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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While California experiences another destructive fire season, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced that more than $170 million has been awarded in grants to prevent catastrophic wildfires, like the Carr Fire and Mendocino Complex, and restore forest health.

More than 100 agencies and organizations across California will receive funding to help the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires and sequester carbon.

State Sen. Mike McGuire said $26 million in grants will come to North Coast communities.

Two Lake County organizations are among the grant recipients, according to the Cal Fire list.

Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association will receive $216,869 for fuel reduction.

Heart Consciousness Church, also known as Harbin Hot Springs, will receive a $469,000 grant for a project to address severe fire remediation challenges created by the 2015 Valley Fire, which destroyed the popular resort.

With the participation of multiple landowners, agencies and professional foresters, the project will restore forest health over 450 acres of the Upper Putah Creek watershed. It will use a wide range of management activities to promote the long-term storage of carbon in forest trees and soil and to minimize the loss of forest carbon from another wildfire and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“California is facing a new normal – the size and scope of wildland fires are getting worse. These grants will better prepare and protect the North Coast by reducing hazardous fuels, removing dead and dying trees and helping communities with fire planning,” Sen. Mike McGuire said. “With nearly 1 million acres burned so far this year, these mega-fires have proven deadly and extremely destructive and have also released countless tons of carbon into our atmosphere. The safety of our communities depends on programs like these being implemented across the state.”

With funds provided by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for California Climate Investments, or CCI, Cal Fire awarded 142 fire prevention grants totaling $79.7 million and 23 forest health projects totaling $91.5 million.

The Fire Prevention grants will enable local organizations like fire safe councils, to implement activities that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to communities and forests.

Funded activities include hazardous fuel reduction, fire planning, and fire prevention education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“California continues to invest millions of dollars into creating healthier, more resilient forests that benefit all of us,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director and California’s state forester. “Already this year more than 700,000 acres have burned across the state creating significant carbon releases that counter our efforts at reducing greenhouse gases. Local projects funded by this money will prevent wildfires before they start, and when combined with our fire prevention activities, will help move us toward our greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

Cal Fire’s Forest Health grants were distributed to non-profits and local and state resource agencies to implement collaborative projects that extend across multiple land ownerships.

These projects seek to improve water quality, manage forest pests, and increase the use of tools such as prescribed fire and hazardous fuels reduction to create resiliency in California’s forests. Multiple projects include a bioenergy component – turning trees killed by drought and bark beetles into energy.

Five of the Forest Health grants will enable the purchase of conservation easements under Cal Fire’s Forest Legacy Program.

These grants will protect more than 14,000 acres of forestland in Humboldt and Sonoma counties from urban and agricultural development which would increase greenhouse gas emissions.

To date, Cal Fire’s Forest Legacy Program has conserved nearly 111,996 acres of working forest lands in California.

The 165 grants were made possible by proceeds from California’s cap-and-trade program to combat climate change.

Through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Cal Fire and other state agencies are investing in projects that directly reduce greenhouse gases while providing a wide range of additional benefits in California communities.

This May, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the creation of the Forest Management Task Force to address the issue of the health of California’s forests, which have been adversely impacted by drought and climate change.

The task force, which has met twice, is working to facilitate strategies to reduce risk of wildfire and increase the pace and scale of forest restoration activities leading to improved watersheds.

A list of the North Coast grantees follows.

FIRE PREVENTION GRANTS

Humboldt County

University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cooperative Extension, fire prevention education, $286,689

Lake County

Seigler Springs Community Redevelopment Association, fuel reduction, $216,869

Sonoma County

Mayacamas Fire Safe Council, fire prevention education, $5,000

Muniz Ranches Property Owners Association, fuel reduction, $61,650

Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works, fuel reduction, $1,082,969

Sea Ranch Fire Safe Council, fuel reduction, $44,250

Geyserville Fire Protection District, fuel reduction, $497,750

Mendocino County

County of Mendocino, fuel reduction, $951,450

Brooktrails Fire Department, fuel reduction, $162,550

Marin County

Southern Marin Fire Protection District, fire prevention planning, $53,680

FIRESafe MARIN, fire prevention planning, $71,288

Marin County Parks and Open Space District, fuel reduction, $75,000

Trinity County

The Watershed Research and Training Center, fuel reduction, $197,635

Trinity County Resource Conservation District, fuel reduction, $421,463


FOREST HEALTH GRANTS

Humboldt County

Sean and Kathryn O'Day, Grizzly Creek Forest Conservation Easement, $1,195,500

Lake County

Heart Consciousness Church DBA Harbin Hot Springs, Valley Fire Remediation and Upper Putah Creek Watershed Restoration Program, $469,000

Sonoma County

Western Rivers Conservancy/Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District, Silva Ranch Conservation Easement, $4,050,000

Humboldt County

Save the Redwoods League, Redwoods to the Sea Corridor Forest Resilience Project, $1,279,270

City of Arcata, Arcata Community Forest Expansion - Forsyth Tract, $227,000

The Trust for Public Land, McKay Community Forest Phase 2 and Adjacent Ryan Creek Legacy Easement, $3,600,000

Northcoast Regional Land Trust, Diamond D Forest Conservation Easement, $4,500,000

Mendocino County

Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, Applied Innovative Forest Health Strategies on Post-Fire Landscapes, $1,909,820

Humboldt/Siskiyou counties

Mid Klamath Watershed Council, Western Klamath Landscape Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project, $5,000,000
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Three structures were reported to have been burned in a Sunday evening fire in a Clearlake neighborhood.

The fire in the 3300 block of Brown Street near Turner Avenue was first reported just before 7 p.m. Sunday.

Lake County Fire Protection District firefighters who arrived on scene just minutes after dispatch found multiple structures threatened, as well as fencing, boats and vehicles, according to reports from the scene.

Minutes later, radio reports indicated that two structures were fully involved and propane tanks were going off.

Cal Fire was asked to send resources, with a full wildland dispatch of five engines requested a short time later due to concerns about the fire spreading into vegetation, according to incident command. Cal Fire’s response included a strike team from the Ranch fire.

Just before 7:20 p.m., incident command reported stopping the fire’s progress into wildland, and canceled the two dozers and two crews that had been requested, but engines were asked to continue in.

Power lines also were reported to be down at the scene, and incident command stated problems with water supply.

Forward progress on the fire was stopped just before 7:45 p.m., when it was reported that several hours of mop up would be needed.

Incident command also requested dispatch notify the water company of several hours of high water flow in an effort to cool the outgassing propane tanks on the scene.

In response to the fire, the Clearlake Police Department issued a mandatory evacuation order for Grey, Brown and Amber streets from Olympic Drive to Bowers Avenue just before 7:25 p.m. That evacuation was called off at 10 p.m.

Incident command confirmed from the scene that three structures in total burned.

Mop up was still under way early Monday morning, and a Clearlake Police unit was asked to come to the scene just after 12:30 a.m. to take a further report on the fire, according to radio reports.

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Police are investigating an early Sunday morning shooting in which initial reports suggest a Clearlake man killed three of his children and wounded the fourth before fatally shooting himself.

At 12:43 a.m. Sunday, the Clearlake Police Department received a report of a male subject shooting a firearm in the 4700 block of Yarrington Court, according to Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

Hobbs said officers arrived in the area a short time later and contacted a 25-year-old female who called the police.

The officers learned the female had just been at a residence on Yarrington Court with her husband, 39-year-old Ricardo Lopez, and their four children, Hobbs said.

For unknown reasons Ricardo Lopez, who was outside the residence, began shooting a firearm and she ran away to get help, according to Hobbs.

Officers went to the residence on Yarrington Court and located Ricardo Lopez deceased laying in the driveway. Hobbs said Lopez had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was in possession of a firearm.

Officers located the couple’s four children inside a SUV parked in the driveway. Three of the children – ages 9 months, 2 years and 4 years – were deceased from apparent gunshot wounds, Hobbs said.

A fourth child, age 5, was alive and had a gunshot wound to the chest, according to Hobbs.

Hobbs said officers rendered medical aid to the 5-year-old while waiting for medical personnel to arrive.

Once medical personnel arrived, the child was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital then flown to an out-of-county hospital. As of Sunday morning, Hobbs said the child was in stable condition.

“Clearlake Police detectives responded to the location and are in the process of investigating the circumstances that led to this tragic incident,” Hobbs said.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective Leonardo Flores at 707-994-8251, Extension 315, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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President Theodore Roosevelt (center) during a 1906 visit to the Panama Canal. Public domain image.

It couldn’t be done, they said. France had tried it a half century before, only for noxious bogs and swarms of insects native to the land to swallow and suffocate the unfortunate workers sent to complete the impossible task.

But this was a man not accustomed to failure. He was at the height of his comfortable arrogance – the leader of a country equally confident in its own ability. If Egypt should have the Pyramids and Rome the Coliseum, then America should have its Pacific-Atlantic passageway, that very waterway connecting the hemispheres that Lewis and Clarke had so ardently sought. They hadn’t found it in America, so President Theodore Roosevelt would build it in Panama.

For the past 50 years, America and European countries had quarreled among themselves over who would build a pan-isthmian canal through Central America – a region early identified as the shortest, and therefore best, route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

These titans of imperial power held backroom negotiations, completely ignoring those nations whose land would actually be trenched, and the lives of whose workers would be lost in the attempt.

Finally, at the turn of the century, America had won the right among western powers to build such a thoroughfare.

In 1902, America opened negotiations with Columbia for the rights to build and maintain a canal. The American offer was not enough for the Colombian Congress, who turned it down in no uncertain terms.

In response, President Theodore Roosevelt promptly dispatched two fleets of American warships to Panama City on the Pacific and Colon on the Atlantic in support of Panamanian Independence. If Columbia wouldn’t give us what we wanted, we would create a country that would.

America’s imperial foray was a success, and the new Panamanian government sold to its American patrons a 10-mile-wide strip of land that cut across the country. For its part, America agreed to pay Panama a one-time grant of $10 million and an annual annuity of $250,000.

The Panama Canal under construction. Public domain image.

In a shrewd move, the new Panamanian government also added the condition that America forever guarantee its independence against any future incursions from regional powers.

With the land secured, President Roosevelt dispatched a team of engineers to set the work in motion. The year was 1904.

Over the next decade, thousands of workers sweated under the oppressive heat of summer months, and withstood the harassing attacks of swarms of mosquitoes.

During the French attempt at building the canal, over 25,000 workers had died – largely due to malaria and other diseases. During America’s construction of the Panama Canal, a little more than 5,000 died – not necessarily because of better treatment, but largely because of new medicines that limited the ravages of jungle diseases.

At the height of construction, when workers faced cutting through the nine-mile stretch of mountains that marked the continental divide, upwards of 6,000 men were working at once.

In the end, some 3.4 million cubic meters of concrete went into building the locks and other works along the canal, and nearly 240 million cubic yards of rock and dirt were excavated during the decade of American construction.

Although President Roosevelt had started the project, it was President Woodrow Wilson – perhaps the polar opposite in his foreign policy from Roosevelt’s “big stick” approach – completed the construction when he triggered the final blast of dynamite via a telegraph wired from Washington D.C. in 1914.

At the time of its completion, the Panama Canal was America’s greatest engineering feat to date.

When the first wave of ships passed through the canal on August 15, 1904, the history of world trade – and America’s role in international affairs – changed forever.

Antone Pierucci is curator of history at the Riverside County Park and Open Space District and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.

A Harper’s Weekly cover featuring a Theodore Roosevelt cartoon. Public domain image.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex pushed closer to Lake Pillsbury and nearby homes on Sunday, leading to Lake County officials reiterating the need for residents to evacuate.

The complex by Sunday night had increased by 5,000 acres to 336,395 acres during the course of the day, with containment up to 70 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Ranch fire’s activity accounted for all of the complex’s Sunday growth. Cal Fire said it is now up to 287,479 acres and 62-percent containment, while the River fire remained at 48,920 acres and 93 percent containment.

Cal Fire said that, throughout the course of Sunday, the Ranch fire was very active on its northwest corner, near Lake Pillsbury. Fire crews constructed dozer lines in Potter Valley to tie into the road system in an effort to stop the fire from progressing west.

Very active fire below and to the east of Lake Pillsbury produced the majority of the smoke seen from the fire on Sunday, Cal Fire said.

When the winds shifted and smoke clear, Cal Fire said air attack was able to fly and support the firefighting effort.

During the afternoon and into the evening, radio reports indicated firefighters were protection structures around Lake Pillsbury, with the fire moving close to the summer homes around Rice Fork.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Lake Pillsbury area on Aug. 4. Just before 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday the sheriff’s office two alerts reminding residents of the area of that evacuation order and encouraging them to leave immediately.

As of Sunday evening, there was no structure loss in Rice Fork, as firefighters continued to try to hold the fire south of Lake Pillsbury and the Eel River, according to reports from the scene.

On the northeast portion of the Ranch fire, in the northeastern portion of Colusa County, fire crews are continuing to tie in dozer lines as well as constructing contingency dozer lines along the ridge tops far ahead of the fire, according to the report and fire mapping.

The Snow Mountain Wilderness is still proving difficult for personnel on the ground to traverse in order to implement a direct attack, 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 Mendocino Complex, as mapped by Cal Fire on the morning of Sunday, August 12, 2018.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex’s Ranch fire reached a record acreage total on Sunday as it continued to burn actively along its northern perimeter.

Cal Fire said the Mendocino Complex reached 331,399 acres and 70-percent containment on Sunday morning.

The River fire near Lakeport continues to be held at no new growth. It’s at 48,920 acres, with containment up slightly to 93 percent, Cal Fire said. Crews continue to monitor it for hot spots and to do suppression repair.

The Ranch fire on the county’s north side reached 282,479 acres and 62-percent containment on Sunday, according to Cal Fire.

The US Forest Service, which is in unified command on the fire with Cal Fire, said the Ranch fire grew approximately 6,000 acres in the previous 24 hours.

Mendocino National Forest spokeswoman Punky Moore said the Ranch Fire is burning in the Snow Mountain Wilderness and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.

The complex is listed as the largest wildland fire in California history; all on its own, the Ranch fire could rank as the second largest, having surpassed the December 2017 Thomas fire overnight.

The Mendocino Complex’s updated damage assessment shows it has destroyed 146 residences and 118 other structures, and damaged 13 homes and 24 other buildings. It continues to threaten 1,025 structures.

The Ranch fire continued to be active in its northeast section overnight, Cal Fire said. Fire mapping showed that activity in the northwest occurred near the Lake-Colusa County line west of Lodoga, based on the maps.

Dozer lines have been constructed in the northeast corner below Stonyford and contingency dozer lines have been constructed ahead of the fire around Stonyford with additional proposed lines being scouted, officials said.

Moore said that on Saturday, firefighters were able to hold and improve the dozer line along McLeod Ridge from Lake Pillsbury towards the fire’s edge. Dozer operators continued constructing dozer line along Gilmore Ridge and north through the 2012 Mill Fire scar toward Davis Flat.

Crews improved the fireline in the steep canyons near Clover Valley in the southern portion of the fire, and they continued to improve contingency dozer lines in the Potter Valley area and along Bushy Camp and Noel ridges, Moore said.

Cal Fire said fire crews on Sunday will continue attempting to contain the northwest portion of the fire, protecting the southern areas of Lake Pillsbury and bringing it back into the Mendocino National Forest. There are many constructed dozer lines along the western edge and throughout Potter Valley and below Lake Pillsbury.

Fire crews will attempt to contain the fire from progressing west, keeping it south of Eel River, Cal Fire said.

On the northeast side, Moore said that on Sunday dozer operators will continue constructing dozer line along Gilmore Ridge and north through the 2012 Mill Fire scar toward Davis Flat in order to secure the fire’s northeast corner to keep the fire west of Stonyford and Century Ranch.

Cal Fire said 3,422 personnel – including 41 from New Zealand and Australia, and 200 active duty military firefighters – are part of the firefighting force, along with 281 engines, 87 water tenders, 20 helicopters, 61 hand crews and 76 dozers.

“I am glad to see all of the cooperation from Cal Fire, the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the US Military and all of the other cooperators,” said Incident Commander Jerry McGowan. “We will all continue to work together to stop this fire, it is our main objective. It has already burned enough land.”

With a red flag warning having ended on Saturday night, Moore said there should be a return to a more normal weather pattern Sunday. Temperatures will be a little cooler, the humidity will be a little higher and the winds lighter than Saturday.

She said smoke impacts will continue to be heavy in communities near and east of the Ranch fire, including Clearlake, Stonyford and east to Willows. Moderate impacts are expected west of the fires in Ukiah, Hopland and Willits. The north and central Sacramento Valley will see widespread haze and smoky conditions.

Across California on Sunday, almost 13,200 firefighters are on the front lines of 11 large wildfires across California. To date, these fires have burned over 695,000 acres and damaged or destroyed over 2,000 structures. Over 12,000 residents remain under evacuation orders, Cal Fire said.

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


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This story has been updated with an statement from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A firefighter has died after sustaining injuries while battling the Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex.

Cal Fire confirmed the firefighter death to Lake County News Monday evening.

In addition to the Monday fatality, two other firefighters previously were reported to have been injured on the complex, which began on July 27 and is now the largest wildland fire incident in California history, officials said.

According to radio reports, the firefighter was fatally injured on the Ranch fire portion of the Mendocino Complex, where in recent days crews have been engaged in a pitched battle to stop the fire and keep it from burning structures near Lake Pillsbury and advancing further into the Mendocino National Forest.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Monday, radio transmissions from the scene stated that a male firefighter had been hit by a tree and immediate medical assistance was needed.

Minutes later, the man was reported to be unconscious, with personnel doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The exact location of where the man was injured was not stated over the radio, but medivac units were requested to Drop Point 15, located about six miles southwest of Lake Pillsbury, according to radio reports.

Retardant drops also were requested to stop in the area at around 5:40 p.m.

Radio feed traffic then abruptly cut out.

Cal Fire said additional information was not available early Monday evening on the incident, and the firefighter’s name has not yet been released.

In a statement issued just before 7:30 p.m., fire officials said the following: The Mendocino Complex Unified Incident Commanders from Cal Fire, and the United States Forest Service are deeply saddened to report the death of a firefighter on the Mendocino Complex. Fact finding on the accident is ongoing and notification of the next of kin is in
Progress.”

Officials said more information will be released 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.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors will get an update from staff on the Mendocino Complex at its meeting this week and also discuss several proposed changes to the county’s zoning ordinance.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

At 9:06 a.m., the board is scheduled to get an update and hold a discussion on the Mendocino Complex fire response and recovery.

In another item timed for 9:15 a.m., the board will consider and discuss various amendments to the Lake County Zoning Ordinance regarding a reduction in the minimum residential construction standards in the single-family residential and manufactured home overlay districts; updates to the collector's permit terms and conditions; restaurants as accessory uses to a tasting room; and temporary dwellings in emergency situations; and request for board direction.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

6.1: Adopt resolution transferring the current balance in the other post-employment benefits fund (645) to the recently authorized Section 115 Post-Employment Benefits Trust and authorizing initial investment portfolio option.

6.2: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Debra Sally, DVM for veterinarian services in the amount not to exceed $25,000 annually for the 18/19 fiscal year, and authorize the chair to sign.

6.3: Adopt Resolution Amending Resolution No. 2018-73 establishing position allocations for fiscal year 201-2019, Budget Unit No. 1123, Assessor.

6.4: Adopt the resolution approving the Mental Health Services Act Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 through Fiscal Year 2019-2020.

6.5: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Cal Engineering & Geology Inc. for engineering services for repair of Socrates Mine Road Landslides, Lake County, in the amount not to exceed $232,297.02; and authorize the chair to sign.

6.6: Approve amendment three to the agreement for final design and right-of-way services for the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Improvement Project in Lake County, with Quincy Engineering Inc. for an increase of $139,878.05, and an amount not to exceed $2,483,054.78; and authorize the chair to sign.

6.7: Approve Encroachment Permit #18-27 - Temporary closure of a portion of Clear Lake in front of Library Park on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for single-boat, high-speed demonstration runs associated with the Hot Car and Boat Show.

TIMED ITEMS

7.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of update and discussion on the Mendocino Complex - River and Ranch fires response and recovery.

7.3, 9:15 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of various amendments to the Lake County Zoning Ordinance regarding a reduction in the minimum residential construction standards in the single-family residential (R1) and manufactured home overlay (MH) districts; updates to the collector's permit terms and conditions; restaurants as accessory uses to a tasting room; and temporary dwellings in emergency situations; and request for board direction.

7.4, 9:30 a.m.: (a) Presentation of code enforcement update; and (b) consideration of request for board direction regarding amendments to Chapter 13 of the Lake County Code.

7.5, 10 a.m.: Public bid opening, consideration of bids to purchase the property known as the Lucerne Hotel, located at 3700 Country Club Drive, Lucerne, CA (APN’S 034-182-030 & 040, AND 034-867-010 through 070) pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq. (Due to the mandated evacuation of the City of Lakeport due to disaster, the public bid opening will be continued to Aug. 21, 2018, at 10 a.m.)

7.6, 10:15 a.m.: Public bid opening, consideration of bids to purchase the Bevins Court properties in Lakeport, CA (APN’s 025-462-100 & 090), pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq. (Continued from Aug. 7, 2018).

UNTIMED ITEMS

8.2: Consideration of change in Board of Supervisors Committee assignment for vice chair to the Disaster Council.

8.3: Discussion and consideration of a draft ordinance amending certain sections of Chapter 13 to establish administrative fines for violations of the Lake County Code relating to the failure to obtain and/or maintain any permit related to cannabis operations.

8.4: Consideration of resolution to oppose Proposition 6 in the November 2018 Election.

CLOSED SESSION

9.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. United States, Department of Interior .

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 map of sites tested on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, that were confirmed to have high cyanotoxin levels in Lake County, Calif.: Danger levels denoted in red, Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, and Austin Park Beach and Redbud Park boat launch, both in Clearlake; warning levels in orange, Soda Bay Cove in Kelseyville and Cache Creek in Lower Lake; and caution levels in yellow, Elem Indian Colony in Clearlake Oaks and Lakeside County Park in Kelseyville. Map courtesy of Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Health is urging boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in Clear Lake.

The recommendation is based on the potential health risks from the algae, which is currently blooming at varying levels in all three arms of the lake – Upper Arm, Oaks Arm and Lower Arm.

The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony conduct extensive monitoring of Clear Lake.

The most recent test results for cyanotoxins from Aug. 7 confirmed “danger” levels of 20 micrograms per liter, or µg/L, at several locations, triggering health warnings.

The sites where the danger levels were found include:

– Sulphur Bank mercury mine, 4,800 µg/L.
– Austin Park Beach, 230 µg/L.
– Redbud Park boat launch, 24 µg/L.

Warning levels were found at Soda Bay Cove, 13 µg/L, and Cache Creek, 8.7 µg/L, while caution levels were confirmed at Elem Indian Colony, 3.7 µg/L, and Lakeside County Park, 2.9 µg/L, according to the Big Valley Rancheria monitoring Web site.

In recent weeks, the California Department of Water Resources issued an algal bloom warning advisory for Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles County and reported danger levels of cyanotoxin in San Luis Reservoir in Merced County.

Lake County officials said blue-green algae can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets.

Public Health urges people to choose safe activities when visiting the Oaks Arm and parts of the Lower Arm of Clear Lake and wherever blooms are visible. It is strongly recommended that people and their pets avoid contact with water and avoid swallowing lake water in an algae bloom area.

Sulphur Bank mercury mine site is close to a private drinking water supply. The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and Elem Indian Colony will be following up with these drinking water suppliers. The Redbud Park boat launch location also is close to a drinking water supply, and sampling of drinking water at the site will occur on ­­Aug. 17.

Cyanotoxin are produced by bacteria called cyanobacteria. They are an essential part of the environment that have existed for millions of year and produce oxygen.

Under certain conditions, they multiply excessively and form visible clumps that can appear as cut grass in the water or blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats that can float on the water’s surface and accumulate along the shoreline and boat ramp area.

On occasion, they produce toxins that can cause harmful effects in people and animals if exposed through ingestion, inhalation of aerosolized water or direct contact. As environmental factors change, most harmful algae blooms resolve over time.

However, when cyanotoxin are known to be present, re-testing the water after it has cleared and allowing at least two weeks to pass after no toxins are found is recommended

Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your pet, or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with blue-green algae. Also, make sure to contact the local county public health department at 707-263-1090.

To see harmful algal blooms reported statewide, visit https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/index.html


For a phone app to monitor blooms, visit https://www.citsci.org/CWIS438/Browse/Project/Project_Info.php?ProjectID=822&WebSiteID=7.

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The Mendocino Complex as mapped by Cal Fire on the morning of Monday, August 13, 2018.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex continues to show little sign of slowing, as overnight it burned 8,000 more acres and pushed further into public lands to the north.

Cal Fire’s Monday report put the complex’s overall size at 344,890 acres with containment having rolled back a few percentage points to 68 percent. More than 3,200 firefighters – including some from Australia as well as active duty military firefighters – remain assisted to the incident.

The complex began on July 27 in Mendocino County. Within days it had moved into Lake County, where it has done most of the damage and burned most of its acreage. It also is burning in western Colusa County, and overnight the Ranch fire portion moved into the southwestern edge of Glenn County.

The River fire near Lakeport hasn’t grown in size in some time; it remains at 48,920 acres and 93 percent containment. Officials said patrolling and suppression repair continue in that area of the complex.

The story is different on the Ranch fire, which burned all of the additional 8,000 acres overnight to reach 295,970 acres. Cal Fire said the Ranch fire’s containment also slipped three percentage points, to 59 percent.

The damage assessment records 265 destroyed structures – 147 residences and 118 other buildings. In addition, 36 structures – 13 residents and 23 other buildings – have been damaged, Cal Fire said.

With minimal humidity recovery during nighttime operations the Ranch Fire was very active in its northwest corner, continuing to burn towards Lake Pillsbury. As the fire moves in this direction, fire crews in and around the surrounding areas of Lake Pillsbury are
preparing and defending structures, according to Cal Fire.

On the northeast side of the fire, Cal Fire said fire crews are still working on bringing the Ranch fire below and west of Lodoga Stonyford Road and back into the Mendocino National Forest. Dozer lines along with contingency dozer lines will continue to be put in and
improved.

The U.S. Forest Service is in joint command with Cal Fire on the incident. Mendocino National Forest spokeswoman Punky Moore said the Ranch fire grew 13,000 acres in the 24-hour period ending Monday morning; for perspective, the fire had grown by 6,000 acres in the previous 24-hour period.

Moore said that on Sunday, the fire crossed the dozer line along McLeod Ridge and moved toward Rice Fork summer homes and Lake Pillsbury. This area remains under a mandatory evacuation order.

She said firefighters worked through the night and held the fire along the Eel River. Firefighters burned off the dozer line along Gilmore Ridge and north through the 2012 Mill fire scar toward Davis Flat. The operation went well and the line is holding.

On Monday, fire crews are patrolling and providing structure defense in the Rice Fork homes and Pillsbury Lake areas and working to hold the fire at the Eel River.

Firefighters will hold and patrol the dozer line along Gilmore Ridge and north toward Davis Flat, which Moore said is to secure the fire’s northeast corner to keep the fire west of Stonyford and Century Ranch.

Construction of a contingency dozer line along Noel Springs Ridge and Bushy Camp Ridge will continue, as will work on constructing a contingency line west of Stonyford to Black Diamond Ridge, Moore said.

She said firefighters are improving the roads around the northern and western edges of the Pine Mountain Project to keep the fire east of Potter Valley. Crews will improve the contingency dozer line around Potter Valley.

Moore said there are many areas that the fire has burned through that are extremely important to many people; one example is Letts Lake. When it is safe to do so, these areas will be assessed and the information made available to the public.

For those impacted by the fire, a local assistance center is open in Lucerne through Friday, Aug. 17.

The center is located at Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The county of Lake reported that a wide array of services are available, with many organizations on site to offer help for everything from food replacement to medical care access, animal-related issues, debris removal, replacing vital documents and requesting assistance with insurance.

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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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council is set to hold a short special meeting to deal with fire-related issues.

The council will meet at 5:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The single agenda item is the council’s review of the need to continue the proclamation declaring a local state of emergency due to conditions of extreme peril as a result of the River fire, which along with the Ranch fire is now part of the Mendocino Complex.

On July 28, the director of emergency services for the city of Lakeport declared a local state of emergency in connection with the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the city as a result of the River fire, according to the staff report from City Manager Margaret Silveira.

Silveira said the council subsequently ratified the declaration on July 30 in accordance with the Emergency Services Act Section 8630(b) and Lakeport Municipal Code section 2.28.130, under Resolution 2679 (2018).

Lakeport Municipal Code requires the city council to review, at least every 14 days, the need for continuing the emergency declaration until the local emergency is terminated, Silveira said.

The council has the option to approve the need for the continuation of the proclamation declaring a local state of emergency due to Mendocino Complex or to proclaim the state of emergency’s termination, according to Silveira.

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.

081318 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced the Federal Aviation Administration will award $770.8 million in airport infrastructure grants, the third allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Airport Improvement Program, or AIP, funding.

The grants include a $648,450 award to Lampson Field Airport for runway repairs.

“These Airport Improvement Grants are investments in our country’s critical infrastructure,” said Secretary Chao. “This grant is a down payment to ensure Lampson Field remains an economic engine as demand grows.”

AIP grants fund infrastructure projects that include runways, taxiways, aprons, and terminal projects. These projects are important to the safety and efficiency of the nation’s system of airports.

Airports receive a certain amount of AIP entitlement funding each year based on activity levels and project needs. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, the FAA can supplement their entitlements with discretionary funding.

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