Thursday, 27 February 2025

Register

News

Posted On

The Lake County Library recently received a $10,000 grant to create makerspaces for the public. In library makerspaces, pre-school age children will have the opportunity learn through direct experimentation – using materials, tools, and creativity for exploration in specific fields. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Library.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library’s collection and programs will be enhanced as a result of the Library winning two competitive grants from the California State Library.

The first grant is $5,000 to purchase new books and media that expand the Lake County Library collection in the following statewide initiative areas: workforce development; veterans and their families; immigration, refugees, and diversity; mental health; and life over 50.

The public is encouraged to check out these new books which will be on the Library shelves by the end of September.

The library will also receive up to $10,000 to purchase materials and equipment to establish library makerspaces.

This second grant is a pilot project from the California State Library in collaboration with the Center for Childhood Creativity at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Library spaces encourage Lake County youth to learn by being avid, engaged readers and proficient researchers.

In library makerspaces, pre-school age children will have the opportunity learn through direct experimentation – using materials, tools, and creativity for exploration in specific fields.

In addition to funding an outdoor makerspace at the Lakeport Library focused on earth, air, and water, the grant will also fund three mobile makerspaces that will be transported to the various county libraries. Each mobile makerspace will have a different learning objective.

County Librarian Christopher Veach, is enthusiastic about the opportunities that these two grants will provide.

“The library’s objective is to open the door for people to experience different things. It’s all about learning, creativity, and helping people find out what they are passionate about and what they want to learn, both through books and through other physical materials that they might not be able to access at home,” Veach said.

Both of these grants will further that fundamental Library objective.

Learn more about the Lake County Library and its programs at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.

Kathy Ferguson is the county deputy administrative officer for projects and grants.
Posted On

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to discuss the use of abandoned houses by squatters and will consider an update to the city manager’s amendment when it meets Thursday night.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The council has been asked by Sandra and Roberta Copeland to discuss homelessness-related issues in the city, particularly, squatters in abandoned homes, according to a brief staff report from City Clerk Melissa Swanson.

“There is no further staff report as this is a discussion item by the Council with possible direction to staff,” Swanson said in her report.

In other business, the council will consider the third amendment to City Manager Greg Folsom’s contract, which would raise his base salary by 3 percent, retroactive to July 1, at an annual cost to the city of $3,976.20, according to the staff report.

Folsom joined the city in June 2015. The original contract gave him an annual salary of $110,000, plus benefits.

Also on the agenda is consideration of clarifying the city’s council nepotism policy, the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 209-2018, a development agreement with Gold Country Growers Clearlake for distribution and a delivery only dispensary, and Mayor Bruno Sabatier’s appointment of new members to the animal control and commercial cannabis ad hoc committees.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; consideration of a memorandum of understanding with the Konocti Unified School District for one school resource officer; receipt of and response to the 2017-18 grand jury report; consideration of the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 207-2018, a development agreement with Chris Jennings for commercial cannabis operations; and consideration of the second reading and adoption of ordinance No. 208-2018, a development agreement with Clearlake Hydrogarden for a commercial cannabis nursery.

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.
Posted On

FINLEY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the Finley man who died in a Tuesday afternoon motorcycle wreck.

Lt. Corey Paulich identified the motorcyclist as Richard Peter Salkeld, 66.

Salkeld was riding his 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Stone Drive East in Finley shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when 73-year-old Kenneth Lee Barr of Kelseyville, driving a 2016 Ford F250 pickup westbound, traveled into Salkeld’s path while turning into a driveway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Salkeld hit Barr’s pickup head-on and died at the scene a short time later despite the efforts of first responders, according to the CHP and radio reports.

The CHP confirmed on Wednesday that Salkeld was using his safety equipment at the time of the crash. Barr, who was wearing a seat belt, was uninjured.

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.
Blog Left ad
Posted On



LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry recently traveled to Clearlake and met with Bill Stone and Alvaro Valencia, co-owners of A&B Collision, before attending the Clearlake Oaks Business Association meeting later that day.

Stone and Valencia had previously met the Aguiar-Curry at a legislative day event earlier this year and wanted to talk about Assembly Bill 1679 which would have handed more control to insurance companies over auto body repair, according to Valencia.

During the meeting, Aguiar-Curry spoke with both business owners about the potential impacts of the legislation over a front bumper approved by insurance but which required retooling to actually fit on a vehicle.

Opposed by auto body shop owners including Stone and Valencia as well as the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog, the bill failed to clear its appropriations committee by deadline in January of this year, effectively killing the legislation.

If the bill is renewed and defeated, body shops will have more impact on auto body repairs, Valencia told Lake County News.

Should AB 1679 pass in the future, Valencia said "Insurance companies will have more impact on repairs. They don't know all the repairs that have to be done a vehicle."

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

New Clearlake Planning Commissioner Robert Coker was sworn in during the commission’s meeting on the evening of Tuesday, August 21, 2018. Courtesy photo.


CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday was a very eventful and important meeting for Clearlake.

At the beginning of the meeting, Clearlake resident and businessman Robert Coker, was sworn in as the newest planning commissioner.

Earlier this month, Coker was appointed by the Clearlake City Council to replace longtime Planning Commissioner Carl Webb, who retired from the commission after 18 years.

After Commissioner Coker was seated in his new position, Chair Dirk Slooten called for a motion on the next agenda item which was selection of a new chair and vice chair.

Commissioner Richard Bean was nominated for chair and Commissioner Kathy Fitts was nominated for vice chair. The motion carried unanimously.

The final business item on the agenda was a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit for the expansion of the Clearlake Cottages and Marina. The applicants plan to expand the facility by six units.

After discussion of the item, the conditional use permit was unanimously approved.

According to City Manager Greg Folsom, “Clearlake Cottages and Marina is one of the nicest lodging facilities in Lake County and I am very pleased that the owners of Clearlake Cottages are optimistic enough about their business in Clearlake that they want to expand here. This is a very positive sign about the direction Clearlake is heading.”
Posted On

The Lucerne Hotel in Lucerne, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Nearly eight years after the county of Lake purchased the historic Lucerne Hotel to protect and preserve it, on Tuesday the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a purchase offer for the building.

The Romero Institute, which proposes to locate its New Paradigm University there, was the lone bidder for the 90-year-old building.

The institute bid the minimum amount, $2.5 million.

The bid was submitted in writing and opened during the Tuesday morning board meeting.

The process also allowed for verbal bids to be submitted, but no one came forward to make an alternate offer.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said the Romero Institute offer is subject to county staff verifying conditions of the sale.

By day’s end, the Romero Institute was required to deposit 4 percent of the purchase price in an escrow account. The remainder will be due at the end of escrow, Huchingson said.

The board voted unanimously to close the bid before holding a brief discussion.

Supervisor Jeff Smith said it was “tough” to sell the building for $2.5 million.

That was the minimum amount the board had approved when it ruled the building surplus last month and agreed to sell it. The last updated appraisal the county had last year valued the building at $3 million.

Board Chair Jim Steele said the building’s sale is “the end of an era.”

Supervisor Rob Brown countered, “I prefer to think of it as the beginning of an era, I really do,” adding that he thinks some good things are going to come of it, including vitally needed economic development.

Steele added that it would bring confidence to the community and he was comfortable with the sale.

Bill Stranger of the Romero Institute thanked the board and previous boards for their visionary understanding of the value of the facility and their work to bring four year education to Lake County.

He recognized their disappointment with the previous college attempt by Marymount.

However, he said the Romero Institute has expanded the vision for the building’s use, which will include a conference center and education extension program.

Stranger also encouraged the county to send a participant to the upcoming California Adaptation Forum in Sacramento, which looks at how communities prepare for climate change impacts.

He said the first major conference planned for the building under the Romero Institute’s ownership will address the issues of catastrophic wildfires such as those that have hit Lake County and how to turn the disaster into regeneration and renewal.

He thanked former Supervisor Denise Rushing – who had been on the Board of Supervisors at the time the county purchased the building and is now a principal member of the group forming the new college – for her pioneering work in creating the proposal, and said they are looking forward to a very full and productive partnership in creating a unique and visionary project.

Supervisor Tina Scott said she was happy about the effort to bring quality education to the community. She said that would change the dynamic in the county, where there is a low percentage of people with degrees.

Steele passed the gavel so he could make the motion to approve the bid, which Smith seconded and the board approved 5-0.

In June the board had unanimously selected a proposal submitted by the Romero Institute for the purchase of the building, which led to the decision to put the building up for sale.

The 55,000-square-foot hotel building sits on seven acres at the end of 13th Avenue, or The Strand. With its seven story tower, it’s the tallest building in Lake County, and arguably its most impressive.

Over the years it had housed a hotel and restaurant, and was owned by a church group, Castlepoint Ministries, which used it for many years as a retreat before putting it up for sale in 2008.

The building was purchased by the county from Castlepoint Ministries in 2010 for $1.35 million.

Including the purchase prices and extensive renovations, the county’s total investment in the building – much of it redevelopment dollars, meant to help revitalize and restore the Northshore – totals about $4.2 million, according to county staff.

Marymount California University signed a lease with the county for the building in late 2012. Classes opened in the building in 2014.

For the next three years Lake County had its first four-year university, graduating about 30 people who earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees before Marymount abruptly left, without warning, in June 2017.

The lease between the county and Marymount called for the university to purchase the building within a specific time frame for a base price of $2.5 million, with an additional unspecified amount to be included to reimburse the county for improvements made to the building including the elevator, new classrooms and Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible bathrooms.

This is the fourth major property sale the county has carried out in the past nine months, and the third of those properties located on the Northshore.

In November, the county sold the former visitor information center in Lucerne for $263,500 and Holiday Harbor in Nice for $759,500, both to Bay Area real estate investor Ed Olson, who property records show owns more than 20 Lake County properties.

Then, last week, Lake County Tribal Health bought county-owned properties on Bevins Court in Lakeport for the minimum bid of $294,000, submitted verbally.

With the approval of the Lucerne Hotel sale, all four of those property transactions total approximately $3,817,000.

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.
Posted On

A Mendocino Hotshot uses a drip torch to ignite vegetation during firing operations on the Ranch fire's northern edge in the area of Bloody Rock and Little Round Mountain on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, on the Mendocino Complex in Northern California. Photo by Mike McMillan, U.S. Forest Service.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More firing operations and cooler weather appear to be helping firefighters continue to slow the growth of the Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex, which has continued to creep north through thousands of acres of national forest land.

The Mendocino Complex grew by just over 5,000 acres in a 24-hour period, rising to 415,685 acres, Cal Fire said Thursday evening. Containment remained unchanged at 74 percent.

The Ranch fire, the part of the complex that continues to burn, is at 366,765 acres and 67 percent containment, Cal Fire said. The River fire was contained last week at 48,920 acres.

Cal Fire said firefighters continue to build and reinforce containment lines and mop up in the northern portions of the Ranch fire.

Fire mapping shows the Ranch fire has continued to move north through the Mendocino National Forest.

It also has moved farther east into Glenn County, and by Thursday appeared to be about six miles southwest of Elk Creek, where a community meeting was scheduled on Thursday night.

Cal Fire said the Ranch fire has been moving north and northeast for the past several days, and will continue to do so at a lower rate of spread due to more favorable weather conditions.

Crews also are continuing firing operations on the northeastern portion of the fire area as weather conditions permit, Cal Fire said.

Monterey County firefighters patrol containment line watching for spot fires during firing operations overnight on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, on the Mendocino Complex in Northern California. Photo by Mike McMillan, U.S. Forest Service.

The U.S. Forest Service continues to hold unified command with Cal Fire on the incident.

Mendocino National Forest spokeswoman Punky Moore said that on Wednesday firing operations progressed in the area of Bloody Rock and Little Round Mountain. Engine crews and hand crews supported firing operations by patrolling containment lines, watching for spot fires and mopping-up hotspots.

Moore said this was a critical section of containment line necessary to stop the northern spread of the Ranch fire.

She explained that firing operations remove vegetation between the main fire and containment lines and reduce the chance of spot fires caused by floating embers crossing containment lines.

On Thursday, crews continued to patrol and improve containment lines where firing was conducted the previous night, mopping up where necessary, Moore said.

Engine crews also have continued patrolling the Rice Fork Summer Homes and Lake Pillsbury areas, which remain under a mandatory evacuation order, and are prepared to defend homes in Bonnie View/Happy Camp.

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.

Posted On

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and the city of Clearlake will present the third annual “State of the City” presentation on Wednesday, Sept. 5.

The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Clearlake Community Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave.

“This is our third annual State of the City meeting. We have accomplished a lot and have a lot more in the planning stages and we want the community to know all that is happening,” said City Manager Greg Folsom, who helped introduce the concept when he joined the city.

Originally, the presentation had been scheduled for early August, but was postponed due to the Mendocino Complex, as Lake County News has reported.

The program will begin at 5 p.m. with an open house featuring the opportunity to interact with and ask questions to the Police Department, Code Enforcement, Public Works, Finance, Building Department, Administrative Services, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, PEG TV and more.

The formal presentation by the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and the City of Clearlake will begin at 6 p.m.

The Highlands Senior Service Center’s Chatterbox Catering will provide appetizers for the event.

“The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce is excited to be working with the city of Clearlake to help inform the local business community about the positive changes being made,” said Chamber President Denise Loustalot.

The public is invited to attend and is encouraged to come early in order to have time to interact with the different departments to find out what programs are being offered and to get questions answered.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County residents have endured four years of some of the worst fires in our state’s history.

Wildfire has ravaged significant portions of the county and since 2015, 1,785 Lake County residents have lost their homes to wildfires. Unfortunately, with the Mendocino Complex Fire – the largest wildland fire in our state’s history – that number has grown.

These fires have been incredibly difficult on everyone, but the kids of Lake County have suffered tremendously.

State Sen. Mike McGuire has teamed up with North Coast Opportunities to give back to Lake County’s students who have been impacted by the Mendocino Complex Fire. Together, they launched the Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund with Redwood Credit Union playing a significant funding role.

On Wednesday, students in Lakeport, Lucerne and Upper Lake will head back to school after a two week delay due to the significant impacts of the Ranch and River fires.

Students in Lakeport and Upper Lake will be welcomed back to school by local public safety officials, community volunteers and teachers when they arrive in the morning with donuts, orange juice and milk to kick off their school year. The milk and orange juice has been generously donated by Clover Stornetta.

Students in Lucerne will be welcomed back to school by a welcome team from the community with a special lunch on the first day, including pasta, salad and fruit.

“Lake County families have faced unprecedented disasters year after year and the physical and emotional toll these events have had can be overwhelming, especially for kids. We’re proud to team up with Lake County schools, North Coast Opportunities and Redwood Credit Union to hold these special events, welcoming students back to school after facing the trauma of the Ranch and River Fires,” Sen. McGuire said.

Working with North Coast Opportunities, which has been the leading non-profit organization supporting residents after each of the devastating wildland fires that have impacted Lake and Mendocino counties, Sen. McGuire established a dedicated fund to help those students impacted by the Ranch and River fires and has secured support from Redwood Credit Union as the primary funder.

Redwood Credit Union is covering the costs of the welcome back events at each of three school districts.

“Lake County is a resilient community that has faced so many devastating disasters these past few years,” said NCO Executive Director Patty Bruder. “As we’ve done in the past, our team is ready to get to work to help our neighbors in need and we’re proud to partner with Senator McGuire and Redwood Credit Union on the Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund and Welcome Back to School events.”

With a history of partnering with Senator McGuire on fire relief over the past several years, Redwood Credit Union stepped up with immediate support for the student fund.

“Knowing the impact of these fires can deeply affect kids and teens, we want to support Lake County students and get them back into a routine and the stability of a classroom,” said Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union. “All of us at Redwood Credit Union are saddened that fires continue to devastate our communities, but we’re committed to helping those in need.”

In addition to the back to school events this week, all funds raised will benefit Lake County students (K-12 and college) including financial assistance for students who lost homes to replace school clothes, supplies, sports and musical equipment; and funds will be invested in mental health services for Lake County students impacted by the fires.

Contributions to support Lake County students may be made online at www.FireRelief.org.

Checks can be made to the Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund
, memo line: North Coast Opportunities Inc., 413 North State St., Ukiah, CA 95482.
Posted On

Lakeport Unified School Board member Tom Powers, teacher Angie DeMaria and her two children on the first day of school in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Photo courtesy of April Leiferman.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a summer marred by wildland fires and the evacuations of thousands of Lake County residents, the county’s children are now getting back to school.

Konocti Unified and Middletown Unified started classes on Monday and Kelseyville Unified will start on Sept. 4.

On Wednesday, it was back to school for Lakeport Unified, Lucerne Elementary and Upper Lake Unified, which earlier this month reported that they had chosen to delay classes by a week due to the Mendocino Complex.

The River portion of which caused the mandatory evacuation of the entire city of Lakeport and surrounding areas, while the Ranch fire chased thousands of Northshore residents from their homes.

The smoke and ash from the fires has necessitated cleaning and ongoing air monitoring at districts, where the goal is to keep students in the healthiest conditions possible.

State Sen. Mike McGuire has partnered with North Coast Opportunities and Redwood Credit Union to create the Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund.

McGuire and his partners organized a welcome back to school event in cooperation with the districts on Wednesday for students in Lakeport, Lucerne and Upper Lake.

Students were welcomed by school board members, local law enforcement and community members on the first day of school in the Lakeport Unified School District on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Photo courtesy of April Leiferman.

In Lakeport and Upper Lake, donuts, milk and orange juice were served to students on Wednesday morning, with law enforcement and firefighters, along with community volunteers and teachers waiting to greet them.

Lakeport Unified Superintendent April Leiferman said the first day of school was great.

“The students at Lakeport Elementary were welcomed by Rory the Tiger, school board members, first responders, city officials, Rotary members, community members and other volunteers. There were ‘Welcome Back’ signs, high-fives and hugs at the elementary school,” she said.

Leiferman said Clear Lake High School students had their first glimpse of the new central kitchen and all students were treated to delicious donuts provided by Susie Q's donuts, juice and milk.

“The students were all smiles with their new shoes and backpacks. They were happy to be at school, see their friends, and meet their teachers and other staff members. The classrooms were buzzing with enthusiasm through the end of the day,” she said.

Leiferman added that the air quality was not in the unhealthy for sensitive groups zone Wednesday morning, “which was a relief.”

She recognized McGuire, NCO, Redwood Credit Union, volunteers and staff for their contributions to the day.

Community members, law enforcement and firefighters were on hand to greet students in Upper Lake, Calif., on their first day of school on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Photo courtesy of Giovanni Annous.

Smiles all around

Dr. Giovanni Annous, superintendent of Upper Lake Unified School District, said everything went off without a hitch, and the most important thing was seeing the smiles on the children’s faces.

There were people on hand to welcome students to five different school locations on Wednesday morning in Upper Lake, he said. Representatives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Northshore Fire Protection District, school board members as well as Supervisor Jim Steele and Supervisor-elect E.J. Crandell were on hand at the various campuses.

Annous said donuts were served at the campuses as school got under way, and he thanked McGuire and his staff for making the morning welcome event as successful as it was.

“You could tell the kids were so happy to come back,” he said, noting that parents had told him children were looking forward to classes starting.

He said that shows the resilience of the children.

Annous offered his gratitude to teachers and staff for their efforts to bring things back to normal as quickly as possible for their students as the new school year started.

Upper Lake Unified Superintendent Dr. Giovanni Annous, left, and Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos, right, welcomed students on their first day of school on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Photo courtesy of Giovanni Annous.

Ahead of the start of school, all of the district’s school facilities were thoroughly cleaned, said Annous. The Ranch fire did not damage any of the facilities.

Annous said air scrubbers remain at work in school facilities to keep air quality high, as smoky air across the community remains a problem. He said the scrubbers are going to be kept in place until Lake County air quality returns to good or moderate status.

In addition to the cleanup, Annous said the district finished up some modernization projects – which were delayed by the area’s mandatory evacuation – just before school started.

The projects included painting the entire elementary school and remodeling the inside of the elementary school’s multipurpose room. He said painting at the middle school is still under way, with the gym left to paint.

Even with the delays, Annous said everything came together perfectly. He credited his maintenance and facilities personnel for their work. “These guys have been working hard around the clock,” he said. “They pulled it together perfectly. They are amazing.”

He added, “We’re a very resilient community.”

Students at Lucerne Elementary School in Lucerne, Calif., were treated to a special back to school lunch on the first day of school on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

A good first day

Later on Wednesday morning, the welcome effort moved to Lucerne Elementary School.

Principal-Superintendent Mike Brown, walking across the playground to the cafeteria, said it was a good first day.

He said they had more students than anticipated, explaining that, after the evacuations, he hadn’t been sure if some families would return.

In the school’s cafeteria, dozens of youngsters enjoyed a pasta lunch from Park Place in Lakeport, along with salad and fruit, and a big cookie once lunch was over and it was time to head out to recess.

They also got high fives from firefighters from Northshore Fire Protection District. One of the firefighters also helped one young man straighten his tie when it got stuck on his lunch tray.

McGuire’s office said all funds raised will benefit Lake County students – from kindergarten through college – and will include financial assistance for students who lost homes to replace school clothes, supplies, sports and musical equipment. Funds also will be invested in mental health services for Lake County students impacted by the fires.

Contributions to support Lake County students may be made online at www.FireRelief.org or checks can be mailed to Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund
, Memo line: North Coast Opportunities Inc., 413 North State St., Ukiah CA, 95482.

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.
Lucerne Elementary School in Lucerne, Calif., began the 2018-19 school year on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, after a slight delay due to the Mendocino Complex. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.
Posted On

A Kern Valley firefighter uses a drip torch to strengthen control lines during a burning operation near Bloody Rock along the Ranch fire's northwest edge. The Ranch fire is part of the Mendocino Complex. Photo by Mike McMillan/US Forest Service.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – There was minor growth on the Ranch fire portion of the Mendocino Complex on Wednesday, as some mandatory evacuations in neighboring Mendocino County were lifted.

The Mendocino Complex rose to 410,482 acres by Wednesday night, with containment unchanged over the past 24 hours at 74 percent, Cal Fire reported.

The Ranch fire, the active portion of the complex, reached 361,562 acres Wednesday night. Containment remains at 67 percent, according to Cal Fire’s report. The River fire was fully contained last week at 48,920 acres.

Damage assessment numbers on the complex rose slightly on Wednesday. Cal Fire said the number of structures destroyed is now 280 – 157 homes and 123 other buildings. Damaged structures now total 38, including 13 residences and 25 other buildings.

Resources assigned include 3,439 personnel, 210 engines, 86 water tenders, 21 helicopters, 82 hand crews and 68 dozers, according to Cal Fire.

The Forest Service reported that a new incident command post for the eastern zone of the fire has been set up at the Glenn County Fairgrounds in Orland. The base camp at Stonyford will continue to operate, reducing travel times for crews working on the northern portion of the Ranch Fire.

Cal Fire said there was minimal fire activity on the Ranch Fire; the complex has grown just under 4,000 acres in the past day.

Officials said constructed fireline is holding on the northwestern edge as crews continue
working to improve it.

Crews are continuing to conduct firing operations to build and improve existing containment lines. Cal Fire also is anticipating more favorable weather conditions – lower temperatures and humidity – overnight.

The southern portion of the Ranch fire, like the River fire, remains in patrol status, with suppression repairs taking place, Cal Fire said.

The conditions on Wednesday led to the cancellation of a mandatory evacuation for the Eel River Road area in Mendocino County, including all areas west of the Mendocino-Lake County line, south and east of Eel River Road and north of the 16000 block of Mid Mountain Road.

An advisory evacuation also was canceled for the Potter Valley area, also in Mendocino County.

Firefighters watch for burning embers across control lines during burning operations along the northwest flank of the Mendocino Complex’s Ranch fire in the area of Bloody Rock. Photo by Mike McMillan/US Forest Service.

In Glenn County, officials said Wednesday that while mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for the area south of County Road 308 to the Colusa County Line and west of County Road 306 to the Lake County line, a number of roads had been reopened to allow access to critical transportation routes in this area.

Those roads include County Road 306, which is open to north and south bound traffic; all roads running west of County Road 306 to the Lake County line remain closed. County Road 308 is open to east and west bound traffic from County Road 306 to the Forest Boundary also has been reopened, but County Road 308 remains closed at the Forest Boundary west to its termination.

Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service said they will be hosting a Thursday evening community meeting in Elk Creek in Glenn County to discuss the current situation of the Mendocino Complex. Officials will give an operational overview, highlighting the current actions firefighters are taking on the fires.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Elk Creek High School, 3430 County Road 309.

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect in the following areas:

• Lake County: East of the Lake-Mendocino County line, south of the Lake-Mendocino-Glenn County line, west of the Lake-Colusa County line, north of the fire perimeter and the Mendocino National Forest boundary.

• Colusa County: Areas south of the Colusa-Glenn County line, east of the Colusa-Lake County line, north of Goat Mountain Road extending to Sullivan Ridge and west of the Mendocino National Forest boundary including Fouts Springs Road (Forest Road M10).

• Glenn County: North of the Glenn-Colusa County line, east of the Glenn-Lake County line, south of County Road 308 and Forest Route 24N02, and west of County Road 306.

• The Bureau of Land Management closure of the Cow Mountain Recreation Area remains in effect.

Evacuation advisories are still in effect in two areas in Colusa County: All areas east of the Mendocino National Forest boundary and west of the East Park reservoir between the Glenn County line and Lodoga; and areas South of Goat Mountain Road extending to Sullivan Ridge east of the Colusa-Lake County line and West of the Mendocino National Forest boundary.

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.

Posted On

A map released on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, by the Burned Area Emergency Response team for the Mendocino Complex’s Ranch fire in Northern California. Map courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER, specialists from the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Interior recently completed their data gathering and field work of the Ranch fire burn area, part of the Mendocino Complex.

Their focus was to verify and finalize the soil burn severity map. Soil burn severity is classified into levels between unburned and high.

Due to the size of the fire, its activity, and the team’s inability to visit the northern portion of the fire, the BAER team assessed the southern portion of the fire, an area 191,068 acres in size.

The northern portion will be mapped at a future date once activity drops and the specialists are allowed into the burned area.

The analysis indicated that approximately seven percent of the area in the fire perimeter is considered unburned or very low (14,090 acres), 27 percent low (51,633 acres), 59 percent moderate (113,344 acres), and six percent high (12,000 acres) soil burn severity.

BAER post-fire assessment teams use the soil burn severity data to identify if there are areas of concern where increased soil erosion, accelerated surface water run-off, and debris flows have the potential to impact human life and safety, property, and critical natural and cultural resources from rain events.

BAER teams typically consist of scientists and specialists that consider emergency stabilization options for those critical resources.

The soil burn severity map is not an erosion risk map, but generally shows increases in the rates of erosion and runoff that are expected from steep hillslopes with high and moderate soil burn severity.

Areas located downstream from moderate and high soil burn severity, even within unburned areas, may experience increased rates of erosion, debris flows and surface runoff due to cumulative effects.

Information about the BAER team’s work can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6156.

LCNews

Responsible local journalism on the shores of Clear Lake.

 

Memberships:

 

Search