 and Opportunity.

“The Lunokhod missions still stand as two signature accomplishments of what I think of as the first golden age of planetary exploration, the 1960s and '70s,” said Steve Squyres of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and principal investigator for NASA's twin Mars rovers, Opportunity and Spirit. “We’re in a second golden age now, and what we’ve tried to do on Mars with Spirit and Opportunity has been very much inspired by the accomplishments of the Lunokhod team on the moon so many years ago. It has been a real honor to follow in their historical wheel tracks.”

As Opportunity neared the mileage record earlier this year, the rover team chose the name Lunokhod 2 for a crater about 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter on the outer slope of Endeavour's rim on Mars.

As impressive as the distance record is, concludes Callas, even more impressive is “how much exploration and discovery we have accomplished over that distance.”

For more information about the many discoveries of NASA's Mars rovers, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/rovers .

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport’s High Street Village market, which for the last decade has been vacant, will be reopening soon as an important component in Lake County’s burgeoning wine industry.

Through a $600,000 renovation by owners Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka, the store space will be converted to a cooperative wine storage facility.

The building will reopen as “Lake County Wine Cellars.”

An open house for prospective clients is planned to take place before harvest, with Cliff Ruzicka – a well-known Lake County civil engineer – reporting that the goal is to have the facility in operation by early 2015.

“They’re going to have to refurbish the building to make it insulated and maintain a temperature of 55 degrees. And they’re going to have to put in a whole new security system,” said Rick Gunier, who serves as the project's marketing director. “They have several things that they have to do.”

With the completion of the project, the 20,000-square-foot facility will be converted to bonded storage space that can be utilized by 31 wineries that currently exist in Lake County.

“We think it will hold 150,000 cases,” Gunier said.

Individual winery storage spaces range from as large as nearly 5,000 cases down to 400 and monthly rent ranges from nearly $2,000 to as little as $220. Nearly all wine will be stored by the case or bottle.

A storage facility – particularly one in a large and open space – is a critical component to Lake County’s wine producers, who are in a growth cycle.

From a beginning of three wineries in Lake County a quarter-century ago, the region is expected to have as many as 40 in the near future.

Presently, said Gunier, Lake County winemakers are obliged to store their wines in facilities as far away as Ukiah and American Canyon.

“The wine business is growing in Lake County and facilities like this are needed,” Ruzicka said.

The wine business, he added, “kind of drives itself.”

The Ruzickas said they're excited to provide to Lake County wineries a place to store their wines in a cool and safe environment.

Conversely, since the addition of big box stores and supermarkets, small and midsize neighborhood markets have diminished.

High Street Market was one of the markets that went out of business during this trend. It was built and opened in 1975 by Robert Nylander and closed in 2004, Cliff Ruzicka said.

“Small markets are a thing of the past when you have Walmarts and those kinds of things,” said Ruzicka. “The grocery business has changed and there is no longer a need for this (High Street) kind of market.

“But there is a need (for storage) within the local wine industry and we have the right space to fill it,” he said.

The wine storage facility will be bonded, which requires strict control over the inventory and storage protocols.

The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee and Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira have given the project their support.

On the industry side, award winning Lake County winemaker Gregory Graham said he is looking forward to storing his wine there.

Lake County Winery Association Executive Director Terry Dereniuk said the only other wine storage option she's aware of in Lake County is Mount Konocti Winery.

“I believe this is a positive development and speaks volumes about the growth of the Lake County wine industry,” Dereniuk said.

The Ruzickas' finished storage facility will include round-the-clock interior and exterior video surveillance, controlled refrigeration, individualized secure storage areas for each winery customer and a state-of-the-art, client-accessible online inventory status.

The converted facility will offer more than storage to Lake County vintners. The building next door to the facility will can be used as a tasting room or for the introduction of new varietals.

“It just depends on the clients who go there,” said Gunier. “You can rent the building next door by the night. You can go in, put your banner up and send out invitations.

“It’s a big deal,” he added.

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

Editor’s note: The picture of the store above is how it looks currently. A picture that had been supplied to Lake County News to accompany the story had been altered to look like how the building is intended to appear when renovations are completed, a fact which was not disclosed. That picture has been removed. We apologize to our readers for the altered photo being posted in the first place.

NICE, Calif. – Firefighters worked into the early morning hours on Sunday at the scene of a residential structure fire.

The fire, reported at 10 p.m. Saturday, occurred at in the 6900 block of Plumas Street in Nice, according to radio reports. Central Dispatch received multiple reports of the fire.

Northshore Fire units arriving on scene reported finding a doublewide mobile home and a garage on fire. In addition, the fire had moved into nearby vegetation and utility lines were down, reports from the scene stated.

In addition to Northshore Fire, radio reports indicated that Cal Fire and Lakeport Fire sent units. There also was a request for sheriff's deputies to assist with controlling the scene and for Pacific Gas and Electric to respond due to the downed lines.

Witnesses reported on Lake County News' Facebook page that neighbors used a garden hose to help put out fire on the hillside.

It took close to 40 minutes for firefighters to stop the wildland fire and another hour for the structure fire's progress to be stopped, according to radio reports.

Reports from the scene indicated the structures were destroyed.

Just before 1 a.m., incident command requested additional personnel from Northshore Fire's Clearlake Oak's station, with other units remaining on scene after that point.

Additional information 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. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two fires that took place overnight destroyed structures in Clearlake and Lakeport.

The first fire, reported just before 10:45 p.m. Friday on Alvita Avenue in Clearlake, burned an apartment, according to Lake County Fire Protection Chief Willie Sapeta.

Radio reports indicated that firefighters arrived to find the structure partially involved. They managed to contain the fire to the apartment.

Due to smoke and fire damage, Sapeta said the apartment was a complete loss.

Sapeta said the fire displaced a woman and a teenager, who were getting housing assistance from the Red Cross.

The fire's cause remains under investigation, Sapeta said.

Then, at around 1:40 a.m. Saturday, a structure fire was reported at 4850 Lakeshore Blvd. in Lakeport.

Firefighters found one small structure fully involved and others threatened when they arrived, and what appeared to be downed power lines, according to radio reports.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison said it turned out that the downed lines were for phone not power service.

Hutchison said a small lawn shed and some other backyard items burned in the fire, with some scorching to a few nearby cottages.

“We got it stopped before it got into anything,” Hutchison said.

In addition to Lakeport, Kelseyville Fire and Northshore Fire sent units to assist with the incident, Hutchison said.

Mop up continued for several hours – Hutchison himself didn't clear the scene until just after 4:30 a.m. – as there had been a wood pile in the shed and firefighters needed to make sure everything was extinguished, he said.

Hutchison said the fire's cause is under investigation.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Large wildland fires continue to burn around Northern California, destroying homes and infrastructure, scorching tens of thousands of acres, causing evacuations and sending large amounts of smoke into the Lake County air basin.

Over the weekend Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency due to the wildland fires in Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta and Siskiyou counties.

The proclamation mobilizes the California National Guard to support disaster response.

It also notes that the fires, coupled with the state's drought conditions, have caused California's air quality to significantly deteriorate.

That's true in Lake County, where a heavy smoke haze has been visible since late last week.

As of Sunday night, the Oregon Gulch Fire in Siskiyou County had burned 36,723 acres and was 20 percent contained, fire officials reported.

Shasta County also is the location of major incidents, including the Bald Fire and Eiler Fire. The Bald Fire had burned 39,600 acres and was 5-percent contained by Sunday night. It's expected to be contained Aug. 17.

The Eiler Fire, burning southeast of Burney, has burned 25,900 acres and is estimated to be fully contained on Aug. 20, officials reported.

The Day Fire in Modoc County, caused by lightning on July 30, has burned 12,850 acres and six structures – five of them homes – and is 45-percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

In neighboring Mendocino County, the Lodge Complex of lightning fires has burned 2,700 acres, growing by 900 acres since Saturday, Cal Fire said. It is 10-percent contained.
 
The Lodge Complex is threatening 17 structures and has cost an estimated $2.6 million to fight so far, according to Cal Fire, with 48 fire engines, 28 fire crews, 20 bulldozers, 14 helicopters, 24 water tenders and 908 firefighting personnel.

Cal Fire said the complex – which is burning in steep, rugged terrain – is continuing to grow due to severe drought conditions and accessibility challenges.

Fire crews are removing dried and dead vegetation around residences in the Horseshoe Bend area, and firefighters will continue to pursue aggressive air and ground tactics, Cal Fire said.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With the fire season already well under way, and the recent incidences of the Monticello Fire near Lake Berryessa and the Butts Fire in Napa and Lake counties, wildfire safety for hikers in the region is a topic that bears repeating.

Eric “Bam Bam” Barnett builds and maintain hiking trails on a regular basis very near the area affected by the Butts Fire.

“I like to talk to my crews on the trail, especially the trails I build because of the remoteness, about fire dangers,” Barnett said.

He encourages wildfire safety and awareness.

Taking reasonable precautions during fire season before going out on a hike is the first best defense against getting trapped in a remote area with a wildfire on the way.

Before heading out, check with the local fire services for notices about possible burns or risk concerns in the area. Take the time to not only plot the course of your hike, but also to plot escape routes.  

Barnett said, “I am pretty good about checking for fire [information] online. I have a campfire permit and follow the guidelines. I keep an eye out for smoke, and stay aware of phone reception areas for emergency calls.”

Watching for signs of fire is another good defense against getting trapped by a wildfire. The acrid scent of smoke or seeing smoke are obvious indicators that a fire is nearby.

If you see ash or sparks in the air, it means the fire is probably less than a mile away from you and you should take immediately measures to safely leave the area. Even small fires can loom large in just short amount of time, so don’t underestimate the danger.

“Getting away from the burn is more important than getting to your car at the trailhead,” Barnett said.

When trying to escape a fire, face the wind and move downhill whenever possible. Remember, heat rises, so fire will run up the side of a hill or embankment much quicker than it will move down it.

Move along areas that won’t provide the fire with any additional tinder, such as wide dirt trails or fire breaks, paved roads, or rocky and gravelly areas; and avoid canyons and ravines where wind will provide fuel and movement for the flames.

“Wildfires will catch a draw very similar to the draw in a fireplace or wood-burning stove along ravines,” Barnett warned.

If you do find yourself trapped by the fire, and you can’t get out into a deep water source (such as a stream or lake) do not douse your clothes with water. If the fire reaches you, it can cause the water on your clothes to super-heat and turn to scalding steam.

Never try to outrun an oncoming wildfire; they can move as quickly as 14 miles per hour.

If the fire is going to overtake you, find a relatively clear space on the ground, pull up any weeds or brush you can, and create a shallow depression to lie in. The bigger the space you can clear for yourself, the better.

Remove any synthetic clothing you’re wearing, as synthetics will burn quickly and melt onto your skin. Take off your backpack, but keep it nearby in case you need to use it as a heat shield. Then lay face-down in the depression with your feet in the direction of the fire.

As horrifying as being trapped by a wildfire may seem, keep in mind that if one does overtake you, it may pass over you in less than a minute or so. The heat will make it difficult to breathe, but try to keep yourself low to the ground and as calm as you can.

To avoid situations like this, however, it’s always best to arm yourself with as much information as you can before going out on the trail. Stay alert and stay safe.

Tuleyome Tales is a monthly publication of Tuleyome, a conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. Mary K. Hanson is an amateur naturalist and photographer. Eric “Bam Bam” Barnett is the trail development coordinator for Tuleyome Napa in Napa County. Tuleyome also thanks Susan Kocher, natural resources adviser for the UC Cooperative Extension program for her assistance with this article. For more information about Tuleyome visit www.tuleyome.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More than 1,100 adventurers descended on Lake County and traveled between participating wineries on Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, for the 2014 Lake County Wine Adventure.

The event promised wine, food and fun and delivered. From the Baconfest at Gregory Graham’s to the Sliders at Twin Pines, revelers enjoyed a smörgåsbord of wonderful food pairings to accompany the award winning wines poured for the day.

“I heard over and over that this was the best Wine Adventure yet,” said Lake County Winery Association Executive Director Terry Dereniuk. “Adventurers enjoyed one delicious experience after the other in spite of triple digit temperatures. Our members really rolled out the welcome mat to showcase our wines and welcome people to enjoy the Lake County wine region experience.”
 
Twenty-nine wineries opened their doors and offered wines, food, music, and fun for the 10th anniversary of this annual event.

New features were added this year including the option of picking up the passport adventure kit on Friday to avoid the Saturday rush, a best winery contest, diamond wine charms to celebrate Lake County’s famous diamonds, displays by local artists at many locations, and a raffle benefiting the Lake County Chapter of Relay for Life.

The best winery contest invited participants to vote for their favorite wineries in three categories: best food and wine; best hospitality; best overall experience.

Ballots are still being counted, but Dereniuk said, “The wineries’ staffs and volunteers work so hard to plan and execute this annual weekend. I know that they are all waiting to find out the winner in each category.”
 
The Relay for Life raffle included more than 50 bottles of Lake County wines donated by members of the Lake County Winery Association and a wine refrigerator donated by Savings Bank of Mendocino.

Relay volunteers sold tickets at 14 participating winery locations, raising more than $5,000 for the fight against cancer. The lucky winner of the raffle was local resident Donna Rose.

“We were thrilled to sponsor the Relay for Life. Cancer touches so many of us that we wanted to help raise money to help the American Cancer Society in the race for a cure,” Dereniuk said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week Lake County Animal Care and Control is offering five cats and kittens for adoption.

The cats – three females and two males – range in age from 10 weeks to 2 years, and all have been altered in anticipation of going to new homes.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

'Lucy'

“Lucy” is an 10-week-old female domestic short hair mix kitten.

She has torbie and white markings, and gold eyes, and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 57, ID No. 40341.

Female domestic long hair mix

This female domestic long hair mix cat is 2 years old.

She has dilute tortie markings, weighs 10 pounds and has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 56, ID No. 39764.

Munchkin mix

This 2-year-old female cat is a domestic short hair-munchkin mix.

She has tortie point markings, weighs 6 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 12, ID No. 40309.

Male tabby

This male tabby is 2 years old.

He has a short buff-colored coat, weighs 9 pounds and has gold eyes. The kitten has been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 10, ID No. 40277.

Male domestic short hair mix kitten

This male domestic short hair mix is 17 weeks old.

He has gold eyes, a white and gray coat, weighs 4.2 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 6, ID No. 40066.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

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. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three dogs are waiting at Lake County Animal Care and Control to go to new homes.

The three male dogs include a pit bull mix, a boxer-pit bull cross and a little terrier-Shih Tzu. They range in age from 8 months to 3 years.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

'Jo Jo'

“Jo Jo” is a 3-year-old male terrier-Shih Tzu mix.

He has a long brown and white coat, and green eyes, weighs nearly 14 pounds and has been neutered.

Jo Jo is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 40421.

Boxer-pit bull terrier

This male Boxer-pit bull terrier is 8 months old.

He has a short brown and white coat, weighs 54 and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 13, ID No. 40436.

'Sparkey'

“Sparkey” is a 3-year-old pit bull mix.

He weighs 77 pounds and has a short tan and white coat. He has been neutered.

Sparkey is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 40350.

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. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is seeking information from the public regarding the Monticello wildland fire that occurred early in July.

The fire began on July 4 at 9:30 p.m. three-quarters of a mile east of Canyon Creek Resort, along Highway 128, in the Lake Berryessa area of Yolo County.  

The wildland fire burned 6,488 acres of grassy oak woodland and heavy brush.

Fire investigators would like to speak to anyone with additional information regarding individuals or vehicles in the area of Highway 128, between the Canyon Creek Resort and Pleasants Valley Roads, between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m. July 4.   

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cal Fire hotline at 800-468-4408.

Callers may remain anonymous.