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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As it continues to burn additional forestland, the August Complex on the Mendocino National Forest has now become one of the biggest fires incidents in California’s history.

On Wednesday, the US Forest Service said the complex – which has been burning for three weeks – had grown to 372,012 acres, with containment remaining at 24 percent.

The Forest Services said that acreage total does not reflect the 49,887-acre Hopkins fire in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, which on Wednesday transitioned to the management of the California Type 1 Incident Management Team No. 5.

The August Complex is now the third-largest wildland fire in California history, behind the 2018 459,123-acre Mendocino Complex – which burned across Lake, Mendocino, Colusa and Glenn counties, including acreage in the Mendocino National Forest – and the 396,624-acre SCU Lightning Complex now burning on the Central Coast, according to state fire records.

The complex is among the wildland fires sending massive amounts of smoke into Lake County’s air basin, where the sky was a dark sepia tone on Wednesday.

The Forest Service said the high temperatures and gusty winds on Tuesday increased fire activity throughout the complex, moving the fire beyond the Government Flat and Mendocino Pass areas east of the Black Butte River.

Structure protection operations were conducted for many homes on Tuesday. On Wednesday, firefighters were staged to protect more structures due to the continuing winds. Crews also worked on a spot fire detected on the northeast side of the complex in the Riley Ridge area.

Because of the complex’s steady growth, officials said evacuation orders remain in effect for areas in Glenn, Lake and Mendocino counties.

In Lake County, the evacuation area covers Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin.

Daily updates can be found on the Mendocino National Forest Facebook page and on InciWeb.

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.


The August Complex in Northern California as mapped on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Map courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the homicide of a local man whose remains were found last month in the Mendocino National Forest.

The remains of John Turner Dickerson, 48, of Nice, were discovered on Aug. 9, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

On that day, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an area in the Mendocino National Forest related to possible human remains being found, Paulich said.

Paulich said detectives from the Major Crimes Unit also responded to the location and determined the remains were human and badly decomposed.

The remains were recovered and an autopsy was conducted later that week. Paulich said the autopsy revealed that the remains belonged to a male who was the victim of a homicide.

Detectives were able to positively identify the victim as Dickerson, Paulich said.

Paulich said the cause of death is not being released at this time.

Detectives have been investigating several leads related to Dickerson’s death, Paulich said.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have information related to the circumstances of Dickerson’s death to contact Det. Richard Kreutzer at 707-262-4233.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With high winds working through the fire area, officials said Tuesday that the August Complex on the Mendocino National Forest burned another 7,000 acres, with evacuation warnings and orders in three counties remaining in effect.

The August Complex reached 356,312 acres and 24-percent containment on Tuesday, with 1,162 resources committed, the US Forest Service said.

Fire activity increased Sunday due to high temperatures and gusty winds throughout the complex. Fire crews are prepared for ongoing heightened fire activity over the next couple of days due to extreme forecast weather.

A red flag warning remains in effect through 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The Hull, Doe, Tatham and Glade fires have burned into one large fire. The Hopkins Fire, which is 19,782 acres, has spread further into the Yolla Bolly – Middle Eel Wilderness.

With the improved visibility from cleared skies, air operations were able to safely conduct water drops on Monday. Several scoopers and helicopters dropped water on the Hopkins fire. On the southwestern portion of the August Complex, eight air tankers and two helicopters dropped water in the Monkey Rock area throughout the day, officials said.

Evacuation orders are in effect in Glenn County, and portions of Mendocino and Lake counties, officials said.

Daily updates can be found on the Mendocino National Forest Facebook page.

Updated August Complex information can be found at Inciweb.

The August Complex as mapped by the US Forest Service on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
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The smoke from fires in California and Oregon is covering not just the West Coast but moving out over the Pacific Ocean, as shown in the satellite image from the NASA EOSDIS Worldview on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. The red dots indicate fires and thermal anomalies.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As hundreds of thousands of acres of land burn across California and Oregon, more smoke and haze have moved into the Lake County air basin, continuing hazardous air conditions for residents.

The Lake County Air Quality Management District said all areas of Lake County are forecast to have air quality conditions ranging from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” through Thursday.

Overall conditions should remain in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range with periods of “unhealthy” air quality until the smoke plumes shift, the district reported.

The air district said the smoke impacts in Lake County and the rest of the state are coming from the August Complex in the Mendocino National Forest, which was up to 372,012 acres on Wednesday; the 863-acre Oak fire near Willits; the 252,163-acre North Complex burning in the Plumas National Forest; the Red Salmon Complex, which has burned 71,610 acres in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest; and any other fires in Northern California and Oregon.

Officials said areas in Lake County that are closer to the fires, including Lake Pillsbury, Spring Valley and areas north of the Highway 20 corridor, should use additional caution as localized smoke impacts may be significant until the fires are completely out.

The LNU Lightning Complex in Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties, is nearing full containment, which has significantly reduced the smoke impact, the air district said.

On Wednesday, the smoke impacts colored the sky over Lake County an orangish-brown, with air quality and visibility so poor that drivers were using headlights early in the afternoon and streetlights came on hours earlier as if it were already evening.

The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office said Wednesday that the thick smoke across Northern California resulted in temperatures being as much as 30 degrees cooler than forecast in some locations.

In Lake County, the National Weather Service said temperatures were up to 14 degrees cooler than expected.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.





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Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing a temporary closure of an additional 10 National Forests – including the Mendocino National Forest – meaning all 18 National Forests in California are now closed.

The closure of the additional 10 forests will be effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9.

These additional forests include the Eldorado National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, Plumas National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Tahoe National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

This decision will be reevaluated daily as conditions change, officials said.

The Forest Service had closed eight National Forests on Monday evening. Explosive growth of fires throughout California during the day and late evening of Tuesday led to this updated decision.

“The number of large fires and extreme fire behavior we are seeing across the state is historic," said Regional Forester Randy Moore. "These temporary closures are necessary to protect the public and our firefighters, and we will keep them in place until conditions improve and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely. I ask all Californians and visitors to take these closures and evacuations seriously for their own safety and to allow our firefighters to focus on the mission of safely suppressing these fires."

The Forest Service thanked its partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding “of this monumental fire threat.”

Officials said it is critical that all Californians and National Forest visitors follow these important closures and restrictions for their own safety and the safety of our firefighters. Citizens with specific questions within their area may call their local forests for more information.

The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses more than 20 million acres across California.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Education is offering a College Rental Assistance Program for students who are at risk of becoming homeless or are experiencing homelessness.

Students that are considered homeless or are experiencing homelessness include those who are couch surfing, are doubled up with another family, live in buildings that are not intended to be dwellings, and/or are going without stable or permanent housing.

To be eligible for the program a student must be from Lake County and taking a minimum of six units of college classes or are participating in a trade school/program.

Funding is also available for high school seniors who are doing dual enrollment at a college and/or for families with young children.

“Having secure and adequate housing is crucial for any youth’s ability to learn. Programs such as this will allow our students the stability to grow and excel in school,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

According to the National Center for Homeless Education, the number of homeless students enrolled in public school districts and reported by state education agencies during the school year 2016-2017 was 1.3 million students. Lake County has in excess of 750 students in TK-12 grades who are homeless.

The program will provide rental assistance of $500 a month for 10 months and will be paid directly to the landlord. Applications will be accepted for the school year 2020-2021 and space is limited.

The funding from the program is flexible if there is a need for one-time rental assistance to secure housing.

This program is possible through the Homeless Emergency Aid Program that is offered through LCOE's Healthy Start program.

“The focus is our Lake County students and ensuring they have the resources they need to get the education they deserve,” said Ana Santana, director of Healthy Start.

Last year three individuals successfully participated in the program and were able to get funding during the academic school year.

“Lake County’s success starts with our student’s success,” Falkenberg said.

For more information, visit www.lakecoe.org/HealthyStart.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will get updates from two county officials and discuss changing its format.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public.

To join the Zoom meeting click on this link; the meeting ID is 872 2935 2332. Call in at 888-788-0099.

At 7:20 p.m., MATH will get an update from District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon.

At 7:35 p.m., Scott De Leon, Lake County’s director of Public Works and Community Development, will address the group.

In an item set for further discussion at 7:55 p.m., the group will continue discussing the pros and cons of changing MATH to a town hall format with no county oversight.

The MATH Board includes Chair Tom Darms, Vice Chair Sally Peterson, Secretary Paul Baker, and at-large members Rosemary Cordova and Lisa Kaplan.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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A rendering of the main frontage of the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium’s Southshore Clinic in Clearlake, California. Tribal Health hosted a groundbreaking and blessing ceremony of the site at 14440 Olympic Drive on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Image courtesy of NorthStar Designing Solutions.


CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A years-long project to bring additional medical services to the Clearlake area took its next major step forward on Tuesday when Lake County Tribal Health Consortium leadership and board members gathered to break ground on their new Southshore Clinic.

The new 25,000-square-foot outpatient health clinic will be located at 14440 Olympic Drive, between the Clearlake Post Office and DaVita Clearlake Dialysis.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Tribal Health Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Padilla.

Padilla, who in January will mark 10 years with the consortium, has watched the project develop from its earliest inception. He said he remembered when the clinic was first discussed by the leadership and started out as an action item on a project list.

He said he’s excited. “This is a big deal that we’re doing here.”

Bret Woods, Tribal Health’s chief financial officer, said the new clinic will offer primary medical care, pediatrics and dental services, and also will have room for visiting specialists.

Woods said it will roughly double the capacity of Tribal Health’s patient base, and they expect several thousand more people will be able to take advantage of its services.

In addition, Woods said it’s expected to add 45 to 50 new employees, both medical providers and support staff.

Elem Colony Elder Thomas Brown leads a blessing at the site of the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium’s Southshore Clinic in Clearlake, California on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

The ceremony featured a blessing led by Elem Colony Elder Thomas Brown, who walked a circular path near parked construction equipment while followed by a line of Tribal Health leadership and local officials.

Steve Rugg, Tribal Health’s special projects manager, has worked with the consortium since 1998 and was involved in building its main facility at 925 Bevins Court in Lakeport.

The new clinic will be roughly the same size as the one in Lakeport, he told Lake County News.

He said the Southshore Clinic will be a state-of-the-art facility offering 10 enclosed dental operatories with ultraviolet disinfection to destroy airborne viruses, along with 12 medical exam rooms in four pods that include a separate pod for pediatrics.

Rugg said the clinic also will feature larger treatment rooms, two airborne isolation rooms to keep all employees and clients safe from infectious disease, rooms for telemedicine and an on-site pharmacy so that prescribing and obtaining medication can be a one-stop-shop.

With the help of Realtor Dave Hughes, Tribal Health found the property and completed escrow on it in July 2017. From there, Rugg said the consortium’s board and administrative team embarked on an “ambitious design program,” that began with establishing the basics and then moving into considering every detail.

Embedded in the process – down to the specifics of room sizes, security systems and even cabinet designs – is the knowledge and experience that Tribal Health has amassed in its 40 years of serving Lake County, he explained.

Partnering in the process was NorthStar Designing Solutions of Chico, the architect, along with assistance from civil engineering group Ruzicka Associates of Lakeport. Rugg said Tribal Health entered into a design-assist agreement earlier this year with Hilbers Inc.


Lake County Tribal Health Consortium Board members and administrative staff were joined by Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora, architects and construction staff for the groundbreaking of the new Southshore Clinic at 14440 Olympic Drive in Clearlake, California, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Rugg offered a shout-out of praise for the city of Clearlake, which along with different local districts have been very supportive and accommodating of the project, Rugg said. He said they’ve become partners in the clinic’s creation.

Larry Hilberts said Tuesday at the event that his firm is acting as the construction manager and general contractor on the project.

Hilbers said his firm has a 20-year history with Tribal Health, having built its administration building on Bevins Court in Lakeport.

He said they plan to push the 18-month timeline to get it completed earlier. “This is going to be a smooth project.”

Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora said there is a really rich tribal history in Clearlake and there need to be more examples of honoring that history.

Flora said the new clinic will do just that as well as bringing much-needed medical care to the area.

“Thank you for choosing to grow your services here in the city,” Flora said.

Padilla then stepped forward to present Flora with a $25,000 check meant to go toward improvements at the city’s Austin Park, which has been undergoing major improvements for several months.

Flora said the funds will be used for the park’s new bandshell, which will feature the Tribal Health logo.

Padilla noted that Tribal Health is the only health care organization operating locally that is owned by Lake County residents.

One of the clinic’s additional benefits is its location on the side of the lake where 25 percent of the county’s tribal members live, Padilla said.

Woods said the clinic is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022. At that point, they’re looking at another celebration – a grand opening.

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.
A rendering of the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium’s Southshore Clinic looking northeast on Olympic Drive in Clearlake, California. Tribal Health hosted a groundbreaking and blessing ceremony of the site at 14440 Olympic Drive on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Image courtesy of NorthStar Designing Solutions.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer reported on Tuesday that a coronavirus outbreak in a local skilled nursing facility has now led to a third COVID-19-related death.

This latest death is the sixth in the county overall, Dr. Gary Pace said.

Pace said on Tuesday afternoon that the individual lived at the same local senior residential facility where the recent outbreak has occurred.

This latest patient to die was over the age of 65 with underlying chronic medical issues and tested positive prior to becoming symptomatic, Pace said.

Pace has declined to identify the facility, where two previous COVID-19 deaths were reported on Aug. 29 and Sept. 1, as Lake County News has reported.

The facility has confirmed with Public Heatlh that it has notified all residents and their families of the outbreak, Pace told Lake County News.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Lake County Public Health said there are 368 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county, of which 26 are active – and are under Public Health monitoring – while two are hospitalized and 336 have recovered.

To date, approximately 10,173 tests for the virus have been conducted in Lake County, Public Health reported.

“We encourage everyone to pause for a minute and recognize that taking an extra step of
Prevention – like wearing a mask or avoiding a social event— could potentially save a life,” Pace said. “Even though many people when infected don’t get very sick, this COVID can be deadly.”

Residents seeking public health information on how to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus
can access Lake County’s Public Health Division webpage or call the COVID-19 hotline at 707-263-8174 to speak to a Public Health adviser.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric said Wednesday night that it has restored power to 97 percent of its customers who were part of a public safety power shutoff activated on Monday night.

The shutoff – which impacted customers across 22 counties, including Lake – was enacted due to red flag weather conditions.

At daybreak on Wednesday – after the all-clear was given for weather conditions – PG&E said it began to patrol equipment and facilities, including more than 10,750 miles of transmission and distribution power lines, for damage or hazards as a result of the high winds.

PG&E said the patrols took place by ground and by air. Due to thick smoke and haze across the region because of numerous wildland fires, the company said it had to pause air inspections initially due to unsafe flying conditions. However, by noon on Wednesday, about half of PG&E’s aircraft were flying patrols.

By Wednesday night, PG&E said it had restored power to nearly 150,000 customers in areas where no wind-related damage was found.

That included all customers in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama and Tuolumne counties.

In Lake County, PG&E said approximately 24 residents – none of them medical baseline customers – were impacted by the shutoff. Power to those customers was cut off early Tuesday morning.

As for those whose power hadn’t yet been turned back on as of Wednesday night, PG&E said they included a group of customers mainly in the Northern Sierra, where the company hasn’t been able to restore electric service due to ongoing threats from wildfires, smoke impeding air patrols and requests from first responders to keep power lines off to assist in firefighting efforts.

PG&E said it will resume its patrol, repair and reenergizaton efforts in those areas as soon as its granted access to do so.

Another 5,000 customers in Butte, Humboldt, Napa, Plumas, Sierra, Trinity and Yuba counties are expected to have power restored by noon on Thursday, once PG&E said it can patrol those areas via helicopter.

Last fall, Lake County was included in two overlapping public safety power shutoffs that left power off to the county for nearly a week.

Since then, PG&E said it was refining its shutoff planning and procedures to reduce both the length of time and the number of 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.
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The LNU Lightning Complex as mapped by Cal Fire on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Despite high temperatures and fire weather concerns, firefighters prevented any new growth across the vast acreage impacted by the LNU Lightning Complex on Tuesday.

The complex, which began on Aug. 17, remained at 375,209 acres and 91-percent containment on Tuesday night, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said 1,167 personnel, 66 engines, 26 water tenders, three helicopters, 28 hand crews and 22 dozers are assigned to the complex, which stretches across Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

Due to the high winds on Monday that caused flare-ups on the Walbridge fire in Sonoma County, an evacuation order and a warning were issued by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on Monday night for areas west of Healdsburg.

Firefighters on Tuesday were able to prevent the Walbridge fire from growing; it remained at 54,940 acres, with containment unchanged at 95 percent.

On Tuesday night, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office lifted both the mandatory evacuation and the evacuation warning.

On the east side of the complex, the Hennessey fire – which burned into the other five counties, including Lake – remained at 317,909 acres and 91-percent containment on Tuesday, according to Cal Fire’s report.

Cal Fire said crews are continuing to work to strengthen containment lines and make repairs necessary due to suppression efforts.

A red flag warning remains in effect throughout the fire area through Wednesday morning due to high winds and temperatures, officials 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.


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The LNU Lightning Complex as mapped by Cal Fire on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Within hours of flare-ups being reported on the LNU Lightning Complex’s Walbridge fire in Sonoma County, a new evacuation order and evacuation warning were implemented near that fire.

Cal Fire said Monday night that the complex remained at 375,209 acres and 91-percent containment.

On Monday afternoon, reports made over radio traffic stated that there were flare-ups on the Walbridge fire, burning west of Healdsburg, which is 54,940 acres and 95-percent contained.

Cal Fire said fire activity increased within the Walbridge containment lines on Monday, with firefighters on the ground supported by aircraft.

On Saturday, all remaining evacuation orders and warnings had been lifted. However, due to the situation on the Walbridge fire, shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for areas south of south of Mill Creek Road, north of Sweetwater Springs Road, west of Westside Road and east of Palmer Creek Road.

At the same time, the agency issued an evacuation warning for the area north of the Russian River, east of Armstrong Woods Road, west of Westside Road and south of Sweetwater Springs Road.

An interactive map of the Sonoma County evacuation area can be found here.

On the Lake County side of the complex, the Hennessey fire – which also is burning in Colusa, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties – remained at 317,909 acres and 91-percent containment, Cal Fire said.

Assigned resources on the incident on Monday night totaled 1,315 personnel, 85 engines, 34 water tenders, four helicopters, 29 hand crews and 35 dozers.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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