LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two dead birds and one mosquito sample from Lake County have tested positive for West Nile virus this week, according to a Friday report.

So far this year in Lake County, a total of eight mosquito samples and two dead birds in the county have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to Dr. Jamesina Scott, Lake County Vector Control's district manager and research director.

The dead birds, both American crows, were collected in Nice and the city of Clearlake, Scott said.

The eight West Nile virus-positive mosquito samples were all Culex tarsalis – or western encephalitis mosquito – and were collected from Clearlake Oaks (4 samples), Upper Lake (2 samples), Kelseyville (1 sample), and Lower Lake (1 sample), according to Scott.

“Statewide, West Nile virus activity is higher than usual and increasing rapidly,” said Scott. “The hot days and warm nights mean that the virus multiplies faster.”

Statewide, 36 California counties have detected West Nile virus this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds. Eight human cases have been reported in California this year.

Officials said residents should avoid mosquito bites and West Nile virus by taking these simple steps:

– Avoid being outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
– Use an insect repellent that contains Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, IR3535 or DEET. Always read and follow label directions.
– Dump or drain water where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

“If residents have a pool that’s out of service (not being filtered and chlorinated), they can contact us for free mosquito-eating fish,” said Scott. “One neglected pool can produce thousands of mosquitoes every day and affect people up to five miles away. We’re glad to provide mosquitofish to help people keep their families and the community safe from mosquitoes and West Nile virus.”

Besides out-of-service swimming pools and spas, mosquitofish can be used in animal watering troughs, ornamental ponds, and other sources of standing water that cannot be drained.

Residents are encouraged to contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 or to fill out a service request online at www.lcvcd.org to report neglected pools, request service for mosquito problems, or to get mosquito fish. Anonymous reports are accepted.

People of any age or health status can become sick from West Nile virus, but people over age 50, or who have cancer, diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease are at greater risk for the more severe forms of the disease.

About one in five people who are infected with West Nile virus will develop a fever with other symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.

Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.

While less than 1 percent of individuals (about 1 in 150 people) infected with West Nile virus will develop severe illness from the 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.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ or http://www.cdc.gov/westnile .

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 .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Thousands of additional firefighters joined efforts on Thursday to contain a growing number of summer wildland fires.

Cal Fire said that as of Thursday evening, 8,000 firefighters were battling 18 major wildland fires around California, including several that are in the national forest and nearing full containment.

The largest fire in the state burning in Cal Fire jurisdiction is the Rocky fire, burning since Wednesday afternoon near Lower Lake. As of 5 a.m. Friday, the size estimate remained at 13,500 acres, with 5-percent containment.

Lake County and a number of other counties around Northern California are under special weather statements due to higher temperatures, the possibility of thunderstorms and elevated fire danger.

The Friday forecast calls for very warm temperatures with low afternoon humidity levels.

For information on wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

The following is a summary of major wildfire incidents around the state, with size estimates through late Thursday night.

Cal Fire incidents

– Advance fire: Began July 30 in Tulare County; 150 acres, 5-percent contained.

– Sprig fire: Began July 30 in Shasta County; 90 acres, 80-percent contained.

– Humboldt lightning fires: Began July 30 in Humboldt County; 17 fires totaling 50 acres, no containment reported.

– Mendocino lightning fires: Began July 30 in Mendocino County; two fires totaling 27 acres, 80-percent contained.

– Rocky fire: Began July 29 near Lower Lake in Lake County; 13,500 acres, 5-percent containment. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Big Creek fire: Began July 29 in Tuolumne County; 204 acres, 35-percent containment. Cause is under investigation.

– China fire: Two fires that began July 29 in Shasta County; 212 acres, 73-percent contained. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Mallard fire: Began July 29 in Shasta County; 75 acres, 92-percent contained. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Swedes fire: Began July 29 in Butte County; 400 acres, 60-percent contained. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Buck fire: Began July 28 in Humboldt County; 16 acres, 85-percent contained.

– Lowell fire: Began July 25 in Nevada County; 2,303 acres, 70-percent contained. Evacuation advisories in effect. One structure destroyed. Six injuries. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 3.

– Queen fire: Began July 25 in Humboldt County; 158 acres, 85-percent contained. Two injuries. Cause is under investigation.

– Wragg fire: Began July 22 in Napa and Solano counties; 7,900 acres, 85-percent contained. Evacuations lifted. Two outbuildings destroyed, three outbuildings and one residence damaged, with 136 structures threatened. No injuries reported. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 3.

Federal incidents

– Cabin fire: Began July 29 in Tulare County; 1,900 acres, no containment reported. Caused by lightning.

– Willow fire: Began July 25 in Madera County; 3,383 acres, 30-percent contained. No injuries reported. Caused by arson.

– Cutca fire: Began July 24 in San Diego County; 167 acres, 75-percent contained. No injuries reported. Cause is unknown.

– Lake fire: Began July 16 in San Bernardino County; 31,359 acres, 98-percent contained. No injuries reported. Human caused; remains under investigation.

– Washington fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 17,790 acres, 99-percent contained. No injuries reported. Caused by lightning. Estimated full containment: July 31.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Firefighters are on the scene of a wildland fire in Clearlake that began early Thursday evening and led to evacuations of some nearby homes.

The fire was first dispatched at around 6:30 p.m. on Lakeshore Drive at San Joaquin Avenue, according to reports from the scene.

Originally reported as a 30-foot by 30-foot spot, the fire quickly grew to between five and 10 acres, according to reports from Cal Fire and units on scene.

The Clearlake Police Department evacuated two nearby homes, but had difficulty getting people out of one of the residences on San Joaquin, reports indicated.

Lake County Fire and Cal Fire – both of which have been committed to working on the Rocky Fire – sent resources, also calling in mutual aid assistance from Kelseyville Fire and Northshore Fire.

Cal Fire sent a full wildland response, including air resources that arrived to work the fire, but there were indications that the number of people in the area possibly was hampering the use of the air tanker.

Firefighters reported power lines were down and arcing on Terrace Drive.

At about 7:20 p.m. the forward progress had all but been stopped, with hose lays around the fire, according to units on scene, but there had been one spot fire and there were concerns about the potential for more.

If the fire managed to move forward any more, firefighters said it might move into the area of a recent fire near Borax Lake.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Friday the governor declared a state of emergency due to the major wildland fire incidents around California and also honored a United States Forest Service firefighter who died on an incident in Modoc County.

Gov. Jerry Brown issued the state of emergency proclamation in response to a series of wildland fires that began June 17 in the counties of Butte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Madera, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Solano, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yolo.

“California’s severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox,” said Gov. Brown. “Our courageous firefighters are on the front lines and we’ll do everything we can to help them.”

The wildfires have taxed state resources and “require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat,” the proclamation said.

The governor on Friday also offered his condolences to the family of U.S. Forest Service Firefighter David Ruhl, 38, of Rapid City, South Dakota, who served in the Mystic Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota.

Ruhl, who had been with the U.S. Forest Service for 14 years, died Thursday while on assignment at the Frog fire, which by Friday night had burned 1,000 acres in the Modoc National Forest outside Alturas.

“Anne and I were saddened to learn of the tragic death of U.S. Forest Service Firefighter Dave Ruhl, who left his home state to help protect one of California’s majestic forests,” Gov. Brown said. “Firefighter Ruhl will be remembered for his service and bravery and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service.”

In honor of Ruhl, Gov. Brown ordered flags in the State Capitol to be flown at half-staff.

In other state fire news, on Thursday, at the request of Cal Fire and the California Office of Emergency Services, the California National Guard mobilized nine of its helicopters to help battle the Northern California wildfires.

The nine Army National Guard aircraft active in supporting Cal Fire include four UH-60 Black Hawk, two CH-47 Chinook, two LUH-72 Lakota and one HH-60 Black Hawk medevac helicopters.

The aircraft provide water bucket, medical evacuation and personnel and equipment transportation capabilities.

Then, on Friday, the Guard activated two C130 MAFFS air tankers, which Cal Fire said will provide additional equipment and personnel to augment its forces during the high level of fire activity California is experiencing across the state.

“The mutual aid system here in California is world class and allows us to reach out to Cal Guard and others to support major incidents like these fires,” said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci.

In 2014, Cal Guard aircraft dropped more than 1.2 million gallons of water and retardant on wildfires across California. The aircraft also collected nearly 200 hours of valuable video, streaming real-time and thermal imagery of the fires to incident commanders on the ground. In addition, about 300 Cal Guardsmen were trained as ground crews to help contain the fires.

Friday proved to be day of extreme fire activity across Northern California, with lightning sparking dozens of new fires, according to Cal Fire.

As of Friday night, more than 8,000 firefighters were working on 23 large fires, Cal Fire said.

The agency also reported that the threat of dry thunderstorms is continuing across much of Northern California through the weekend, resulting in elevated fire danger due to dry lightning and gusty winds.

A red flag warning has been issued by the National Weather Service across the northern part of the state due to the dry thunderstorms and gusty winds.

For information on wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

The following is a summary of major wildfire incidents around the state, with size estimates through late Friday night.

Cal Fire incidents

– Barker fire: Began July 31 in Trinity County; 500 acres, no estimated containment. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Advance fire: Began July 30 in Tulare County; 86 acres, 50-percent contained.

– Sprig fire: Began July 30 in Shasta County; two fires totaling 90 acres, 100-percent contained.

– Humboldt lightning fires: Began July 30 in Humboldt County; 71 fires totaling 205 acres, 20-percent containment.

– Mendocino lightning fires: Began July 30 in Mendocino County; six fires totaling 50 acres, 80-percent contained.

– Rocky fire: Began July 29 near Lower Lake in Lake County; 18,000 acres, 5-percent containment. Twenty-eight structures destroyed, 6,100 threatened. Evacuations in effect. Cause is under investigation.

– Big Creek fire: Began July 29 in Tuolumne County; 204 acres, 45-percent containment. Cause is under investigation.

– China fire: Two fires that began July 29 in Shasta County; two fires for a total of 212 acres, 85-percent contained. Evacuations lifted. Cause is under investigation.

– Mallard fire: Began July 29 in Shasta County; 75 acres, 100-percent contained. Cause is under investigation.

– Swedes fire: Began July 29 in Butte County; 400 acres, 80-percent contained. Evacuations have been lifted. Cause is under investigation.

– Buck fire: Began July 28 in Humboldt County; 16 acres, 85-percent contained.

– Lowell fire: Began July 25 in Nevada County; 2,303 acres, 75-percent contained. Evacuation advisories are in effect. One structure destroyed. Six injuries. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 3.

– Queen fire: Began July 25 in Humboldt County; 158 acres, 85-percent contained. Two injuries. Cause is under investigation.

– Wragg fire: Began July 22 in Napa and Solano counties; 8,051 acres, 92-percent contained. Evacuations lifted. Two outbuildings destroyed, three outbuildings and one residence damaged, with 136 structures threatened. No injuries reported. Cause is under investigation. Estimated full containment: Aug. 3.

Unified command incidents

– Rail fire: Began July 31 in Trinity County; 800 acres, no estimated containment; Evacuations in progress.

– Willow fire: Began July 25 in Madera County; 4,394 acres, 40-percent contained. No injuries reported. Caused by arson.

Federal incidents

– Fork Complex: Began July 30, Trinity County; 2,500 acres, no estimated containment. Evacuations in place.

– River Complex: Began July 30, Trinity County; 1,000 acres, no estimated containment. Voluntary evacuation advisory in place.

– Frog fire: Began July 30 in Modoc County; 1,000 acres, no estimated containment.

– Mad River Complex: Began July 30 in Trinity County; 400 acres, no estimated containment.

– Etsel Fire: Began July 30 in Mendocino County; 20 acres, no estimated containment.

– Cabin fire: Began July 29 in Tulare County; 2,000 acres, no containment reported. Caused by lightning.

– Cutca fire: Began July 24 in San Diego County; 167 acres, 80-percent contained. No injuries reported. Cause is unknown.

– Lake fire: Began July 16 in San Bernardino County; 31,359 acres, 98-percent contained. No injuries reported. Human caused; remains under investigation.

– Washington fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 17,790 acres, 99-percent contained. No injuries reported. Caused by lightning. Estimated full containment: July 31.

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 – Davis Mayor Dan Wolk announced that he is running for the California State Assembly in 2016.

Specifically, Wolk is seeking the Fourth District State Assembly seat currently held by Assemblyman Bill Dodd, who earlier this month announced his plans to run for State Senate.

Assembly District 4 consists of Lake and Napa counties, most of Yolo County, as well as portions of Sonoma, Solano and Colusa counties.

“I am running for Assembly to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” said Wolk. “As mayor and a county attorney, I have seen the challenges facing our region firsthand – in Sacramento, I will fight tirelessly and collaboratively to address them.”

Wolk – son of Third District State Sen. Lois Wolk – ran for the Fourth District Assembly seat in 2014, with Dodd ultimately winning the race.

In this latest race, Wolk joins Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor, a Democrat who also is from Davis, and Republican Charlie Schaupp, who farms in Esparto.

Wolk outlined some of his top priorities, including fighting for the middle class, growing the local economy, ensuring a resilient water supply, protecting natural resources and guaranteeing access to quality education for California’s students.

Currently serving as mayor, Wolk has been on the Davis City Council since 2011. In that time, he has led efforts to construct a regional surface water project, pushed for greater investment in streets, parks and other vital infrastructure, promoted renewable energy initiatives and has passed fiscally responsible city budgets, while restoring the city’s rainy day reserves.

Wolk works as a deputy county counsel for Solano County, handling public finance, public contracting and water issues.

He also is the founder of the Legal Clinic of Yolo County, a legal services provider for low-income families.

Wolk grew up in Davis and attended local public schools, before attending Stanford University and receiving his law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall.

He lives in Davis with his wife, Jamima, a former professional triathlete and small business owner, and their two daughters, Avery and Layla.

Wolk's Web site is http://danwolk.org/ .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The acreage on the Rocky fire near Lower Lake continued to grow on Thursday afternoon, but firefighters also began to get containment on the blaze.

The fire, which began Wednesday near Morgan Valley and Rocky Creek roads east of Lower Lake, had burned 8,500 acres as of Cal Fire's latest report on Thursday afternoon.

Cal Fire said 5-percent containment has been reached on the incident so far.

The fire is primarily affecting wildlands, officials said, and has entered the Cache Creek Wilderness Area and the newly designated Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Area.

However, the Rocky fire also is impacting residents of some areas near Lower Lake, where three structures have been destroyed, with multiple outbuildings also destroyed or damaged, Cal Fire said.

It also has resulted in the mandatory evacuations of some 650 Lower Lake area residents, officials said.

Cal Fire reported that approximately 630 firefighting personnel were assigned to the fire as of Thursday afternoon, along with a total of 60 fire engines, 36 dozers, 14 fire crews, 12 water tenders, 11 helicopters and eight helicopters.

Some of those resources have been brought to Lake County from the Wragg fire in Napa and Solano counties, which remains at 7,500 acres and 80-percent containment, Cal Fire said.

No new evacuations have been reported since 1 a.m. Thursday, according to the Lake County Emergency Operation Center, which opened Wednesday night under the auspices of the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.

Current evacuation orders continue for both sides of Morgan Valley Road to Knoxville Road, Dam Road, Mustang Court, Bonham Road, Quarterhorse, Sleepy Hollow, Jerusalem Grade Road, Spruce Grove Rd (north), Noble Ranch Road and Cantwell Ranch Road, county officials said.

Officials have directed displaced residents to evacuation centers at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake and Middletown High School.

However, on Thursday afternoon, the Lake County Office of Emergency Services said that the Clearlake evacuation center – which was busy overnight, but had far fewer people on Thursday – was being closed and consolidated with the Middletown High School shelter.

Evacuees are now being directed to the high school, located at 20932 Big Canyon Road in Middletown, telephone 707-312-0395.

An evacuation center for animals remains in place at the Lake County Department of Social Services parking lot, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway in Lower Lake.

If new evacuations become necessary, county officials said residents will be notified in a variety of ways, including Nixle alerts, 911 reverse telephonic messaging and personal door-to-door notification, or through posts on the Lake County OES Facebook page.

Residents can sign up for the CityWatch emergency notification system at http://www.lakesheriff.com/ by choosing the “Public Resources” tab and selecting “Emergency Notifications” from the dropdown menu.

Lake County residents can sign up for Nixle Alerts by texting their zip code to 888777, or they can sign up online at www.nixle.com .

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services, which is partnering with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Coastal Region in its response to the fire, also has a prerecorded information line set up at 707-263-2360.

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. – The Rocky fire is continuing to grow and its movement southwest towards Lower Lake and the east side of Clearlake has prompted a new evacuation advisory.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Clearlake Police Department have issued the advisory for the possible evacuation for all areas east of Highway 53 from Riata Road south of Lower Lake north to Highway 20, including Ogulin Canyon.

An evacuation advisory is not a mandatory evacuation, but it is strongly recommended, officials said.

Residents are advised to gather their medications, pets and important papers.

Residents should be prepared to leave the area with little notice.

If residents are evacuated they may seek shelter at the Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road, or the Kelseyville High School, 5480 Main St.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services has an information line set up at 707-263-2360 and is posting updates on the Lake County OES Facebook page.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Air Quality Management District said it is monitoring the impacts of the Rocky fire, burning since Wednesday near Lower Lake.

The growing fire has resulted in smoke, haze and degraded air quality for portions of Lake County, with the weather patterns east and south pushing the smoke to certain areas, the district reported.

Additional air monitoring has been implemented in the impacted area, according to the district.

The district said the current one-hour average measurement in Lakeport is healthy, with particulate levels at 25 percent of allowed state health-based particulate standards for small respirable particulate and the ultrafine, inhalable particulate.

Those levels are expected to rise, the district said, with the potential for moderate to unhealthy air in areas of Clearlake, Spring Valley, Lower Lake, Morgan Valley, Twin Lakes, Hidden Valley Lake, Jerusalem Grade and possibly portions of Middletown until the Rocky fire is contained.

Impacts are anticipated primarily in the overnight and morning hours, generally clearing by midday.

Regional weather patterns suggest moderate west winds for the next couple days, which will help keep the smoke out of populated areas.

Residents are advised to be cautious in resuming normal outdoor activities. Variable weather conditions and ongoing fire activity may result in localized areas of reduced air quality, which could still pose health risks to people with underlying health conditions.

Since officials can’t always predict when and where “pockets” of poorer air quality may occur, the district suggested that it is prudent to be careful until conditions stabilize.

Smoky conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages, which can be hazardous in young children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions or chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.

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.

Regional haze and particulates from the Rocky fire are expected to continue throughout Lake County until the fire is out, the district said.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Officials have activated the Lake County Emergency Operation Center and announced closures of some county lands due to the need to reallocate resources while dealing with the Rocky fire.

Lake County Office of Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe activated the Lake County Emergency Operation Center, or EOC, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Undersheriff Chris Macedo, the Lake County Law Enforcement Mutual Aid coordinator, and Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison, the Lake County Fire/Rescue coordinator, have been stationed in the EOC and continue to stay in close contact with Cal Fire to coordinate evacuation plans for areas being threatened by fire.

No new evacuation orders have been put in place since 1 a.m. Thursday, officials said.

Current evacuation orders continue and those orders include:

– Morgan Valley Road, east of Bonham Road.
– Spruce Grove Road, north of intersection with Jerusalem Grade Road.
– Noble Ranch Road.
– Jerusalem Grade Road.
– Cantwell Ranch Road.

Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News on Thursday that officials are closely monitoring the situation, but that no new evacuations were being immediately considered.

If new evacuations become necessary, county officials said residents will be notified through a variety of ways, including 911 reverse telephonic messaging, personal door-to-door notification, Nixle Alerts or official social media, primarily the Lake County OES Facebook page.

For those notified of the need to evacuate, it is important to take necessary medications and any other special equipment or supplies. To prepare for evacuation have a “go bag” ready for both your family and your pets.

Lake County residents can sign up for Nixle Alerts by texting their zip code to 888777, or they can sign up online at www.nixle.com .

Evacuation shelters have been set up at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, 3245 Bowers Ave., and at Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road.

Animals are being evacuated to the parking lot of the Lake County Department of Social Services off of Highway 53 at 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.

All summer school programs in Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown are canceled until further notice, officials said.

Starting immediately, the Mount Konocti County Park and the Highland Springs Recreation Area are closed to the public until further notice due to the need to reallocate county resources to dealing with the Rocky fire, not due to current fire danger at those locations, officials said.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services has a prerecorded information line set up at 707-263-2360, and will be posting information on the Lake County OES Facebook page.

This story has been updated.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Rocky fire made a Thursday evening run, scorching thousands of more acres of wildland and moving toward an area east of Clearlake Oaks that prompted officials to advise residents there to be prepared for the possibility of evacuating.

Early Friday Cal Fire said the fire had grown to 15,000 acres, with containment remaining at 5 percent.

By the end of Thursday more than 900 firefighters from all over the state were assigned to the incident, working to protect some 450 structures, with an estimated 650 residents having been evacuated since shortly after the fire started.

Three structures have so far been destroyed, Cal Fire said.

Over the course of Thursday evening, the size estimate on the fire jumped by 5,000 acres as it moved in a northerly direction, toward Highway 20, according to a late night report from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

With concerns that by Friday the fire could reach Highway 20 and possibly cross it between New Long Valley Road and the Double Eagle Ranch subdivision east of Clearlake Oaks, the sheriff's office and allied agencies began advising residents of the possibility that a mandatory evacuation could be ordered.

The evacuation advisory that was issued covers the Double Eagle Ranch and homes along the Highway 20 corridor between New Long Valley Road and east to the county line, officials reported.

On Thursday night, the fire could be seen from that area along the highway, with firefighters responding to a report of a fire near New Long Valley Road. Ultimately, no fire was found, with units on scene concluding that the reporting party had seen the main fire in the distance.

Evacuation orders remain in place for Morgan Valley Road, east of Bonham Road; Spruce Grove Road, north of intersection with Jerusalem Grade Road; Noble Ranch Road; Jerusalem Grade Road; and Cantwell Ranch Road.

An evacuation shelter is open at Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road, telephone 707-312-0395.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to take advantage of cooler temperatures, firefighters continued their work through the night, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said Friday that more resources from around the state are on the way to work on the fire, in addition to the 988 personnel, 151 engines, 32 fire crews, 31 water tenders, 30 dozers, eight air tankers and eight helicopters currently committed.

Early Friday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it was working with Lake County Animal Care and Control to check on animals and livestock which were left within the fire evacuation area.

Those residents who are concerned about the welfare of animals that were left within the evacuation area are urged to contact Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278. 

The sheriff’s office said it will attempt to accommodate requests to check the welfare of pets or livestock depending on fire conditions. 

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.

With record-breaking heat throughout much of the state in June, Californians continued to conserve water, reducing water use by 27.3 percent and exceeding Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25-percent mandate in the first month that the new emergency conservation regulation was in effect.

The results show that Californians understand the severity of the drought and are taking action, according to Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.

“We didn’t know if the positive showing in May was due in part to cooler temperatures. This report shows that residents knew they had to keep conserving even during the summer heat and they kept the sprinklers off more than they would in a normal year. That’s the right attitude as we head into August and September heat – in the drought of the century with no certain end date,” Marcus said.

Despite being the hottest June on record, California’s urban water suppliers exceeded the statewide conservation goal, saving 59.4 billion gallons (182,151 acre-feet), as compared to the same time in 2013. June conservation efforts put the state on track to achieve the 1.2 million acre-feet savings goal by February 2016, as called for by the governor in his April 1 executive order.

Smaller water suppliers of 3,000 connections or less do not need to follow the monthly reporting requirements.

Most of the systems serving Lake County fall into that category, with the exception of California Water Service Co., which owns the Lucerne system.

Lucerne is included in Cal Water's Redwood Valley District, which is subject to the urban water suppliers' rules due to having a population of 3,628 people.

The June reported showed that Cal Water's Redwood Valley District had a cumulative savings of 38 percent, surpassing its requirement by 22.1 percent.

Water suppliers have made significant investments in their education and outreach programs to communicate the need to conserve to their customers, and June’s enforcement statistics highlight the growing awareness of how water is used locally as a result of these programs.

Suppliers reported that their compliance and enforcement programs saw an almost twofold increase in the number of complaints of water waste which resulted in a big jump in reported penalties.

Monthly water use reports are required by the emergency water conservation regulation, and are provided to the State Water Board by urban water suppliers.

Urban water suppliers are expected to meet, or exceed, their individual conservation standard starting in June and continuing through February 2016. The year 2013 serves as the baseline for determining water savings statewide.

Millions of people take part in saving water

The percent of water saved by the state’s large urban water agency suppliers decreased from 29.1 percent in May to 27.3 percent in June, in same-month water use comparisons of 2015 to 2013. June 2015 was the warmest June on record.

The amount of water saved in June 2015 (59.4 billion gallons) is six times more than the amount of water saved during the same month in 2014 (9.6 billion gallons), when the state’s voluntary 20 percent conservation goal was in effect.

The June 2015 savings are 15 percent of the statewide savings goal of 1.2 million acre-feet of water needed by February 2016.

Two hundred and sixty five water suppliers, serving 27.2 million people, met or exceeded their conservation standard. Almost 40 percent of all urban water suppliers reduced their water use by 30 percent or more.

In April, water suppliers began reporting on their compliance and enforcement efforts to promote conservation and reduce water waste.

The June statistics demonstrate community and water supplier commitment to identify and correct wasteful practices:

– 43,942 water waste complaints were reported statewide (by 371 suppliers), compared with 28,793 complaints reported in May (by 353 suppliers);
– 35,295 formal warnings were issued for water waste statewide (by 307 suppliers), compared with 36,082 formal warnings in May (by 279 suppliers); and
– 9,582 penalties were issued statewide (by 52 suppliers), compared with 1,928 penalties issued in May (by 49 suppliers).

By the end of June, four suppliers (1 percent) had not imposed mandatory irrigation restrictions, and 19 suppliers (5 percent) reported that they still allow outdoor watering seven days a week.

“In normal years, water use rises dramatically in the hot summer months. But this year, during the hottest June on record, Californians proved that that they have the ingenuity and commitment to meet this challenge,” said Marcus. “Agencies have stepped up to the plate to engage with their customers and it shows.  The public knows how bad the drought is, and agencies need to help them know what to do.  Letting lawns go golden, taking shorter showers, and other actions can pay off in greater urban water security in the event of more dry years, but, at the same time, we need to be clear that trees should be watered.”

Dozens of communities achieved conservation levels of more than 30 percent in June.

Of the 405 water suppliers reporting, 265 suppliers (65 percent) met, or were within 1 percent of, their conservation standard; 53 suppliers (13 percent) are between 1 and 5 percent of meeting their conservation standard; and 71 suppliers (18 percent) are between 5 and 15 percent of meeting their conservation standard.

However, there are 16 suppliers (4 percent) that are more than 15 percent from meeting their conservation standard.

The State Water Board will be contacting all suppliers more than 1 percent away from meeting their conservation standard and requiring many to provide information about their existing conservation programs and the steps they are taking to boost conservation. The suppliers furthest from meeting their conservation standard will be directed to take additional actions, such as imposing further restrictions on outdoor irrigation and increasing outreach and enforcement.

In his April 1 executive order, Gov. Brown mandated a 25-percent water use reduction for cities and towns across California.

In May, the State Water Board adopted an emergency regulation requiring an immediate 25 percent reduction in overall potable urban water use.

The regulation uses a sliding scale for setting conservation standards, so that communities that have already reduced their residential gallons per capita per day (R-GPCD) through past conservation will have lower mandates than those that have not made such gains since the last major drought.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Multiple outbuildings and three homes have been reported destroyed by the Rocky fire while 650 people have been evacuated. The fire has now grown to 8,300 acres after starting Wednesday afternoon. 

Cal Fire's primary focus for today, air resource and ground crews, is working on containment lines according to Suzie Blankenship. Last night firefighters were heavily committed to evacuations and structure defense.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for residents in the Morgan Valley area.  The terrain is rugged, steep, with difficult access, in heavy brush and timberland.  

The fire has entered into the Cache Creek Wilderness Area and BLM Berryessa   Snow Mountain National Monument Area.  Additional resources are ordered.  

There are approximately 650 evacuees. Two evacuation centers are opened - Highland Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Road, Clearlake and Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road, Middletown.  An animal evacuation center is opened at the Lower Lake Social Services parking lot, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.  

The fire has destroyed multiple outbuildings and three structures.  Incident damage inspection is continuing. 

The number of personnel working the fire has now reached 630 with 60 engine companies, eight air tankers, 36 bulldozers, 11 helicopters, 14 fire crews, 75 overhead personnel and 12 water tenders included.

Evacuatons:  Mandatory - Morgan Valley Rd, both sides of the road to Knoxville Rd, Dam Rd, Mustang Court, Boham Rd, Ouarterhorse, Sleepy Hollow, Jerusalem Grade Road, Spruce Grove Rd (north), Noble Ranch Rd and Cantwell Ranch Rd   

Road Closures:   All mandatory evacuated (listed above) roads and Morgan Valley Road at Hwy 53. 

CAL FIRE, Kelseyville FPD, South Lake FPD, Northshore FPD, Lake County Sheriff, CHP, Lake Evacuation, Animal Protection (LEAP), Lake County Office of Emergency Services, North Bay Incident Management Team, BLM, Red Cross and multiple local fire  agencies are all working the fire.