Lake County, Calif. -- The Lake County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Cobb man for a residential burglary during a State of Emergency.

A traffic enforcement stop conducted by a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy has resulted in one arrest of 25 year old Jeremiah Patrick McGinnis of Cobb and the recovery of an unreported stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools and entering a closed disaster area.

On September 17, 2015 at approximately 9:05 pm, a deputy conducted a traffic stop in the evacuation area of Loch Lomond on a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  

The deputy contacted the driver and solo occupant, who was identified as McGinnis.  McGinnis was wearing black pants and there was a black sweat shirt on the rear passenger seat.  

During the stop, the deputy determined the driver’s side of the SUV had just been painted white and black because the paint was still wet to the touch.  

The deputy further determined the SUV’s steering column ignition had been punched, and the deputy saw numerous hand tools and flashlights on the vehicle’s floorboards.  

McGinnis admitted painting the driver’s side of the Jeep, so it would resemble a law enforcement vehicle and he would be able to travel within the closed disaster area. 

A records check revealed the vehicle’s registered owners lived in the 10000 block of Seigler Canyon Road in Lower Lake.  

This area is under a mandatory evacuation order and is located approximately 3/4 mile from a manned road closure.  McGinnis admitted taking the SUV and other property from a residential garage located on Seigler Canyon Road.  

Deputies later checked the unoccupied premises of the vehicle’s registered owners and discovered evidence of a recent residential burglary.

While searching the vehicle, the deputy located a box of live ammunition, a flat screen television; a DVD player, an air rifle, an air pistol, and a drill, all of which he suspected were stolen.  

The deputy also located a box of spray paint, a crate filled with aerosol can solvents and a box of matches in the rear cargo area.

McGinnis is currently on summary searchable probation in Lake County for a drug offense conviction.  He was arrested for theft and unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, burglary during a state of emergency, first degree burglary, entering a closed disaster area, possession of burglary tools and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.  

McGinnis was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.  His bail is currently set at $300,000.

Middletown, Calif -- Middletown schools superintendent Catherine Stone shares a letter with the community regarding the possibility of Middletown schools possibly opening by the end of next week or the following Monday. Stone also provides a status report on current conditions.

Dear Middletown USD families,

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you as we begin, as a community, to recover from this terrible event.  I want you to know that we are working very hard to have the schools ready as soon as possible so that we are ready for your children whenever we are allowed to return home.  We think we may be able to open at the end of next week, or on Monday of the following week.

There is a lot of smoke, ash, and soot in some of our campuses, and this needs to be cleaned out (by wiping everything in the rooms and HEPA vacuuming) and then the air purified.  All of the food in our refrigerators and freezers has spoiled and needs to be removed and replaced. This work begins with a large team from ATI coming in on Saturday. They are hoping to be done by Wednesday, but it depends on what they run into.  I walked all the campuses with them on Tuesday, and we did a very thorough assessment, but it is always possible we missed something.

The Minnie Cannon, Coyote Valley, and Middle School campuses came through the fires without much smoke impact.  The high school/ag program was impacted more, and Cobb School the most. The large rooms seemed to fare the worst and will need extensive cleaning:  HS and MS gym, Coyote Valley and Cobb multipurpose rooms.

The Loconoma classroom and our maintenance facility burned.  We will be replacing both and plan to move the Loconoma program over to another classroom until their building is replaced.

As you can guess, Cobb School has a huge amount of smoke, soot, and ash infiltration.  This leaves the air unhealthy to breathe in the schoolrooms.  Because of the way the school was built with those lovely peaked roofs, the smoke and soot are very concentrated in the attics.  The team is going to need to access these areas to get it all cleaned out.  They’re also going to need to replace a lot of ceiling tiles, clean all carpets, wipe down every single thing in every single room, and then run air purifiers for some days.  It may take two months to get that campus ready for the staff and kids again. We are developing plans to bring the Cobb kids and their teachers into town until Cobb reopens.  Our goal is to keep everyone together.

We are also working on getting our sewers and wells back online district wide.  Our school buses seem to be fine.  They get checked out today.  ATT has placed an emergency communication satellite and generator on the Cobb field.  This will be there until the ATT lines are repaired so that the community has 911 access.

A number of our teachers, staff members, and principals have lost their homes, as have so many of our families.  We know that some families will need to stay elsewhere for awhile.  Anyone in that situation has the right to enroll their student(s) in the local schools until they can return.  We are also trying to figure out a way to provide bus service into the district for those of you who are staying in Clearlake and Kelseyville and areas nearby and want your children to continue to attend our schools.

Middletown USD families, we are here to teach and support your children in every way we can.  We are very anxious to get things back to normal for all of our students and know that you, our community, feels the same way.  We will have teams of counselors and mental health professionals on campuses to help us transition the children back into school and deal with the trauma of the Valley Fire. There are going to be some bumps in the road, and we hope you’ll be patient with us as we deal with them.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me.  As long as I can keep my devices charged up, I will respond.

Love to you all, and stay Middletown Strong,

Catherine Stone

Superintendent, Middletown Schools

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The skies over Lake County have been filled this week with air traffic as a result of the Valley fire.

Aircraft play a key role the fight against the Valley fire, which broke out Saturday in the Cobb area, and in a matter of hours had spread to Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown.

A number of the copters working the incident are based at Lampson Field.

Crazy Creek Gliderport in Middletown had previously served as a helibase during the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, but with the gliderport being in the Valley fire area, the staging area for helicopters moved to Lampson's safer location.

The helicopters being used on the incident include an Astar B3, which needs to be fueled as often as every two hours of use during the fires, according to Ben Crittenden, a senior firefighter with the Big Hill Helitack from Eldorado National Forest. 

Crittenden also pointed to a Bell 2-12 and three Bell 205 Vietnam era-style helicopters.

The helicopters are used for various operations, including water drop buckets that hold typically 250 or more gallons of water, Crittenden said.

The largest of the helicopters at Lampson are the two Sikorsky Skycranes, which Crittenden said are both capable of carrying more than 2,000 gallons of water to drop on the fire.

Then there is the S61 Croman, which Crittenden said is another large tanker craft used for water drops.

At the end of the day, crews refuel, perform any required maintenance and hold a debriefing.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local and state officials offered an update on Thursday afternoon regarding the latest developments on the multiagency effort to respond to the Valley fire.

The press conference at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport featured District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith, Sheriff Brian Martin, Dave Fukutomi of the California Office of Emergency Services and Social Services Director Carol Huchingson.

“I'm devastated by the destruction that our community has faced in this disaster,” Brown said, “The damage is immense and widespread.”

He said the victims aren't just his constituents, they're his friends and neighbors. “I know that this county has a resiliency and a sense of community that makes it special,” he said, adding the community will band together, help each other and accept help. “We will be strong.”

Brown thanked everyone working on the fire as well as those from around the nation who have offered support and donations. “We are coordinating an unprecedented response to this disaster.”

He encouraged people to visit www.lakecountylac.com for information on the help available.

Smith said at that point that there were nearly 3,600 firefighters from around the Western United States working to contain the fire.

On the incident's fifth day, Smith said the size estimate remained at 73,700 acres with 35-percent containment.

He said the recent rain helped, but warmer temperatures are on the way, and firefighters can't be lulled into a state of complacency. Firefighters are continuing to fight the fire on all fronts, and are protecting infrastructure and homes.

Martin said it was coming to the point where the the county would need to start moving into the recovery phase.

He said his agency had been offering escorts to residents into certain evacuated areas in order to feed pets and livestock.

However, Martin said those escorts were suspended and resources were redirected to preparing to repopulate the evacuated areas.

Martin asked that anyone needing to have animals checked call Lake County Animal Care and Control to make arrangements.

The sheriff's office is continuing the process of following up on several missing persons' reports, Martin said. He asked anyone who believes someone is missing to call the sheriff's office at 707-263-2690.

He said the number of confirmed fatalities remained at three.

“We expect and anticipate we are going to find more,” Martin said. “This fire simply moved too fast for us to respond and for people to get out in a timely manner.”

Martin added, “It's tragic. It's devastating, and we want to ensure that we don't have any more loss of life.”

He said a lot of the areas in the fire were going to remain closed, but officials are actively working on repopulation efforts.

He said repopulation has started in some of the outlying edges of the fire areas, including Berryessa Estates in Napa County. Residents there were able to start returning home at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Martin said authorities need to make sure areas are safe before letting residents return. “Just because the fire appears to be out, doesn't mean that all of the hazards have been mitigated.”

He warned of many hazards, including falling and damaged trees, downed power lines and hazardous materials left behind as a result of the fire.

“Know that we are working to get you back in as soon as possible,” Martin said.

Martin said outside law enforcement agencies are sending in personnel to help with patrolling evacuated areas to protect against those taking advantage of the situation.

“Our officers are out patrolling the evacuated areas day and night,” he said.

He said several arrests have been made in the fire area for crimes including impersonating an officer, possession of burglary tools and drug charges. Details at that time were pending about the arrests of three Bay Area men found in the fire area, one of them with a concealed weapon, with burglary tools also in the car.

Fukutomi said Cal OES is on the scene to support the county and coordinate the state agencies helping local government and survivors.

Dozens of emergency managers from around the state are in Lake County to assist local agency representatives as they work on response and recovery, he said.

With the governor's emergency declaration in place, Cal OES is working to advance funds to offset the costs to local government in responding to the fire, Fukutomi said.

He said Cal OES will continue to be present to support local agencies and community members as the recovery process takes place.

Huchingson said she's leading the team that has been working on care and shelter throughout the event.

She said county staffers are running a shelter at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, with the Red Cross in charge of a shelter at Kelseyville High School.

Huchingson said the Kelseyville High School shelter will close and evacuees will transition to Grace Church in Kelseyville on Friday afternoon.

She said they are now planning for sheltering in Middletown once the roads reopen and evacuees from the south county begin to return.

It's not yet been determined whether the county or the Red Cross will operate the Middletown shelter, which will be located at Twin Pine Casino's event center.

She said Middletown Rancheria has been incredibly supportive and generous. “We just can't thank them enough for welcoming our shelter operation there.”

Huchingson said a local assistance center is anticipated to open at the Middletown Library and Senior Center on Saturday. However, if the community has not yet been repopulated at that point, the center's opening will coincide with the time of residents returning home.

It's also anticipated that the repopulation will take place in phases, and the shelter in Napa County will remain open during those phases, Huchingson said.

Those wanting to volunteer to help are asked to visit www.ncoinc.org and sign up, Huchingson said.

In addition, Fukutomi said people from out of the area who want to volunteer can sign up at www.californiavolunteers.org to help meet the county's needs.

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.

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters held the Valley fire to no growth in acreage on Thursday, as more firefighters and resources joined the effort.

The fire remained at 73,700 acres on Thursday night, the end of its fifth day, with containment also unchanged at 35 percent.

The number of homes destroyed that have been counted so far remained at 585 on Thursday, with the number threatened down to 7,473.

Cal Fire said fire crews made good progress on Thursday, constructing and improving control lines.

While smoke could be seen from burning interior islands, it was well within the fire's perimeter, Cal Fire said.

After rain on Wednesday, firefighters encountered warmer temperatures on Thursday. The forecast calls for temperatures near the century mark this weekend.

On Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Brian Martin said residents in and around the community of Berryessa Estates were allowed to return to their homes.

As a result of the lifting of that mandatory evacuation order, the closure at Butts Canyon Road at Aetna Springs Road was opened and moved north to Butts Canyon Road and Snell Valley Road. New closures were established at the entrance of Aetna Springs Road and the entrance of James Creek Road.

Mandatory evacuations remaining in effect in Lake County cover Butts Canyon Road to the Napa County line, Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake, all residences on Bottle Rock Road from Harrington Flat Road, all residences on SR 175/Cobb, all residences on Highway 29 at Highway 53 south to Highway 29 at Tubbs Lane in Calistoga, officials said.

Cal Fire said the cancellation of additional evacuation orders are being evaluated based on a variety of factors, including potential fire behavior and reestablishment of critical infrastructure.

Martin said authorities were working to make sure residents would be safe before allowing them to return home, adding that they are working to get community members back to their homes as soon as possible.

By day's end, more firefighters had joined the effort to contain the fire. Approximately 3,921 firefighters and 84 fire crews were assigned by Thursday night, along with a fleet of 441 engines, 72 dozers, 70 water tenders, 18 helicopters and two air tankers.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As a partner to the county of Lake and the Office of Emergency Services, North Coast Opportunities’ Volunteer Network has become the official volunteer coordinator to meet the volunteer needs of all shelters and operations supporting evacuees.

“The county of Lake and the Emergency Operations Center is grateful to NCO for taking a leadership role in organizing and supporting volunteers for the Valley Fire relief and recovery efforts,” said Marisa Chilafoe, Lake County Office of Emergency Services manager, who directs the Emergency Operations Center.

“This is a critically important role for the victims – to help them heal – and for the community, to give them a way to help. Thank you,” Chilafoe said.

Volunteers interested in helping with the Valley fire evacuees and associated activities must preregister with NCO Volunteer Network by going to www.ncoinc.org and selecting “Volunteer.”

Once preregistration is complete, which includes listing skills and resources that can be offered, the volunteer will be in the system and will receive regular email updates with opportunities as they arise.

“At this time, the need is for sheltering and donation management services. This includes food prep, janitorial and housekeeping assistance, playing with and entertaining children, and unloading, sorting and organizing donations,” said Rebecca Enberg, NCO Volunteer Network manager. “We expect, however, that volunteer needs will evolve and continue as rebuilding efforts get under way.”

Rebuilding efforts may need people who have or can operate heavy equipment, have and can offer tools, building supplies, materials, and other expertise.

Registering on the NCO Web site will guarantee that any and all interested volunteers will be made aware of opportunities in real time.

North Coast Opportunities is a nonprofit community action agency based in Ukiah and focused on serving Lake and Mendocino counties, as well as Del Norte, Humboldt, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – California Attorney General Kamala Harris has issued a consumer alert on reports of price gouging by businesses, namely hotels, during the devastating wildfires that have swept our state.

The attorney general also issued a warning that the California Department of Justice is prepared to investigate and prosecute those that attempt to wrongfully profit from the destructive fires that are driving Californians out of their homes.

"As first responders fight to save communities from raging wildfires and thousands of Californians face devastation and hardship, it is exploitative and also unlawful for businesses to engage in price gouging," said Harris.

California’s anti-price gouging statute, Penal Code Section 396, becomes effective immediately after the governor or a local official declares a state of emergency.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Calaveras and Amador counties on Sept. 11, and in Lake and Napa counties on Sept. 13. 

California law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10 percent, the price of an item before the declaration of emergency.

This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials and gasoline. 

The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations and rental housing. 

Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials have increased for the business.

Violations of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

Violators also are subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, injunctive relief and mandatory restitution.

The attorney general and local district attorneys can enforce the statute.

Anyone who has been the victim of price gouging, or who has information regarding potential price gouging, is encouraged to immediately file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office by going to the attorney general's Web site or by calling 800-952-5225.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Three Bay Area men were arrested early Thursday after they were found in the Valley fire area, with one of them carrying a concealed weapon and burglary tools found in the vehicle.

Dyami Gene Connell, 23, and 28-year-old Michael James Jimenez, both of Brisbane, and 23-year-old David Michael Cesari of San Francisco were taken into custody following a vehicle stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

At 2:55 a.m. a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling the evacuation area around Hidden Valley Lake. Brooks said the deputy parked at the intersection of Jerusalem Grade and Spruce Grove Road, conducting enforcement stops in the evacuated area.

Brooks said the deputy noticed a white Toyota Tacoma which, turned onto Jerusalem Grade from Spruce Grove road. He also noticed that the vehicle contained three male subjects.

The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle and contacted Connell, who was the driver. Brooks said Connell was wearing camouflage clothing. Jimenez, the front passenger, was wearing camouflage pants and a black jacket while Cesari, the rear passenger, was wearing all black clothing.

Brooks said the three men told the deputy that they were going out Jerusalem Grade to get fuel. When the deputy questioned their story, they told him that they were going to access Knoxville to get around the hard road closure.

When he asked them to describe how they were getting around the closure and what the directions were to get to Lower Lake, they were unable to tell him, Brooks said.

The deputy asked them if they turned right or left after the Jerusalem Bridge and the driver said they were going straight at that point. Brooks said the deputy, who is familiar with the area, knew that you cannot drive straight, due to a fence and small embankment.

While talking to the subjects, Brooks said the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from the passenger area of the vehicle. He asked the subjects repeatedly if they possessed any weapons or drugs, which they all denied.

The deputy informed the subjects that he was going to search the vehicle. When he removed Cesari from the vehicle, he felt a hard object in his front right jacket pocket. Brooks said the deputy removed the object and found it to be a loaded .40-caliber magazine.

Brooks said the deputy then asked Cesari where the firearm was and he said it was tucked in the small of his back at his waistline. The deputy then removed a semi-automatic .40-caliber pistol, which was underneath a heavy jacket. He inspected the firearm and discovered it was loaded.

The deputy continued his search of the vehicle and located a full face concealing mask, three pairs of gloves, tools, duct tape, zip ties, numerous key rings with keys, acetone, lighter, headlamps, flashlights, binoculars, empty plastic bags, empty garbage bags, a backpack and large knives, according to Brooks.

The deputy noticed that the wheel wells of the vehicle had visible mud and he believed they had found a way around the hard closure through private property. Brooks said the subjects claimed to live on Black Bass Pass, but Central Dispatch had no incident history tying them to the residence.

All three subjects maintained they were not burglarizing residences. However, Brooks said a Napa County Sheriff's deputy had informed the deputy that the Toyota was spotted on Cobb the night before and it was believed they had possibly been burglarizing residences.

The Napa deputy had described the vehicle as being a white Toyota with a camper shell, which matched the description of the vehicle the men were in, Brooks said.

Cesari was arrested for possession of burglary tools, entering a closed disaster area, having a concealed unregistered firearm with ammunition, carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public and conspiracy to commit a crime, Brooks said.

Brooks said Connell was arrested for possession of burglary tools, entering a closed disaster area and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Jimenez was arrested for conspiracy to commit a crime and entering a closed disaster area, Brooks said.

All three subjects were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Brooks said the bail for each man currently is set at $100,000.

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Officials said cooler overnight temperatures and the impacts of Wednesday's rain helped keep the Valley fire's acreage growth down, but warmer temperatures are said to be on the way.

On Thursday morning Cal Fire said the fire had grown to 73,700 acres, with containment remaining at 35 percent.

Its current size makes it the second-largest wildland fire in Lake County's recorded fire history, behind only the 83,000-acre Forks fire of 1996 and just ahead of this summer's nearly 70,000-acre Rocky fire, based on official fire records.

The cause of the Valley fire, now in its fifth day, remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said the fire's behavior was moderated overnight due to cooler weather and rainy conditions.

The agency reported that more than half an inch of rain fell over portions of the fire on Wednesday, which assisted firefighters in strengthening and constructing additional fire lines.

However, the forecast include a warming trend that's expected to take place over the next few days with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees over the weekend, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said its damage inspection teams continue to gather information in the affected fire area.

The tally of destroyed homes on Thursday morning remained at 585, with officials stating that as access improves and additional information becomes available, the numbers of damaged or destroyed structures will change.

The inspection process is meticulous and ongoing, the agency said.

Personnel and equipment continue to arrive to join the firefighting effort.

Firefighting personnel numbered 3,580 as Thursday began, along with 441 engines, 70 water tenders, 68 hand crews, 64 dozers, 18 helicopters and two air tankers, 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office said remains that are believed to be those of two local men have been found in the burn area of the Valley fire, bringing the count of confirmed fatalities to three.

During the search, human remains were located in the Hidden Valley area and the Anderson Springs area, Brooks said.

Based on the location and evidence found at the Hidden Valley location, the remains are presumed to be those of Bruce Beven Burns, who was reported missing on Sept. 15, according to Brooks.

Regarding the remains found in Anderson Springs, Brooks said those are presumed to be Leonard Neft, who was reported missing on Sept. 14.

Authorities previously reported finding the body of an elderly disabled woman in her home in Anderson Springs, as Lake County News has reported.

If anyone has been unable to locate friends or family members since the Valley fire, Brooks said they are encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690 so a missing person report can be made.

“The sheriff’s office and all first responders express their condolences to those who have been affected by this disaster,” Brooks said. “We are hopeful that the fire does not claim any more lives.”

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – State and local agencies are working throughout the area impacted by the Valley fire to get a handle on the amount of damage that the fire has done to critical community infrastructure.

The Valley fire's level of destruction prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency for the county, just weeks after he had made a similar declaration due to the Rocky fire.

The full extent of the Valley fire's destruction likely won't be fully measured for some time to come.

Cal Fire reported that its assessment teams are continuing to work their way through the fire's massive footprint, working around areas of the fire that are still active.

One of the critical issues is damage to power infrastructure.

Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Jeff Smith, stationed in Middletown this week with a host of crews, said the company did not yet have a dollar figure on damage to the power transmission system, although he added, “The financial impacts are large.”

Because the fire remains active, “We’ve been able to assess only about 60 percent of the area that’s been impacted,” he said.

Smith said that as of Wednesday, 7,200 PG&E customers remained without power as a result of the fire.

“We have well over 500 crews responding here in the area,” he said.

PG&E crews have reset more than 150 poles, identified 520 transmission poles that will need to be repaired and 700 trees that will need to be removed, Smith said.

He said some of the poles have completely disintegrated because of the heat of the fire.

Smith did not have an estimate of how much damaged power lines will need to be replaced.

“We’re continuing to work to assess as much as we can,” he said.

He added, “This is not so much a restoration as it is a reconstruction.”

As for when power might be restored to PG&E's south county customers, Smith said on Wednesday that, at that point, it was too early to say.

“We’re working very closely with Cal Fire on that,” he said.

Smith said PG&E has the safety of the public and employees as its priority, and making sure areas are safe before restoring power is key.

PG&E wants to make sure it has the necessary services in place before community members return home, Smith said.

He asked people to be mindful of the need to use extraordinary caution when they do return home, as they will be confronted with a host of potential hazards.

For one, trees that look healthy on top may no longer be safe because of having burned at the bottom of their trunks, he said.

Also working to make repairs through the fire area are crews with Caltrans District 1.

Caltrans staffers are working cooperatively with other agencies to help save the communities, keep the public safe and make repairs to infrastructure, according to District 1 spokeswoman Betsy Totten said

“The initial estimate for the cost of roadway repairs is $15 million,” Totten said.

She said Caltrans has begun the mop up process on Highway 29 and Highway 175. That work includes removing burning and damaged trees near the roadways, slope stabilization, drainage debris removal and replacement, and replacing burned pavement and hundreds of damaged signs.

A viaduct on Highway 175 that had burned timbers holding it up is being repaired, she said.

Caltrans staff is assisting with providing traffic control at points along the roadways through the fire area, Totten said.

In Hidden Valley Lake, officials with the homeowners association are conducting their own assessments in the gated community.

“We didn’t have any real damage to the association property,” said Hidden Valley Lake Association General Manager Cindy Spears.

However, residents still hadn't been able to return home as of Wednesday evening. Spears said the association is working with Cal Fire and PG&E to determine when it will be safe to let everyone come home, possibly by this weekend.

Regarding county facilities, county spokeswoman Mireya Turner said there is some minor damage to the roof of the Middletown Library and senior center.

“That was just from embers landing on the roof and damaging the rubber base,” she said.

With Wednesday's rain, she said there were concerns that there could be some additional damage to the roof.

Turner said the Callayomi County Water District also has sustained serious fire damage.

Public Works Assistant Director Lars Ewing said his department is looking at the condition of county-maintained bridges, roadways and other infrastructure.

“Right now we’re still in response/recovery mode,” Ewing said.

With the exception of three timber bridges, all of the bridges within the fire lines are either steel or concrete, which Ewing said means they're less likely to be damaged.

One of the timber bridges, on Harbin Springs Road, within the Harbin Hot Springs Resort, has completely collapsed, said Ewing. He said the bridge and the road are maintained by the county.

In the long term, there is a place for replacing the bridge, Ewing said. “Short term, we will provide a temporary crossing.”

There also are two timber bridges on Seigler Canyon Road. “We were concerned about those,” he said. “They have not been damaged.”

Ewing said there has been damage to guardrails, signs and culverts.

“There's going to be long-term drainage problems as a result of this,” he added.

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.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Thousands of Hidden Valley Lake residents were forced from their homes by the Valley fire, and now officials are working to assess damage and ensure safety before allowing everyone to return home.

Hidden Valley Lake was evacuated on Saturday, within hours of the beginning of the Valley fire, which began on Cobb and then spread to Hidden Valley and Middletown.

By Wednesday night, the fire had burned more than 70,000 acres, making it one of the most damaging in the county's recorded history.

Since then, Hidden Valley Lake residents – which according to US Census Bureau estimates number more than 5,400 – have been in shelters, hotels, campgrounds, or staying with friends and families.

“At this point there’s no more fire in HVLA, but we’re just worried about flare ups,” said Association General Manager Cindy Spears.

Spears said they believe 70 homes in the gated community have been destroyed by the fire.

Most importantly, said Spears, “Up to this point, we know of no loss of life.”

She said the association doesn’t yet have a full tally of those residences that have survived but have structural damage.

Spears said the hardest-hit area of homes is located around the golf course's back nine holes.

She said Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District has turned the water back on to the community, and they're now working with Cal Fire and Pacific Gas and Electric to get power restored.

“We didn't have any real damage to the association property,” Spears said, adding that the Greenview Restaurant is still standing.

Spears said association staff and board members are mostly displaced and so have been working from hotel rooms. Some staffers, she said, have lost everything.

One of their considerations is using the community's campground as a location for temporary housing for residents whose homes were destroyed, she said.

Part of the issue with returning people home is making sure they have electricity.

Jeff Smith of PG&E told Lake County News on Wednesday that 7,200 customers across the south county are without power.

He said more than 500 crews are on the ground in the south county, making repairs to hundreds of poles and removing hundreds of damaged trees.

PG&E has “worked at lightning speed” to make repairs, Spears said.

Spears said the association is working on a plan to return people to their homes in the safest way possible. “We want to do it the right way.”

On Wednesday she did not have a definite date for when residents could return, but she estimated that it could be sometime this weekend.

“That's what we're hoping for,” Spears 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.