COBB, Calif. – Due to hazardous conditions caused by the Valley fire, Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest is closed to public access indefinitely, Cal Fire reported Friday.

Cal Fire said the closure is necessary to ensure public health and safety and is in accordance with Public Resource Code Title 14 § 1439.

The Valley fire burned through the entire forest and has created hazardous conditions including dead and damaged trees near roads and trails that could fall at any time, authorities said.

The process of rehabilitating the forest has been initiated and salvage logging of the dead trees has begun to reduce the fuel loads and to allow replanting of the burned areas, Cal Fire reported.

Tree felling and tree removal will create dangerous conditions on roads and trails, officials said.

Only Cal Fire personnel and authorized logging and reforestation contractors are allowed access to the demonstration state forest unless written permission has been granted by the state forest manager.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters on Thursday kept the Valley fire acreage from growing and continued mop up while thousands of Cobb residents remained under evacuation due to continuing utility repairs and hazard removal.

Cal Fire said the fire size remained at 76,067, with containment up again to 87 percent.

The tally of destroyed structures remained at 1,910 on Thursday, including 1,238 single-family residences, 23 multi-family residences, 64 commercial properties and 585 other minor structures, according to a California Office of Emergency Services report.

Cal OES also reported that an additional 37 single-family residences were damaged, along with six commercial properties and 47 other minor structures.

On Thursday evening, residents of Anderson Springs were able to return home. Approximately 17 homes out of 200 survived, according to community resident Voris Brumfield, whose own home made it through.

She said her neighbors have expressed their plans to rebuild in the close-knit community.

With Anderson Springs' repopulation, Cobb remains the only community whose thousands of residents have not been able to go home.

Approximately 2,953 homes there remain threatened, according to Cal Fire, with Cal OES reporting that the ongoing evacuations are impacting more than 9,000 residents.

At a Thursday briefing on the fire, a Cobb resident asked local and state officials why community members there couldn't yet go home.

“The Valley fire is much, much more than a fire,” but rather a disaster in scope, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith.

As such, Smith said there is a lengthy check process involving many partners – agencies at various levels and utilities companies – that ensures that when people go home it will be safe.

Smith noted that part of the challenge is having to rebuild 100 years' worth of infrastructure in seven to 10 days.

Supervisor Rob Brown also said at the briefing that the process of making repairs to utilities and removing hazards would take longer if crews had to work around residents returning to their homes.

Total fire personnel assigned on Thursday totaled 2,520 – down from more than 4,400 firefighters at its height – plus 186 engines, 69 hand crews, 33 water tenders, 19 dozers and seven helicopters, Cal Fire said.

While Smith said there is a massive demobilization in place as crews are released from the incident, “There will still be firefighters on scene in the weeks ahead.”

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

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) and his Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) on Tuesday held his office’s annual Women of the Year Awards ceremony.

At the event, held at Woodland Community College, three incredible Lake County women were honored for their contributions to their communities.

“Today, we’re identifying and celebrating women who are outstanding leaders, women who have contributed to the betterment of their communities,” Garamendi said. “The women we honor today come from many backgrounds. Some are mentors in their profession. Others are tireless volunteers for charity. Every single one has made a real difference and transformed lives.”

Lake County's honorees include Barbara Christwitz, community leader; Gloria Flaherty, child and family advocate; and Toni Scully, agriculture leader, advocate for fair farm labor.

Christwitz is the founder of Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake, a nonprofit organization that leads neighborhood clean ups of trash and debris. She is dedicated to making Clearlake a better place.

In addition to Citizens 4 Clearlake, she has been an active community member with an extensive volunteer resume. She volunteers for the Lake County Time Bank, Lake County Co-op, and is a coordinator of monthly Peace Prayer dances. 

Christwitz helped establish the Highlands Senior Service Center Garden, and is a leader in the Girl's Circle sponsored by the Lake County Family Resource Center.

She has been a tutor specialist at Yuba Community College for the past 10 years, and is lauded for being a giving person with an inexhaustible spirit who takes pride in her community.

Flaherty is the founding director of the Lake Family Resource Center. Lake FRC is a family resource, referral and support center that has grown to serve 1,400 families and 4,500 individuals annually, acquired independent facilities and expanded programs over the years under her leadership.

As a member of the Kelseyville School Board, Flaherty helped establish the first Education Foundation in Lake County. She also assisted with the development and operation of a Domestic Violence Shelter in Lake County.

She also has served many years on First 5 and helped to secure funding for the Early Head Start program.

Two winters ago, Lake County experienced a severe drop in temperature that was adversely affecting the homeless population in Clearlake. Flaherty responded without delay and opened a “warming center” at one of the Lake Family Resource Center locations to provide shelter and respite. She had no budget or supplies at the time, but she opened the doors of the center immediately, secured food donations, cots, volunteer staff and pulled it together, keeping the center open two months.

A resident of Lake County for over 40 years, Scully shares in the ownership and management of Scully Packing Co. which packs, stores, ships and markets pears grown by Lake, Sacramento Delta and Mendocino County families.

Scully is a strong advocate for the pear industry and farm labor reform. In 1996 following a revision in the Child Labor Code that would have prevented local teens from working during the pear season, she was the driving force behind pulling local leaders and the state senate to pass a bill that allowed Lake County teens to continue to work the harvest. This bill continues to be renewed annually today.

She cares deeply for her farm workers and their families as evidenced by her continuous efforts to educate and work with local, state and federal policy makers. 

In 2006, Scully made the front page of the New York Times when Lake County and farming communities across California were experiencing severe labor shortages during harvest. A proponent of a reformed guest worker program to improve the health and safety of migrant workers, Scully worked with U.S. State Dianne Feinstein in an attempt to pass the AgJobs bill.

Scully continues to advocate for a fair farm labor law that will provide agricultural employers with the stable, legal labor force they need while providing farm workers with the health and safety they deserve.

Following the award presentation, Congressman Garamendi facilitated a discussion with the 170 people in attendance on issues important to women.

“We’re here to focus on the policies of this nation that provide support and opportunity for women and families,” Garamendi added. “I want to make sure that women are encouraged from an early age to reach their true potential. I think Congress can help more young girls stick with their dreams and pursue a rewarding career in whatever field inspires them.”

Issues discussed included: 

· Rural broadband access and the ability of women to reliably work at home, both in terms of starting their own business and in working in a flexible time arrangement;

· Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields of the study and the need for more robust mentorship and encouragement from an early age through college;

· Ways employment can be structured to give women with families a rewarding work-life balance;

· Unequal pay for equal work and the systemic undervaluing of women’s work product;

· The experience of women in collaborative settings where the ideas of women are disregarded until restated by men and the need for women to lay claim to their ideas in these settings;

· The compounded disadvantage of women who are also persons of color or disabled;

· The need for more investment and better coordination in workforce development programs; and

· Human trafficking and the need to be vigilant when women and children may be victims.

Every year, the Office of Congressman Garamendi solicits nominations from the community for women who deserve to be acknowledged for their selfless work.

WIN is Congressman Garamendi’s standing Advisory Committee focused on identifying issues important to women and families in the Third District and on solutions that Congressman Garamendi can take back to Washington.

The remaining 2015 awardees include:

· Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, city councilwoman, Winters – Yolo County;

· Andrea Armstrong, community leader, Williams – Colusa County;

· Constance Boulware, city councilwoman, Rio Vista – Solano County;

· Zenobia Brokenbrough, veteran advocate and peace activist, Williams – Colusa County;

· Becky Brummet, special education, California Teachers Association, Orland – Glenn County;

· Preet Didbal, city councilwoman, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Dawn Dowdy, track coach, mentor, Hamilton City – Glenn County;

· Joanne Ellis, community leader, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Paula Emigh, retired teacher, Woodland – Yolo County;

· Graciela Espindola, youth advocate, Live Oak – Sutter County;

· Margaret Fernandez, community leader for Hispanic advancement, business development, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Elvia Garcia, community organizer, Davis – Yolo County;

· Angie Gates, community organizer, Olivehurst/Marysville – Yuba County;

· Mary Jane Griego, county supervisor, Olivehurst – Yuba County;

· Alma Hickel, community volunteer, Colusa – Colusa County;

· Sandy Holman, cultural competency educator and mentor, Davis – Yolo County;

· Jane Johnson, community organizer, mental health advocate, Fairfield – Solano County;

· Amandeep Kaur, chancellor’s science fellow, advocate for underrepresented student groups, Davis – Yolo County;

· Barbara LeVake, county supervisor, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Dionne McCullar, business leader and community volunteer, Fairfield – Solano County;

· Jan E. Meyer, youth advocate, Live Oak – Sutter County;

· Norma Montna, lifetime advocate for persons with disabilities, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Cathleen Olsen, nutrition advocate, Winters – Yolo County;

· Dorothy Pooley, ombudsman, advocate for seniors, Willows – Glenn County;

· Ramona Prieto, peace officer, public servant, role model, Davis – Yolo County;

· Deidre Robinson, business leader, mentor, Vacaville, Solano County;

· Evelyne Rominger, community leader, mentor, Winters – Yolo County;

· Liesl Schmidt, community leader, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Marie Azevedo Spooner, lifetime of community giving, Williams – Colusa County;

· Cherie Stephens, community leader, Yuba City – Sutter County;

· Jennifer Terra, educator – physical education, diversity advocate, Davis – Yolo County;

· Susan Young, educator, agriculture advocate, Live Oak – Sutter County.

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Officials on Friday released new damage assessment numbers on the Valley fire, and said they anticipate the incident will be fully contained early next month.

On Friday evening, the Valley fire remained at 76,067 acres, with containment up a few points to 92 percent, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith.

The fire began on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 12, on High Valley Road in Cobb before burning down into Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake.

Cal Fire estimated on Friday that the fire will be fully contained on Oct. 5.

At a Friday afternoon briefing, Smith said the investigation into the fire's cause is continuing.

He said Cal Fire investigators began working on determining what sparked the fire early in the incident.

However, Smith cautioned, “It may take months to find the exact cause of this fire.”

Also on Friday, Cal Fire issued an update on structures damaged and destroyed in the fire after it said damage inspection teams completed primary and secondary assessments.

Approximately 1,958 structures have been destroyed, including 1,280 homes, 27 multi-family structures, 66 commercial properties, and 585 other minor structures such as outbuildings and sheds, Cal Fire said.

In addition, Cal Fire said 93 structures have been damaged including 41 homes, seven commercial properties and 45 other minor structures.

The number of confirmed fatalities remains at four, Cal Fire said.

The Valley fire's toll places it in the No. 3 spot among California's most damaging fires, behind the Oakland Hills fire of 1991 and the Cedar fire of 2003, according to Cal Fire.

The extent of the fire's damage also has prompted local, gubernatorial and presidential disaster declarations, as Lake County News has reported.

Sheriff Brian Martin said Friday that the fire is the worst disaster Lake County has experienced.

He's crunched the numbers and estimated that more than 3,600 people – or close to 6 percent of Lake County's population – have possibly been displaced by the loss of homes.

Cobb remains under mandatory evacuation due to the ongoing work of repairing utilities and removing hazards, officials said.

While the evacuation order is remaining in place, Martin said that all traffic access restrictions to Cobb are to be lifted as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

“There have been hundreds of phones calls coming in from people that want to get in,” and as of 5 p.m. Saturday they will be able to do so, he said.

“Please do not take this as a repopulation. For many there won't be a repopulation for a long time as so many homes were lost. It is simply a lifting of the traffic restrictions,” Martin said.

Martin warned of the continued presence in the Cobb area of hazards – including asbestos-laden debris, smoldering trees and ash pits – left behind by the fire.

“Anybody that enters is cautioned that they are doing so at their own risk because there are so many hazards present,” he said.

Utility and cleanup crews will continue working in the area, and Martin urged people who will be accessing the area to be aware of their surroundings.

Martin said the Lake County Office of Emergency Services will make masks, gloves and water available free of charge to people returning to the Cobb Mountain area at two locations: at the fire station in Loch Lomond, 10331 Loch Lomond Road, and Middletown fire station at 21095 Highway 175.

Mop up activities and strengthening perimeter lines, along with rehabilitating the impacts of firefighting operations on the landscape, are ongoing, Cal Fire said.

Hot spots also have continued to be an issue throughout the fire area.

On Friday afternoon, firefighters responded to a report of a wildland fire south of Lower Lake off of Highway 29. Units arriving on scene found a tree burning within the fire perimeter, according to radio reports.

The resources assigned to the incident were rolled back further on Friday, with the total personnel assigned down to 1,849, along with 140 engines, 47 hand crews, 16 dozers, six helicopters and four water tenders, 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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 36th annual Clear Lake Splash In arrives in Lakeport this weekend.

Almost two dozen planes will be on display at Natural High School, 810 N. Main St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Meet with and talk to the pilots of these great flying machines which have traveled from around California – from San Diego to Chico and many cities in between – as well as from Phoenix, Las Vegas and other locations in Nevada.

A contingent will do a flyover at the beginning of the Kelseyville Pear Festival Parade at approximately 9:20 a.m.

They will also conduct some water bombing and spot landing exercises offshore of Library Park beginning at 2 p.m.

The Clear Lake Modelers Club will have some of their planes on display in the school building. They also will be demonstrating the building of a model plane in that room. There will be food available during the day.

For those wishing to take a ride in a seaplane, there will be two planes available for that purpose. Information will be available at the admission gate at the field.

Admission to the field is $3 per person for ages 13 and up. Proceeds will be used to pay the rent for the use of the grounds and the insurance coverage.

The splash in is produced by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the city of Lakeport, the county of Lake and the Lakeport Main Street Association. 

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Burns Valley Elementary School first- and second-grade students assisted in the ceremony to lower the community flag at Austin Park in Clearlake. 

The students were joined in the ceremony by members of the Clearlake Police Department, Clearlake Public Works and the Park Study Club.

Also on hand were American Legion Post No. 437 Commander Jon Rogers and Officer John Compani, to whom the flag was relinquished. 

Rogers said the post will hold a flag retirement ceremony at a later date, dependent on the weather, as proper retirement requires burning of the flag. Boy Scout Troop No. 44 will assist in the ceremony. 

The Park Study Club purchases a giant new flag for the city every year. It is raised in the spring and lowered in the fall. 

Club member Virginia Sibbitt said the flag costs about $600, purchase of which is funded through a number of fundraising endeavors. 

Those who would like to contribute to the costs of the flag, may contact Sibbitt at 707-994-7335. 

Sibbitt said the club currently consists of 37 members, whose efforts are primarily focused on providing educational scholarships to area youth. 

She said any assistance in purchasing the city's flag would be greatly appreciated.

Email reporter Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Lakepoort, Calif. -- A press conference with information about the Valley Fire held Thursday at the county courthouse.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A fund established to help victims of Lake County's wildland fires is continuing to grow, and so far has distributed tens of thousands of dollars to help those in need.

As of Wednesday, the total amount raised by the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund – which started as a collaboration between Mendo Lake Credit Union (MLCU) and North Coast Opportunities (NCO) – totaled just over $300,000. 

Donations continue to arrive daily, the organizations reported.

Of that total amount raised so far, a community-based managing committee has reviewed hundreds of applications, verified resident status and the losses of those who applied, and has already distributed over $96,000 in funds to individuals in the affected areas.

The purpose of the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund is to help those impacted by the fires take care of the immediate and unexpected expenses incurred as a result of evacuation and the loss of property. 

The fund is especially helpful for the many under and uninsured residents hit hard by this tragic wildfire experience that is now considered to be the third most devastating fire in California history. 

The Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund is meant to be a nimble operation and provide relief in real time to those who need it most.

“Hotel stays, gas money, toiletries, loss of work, all those sorts of things that many people have had to pay for since the evacuation, those are the expenses for which the fund is intended,” said Carolyn Welch, NCO’s CFO. “Our intention is to get the funds out as quickly as possible to help with immediate needs.”

Each application is different, therefore the amount given varies. However, any Lake County resident from the impacted areas can apply.

“MLCU is gratified by the amazing response from our credit union members as well as from the many folks from both in and out of our area that have dug deep and showed both their love and caring for the many victims of the tragic fires of the past month or more,” said Richard Cooper, MLCU president and chief executive officer. “We are honored to be able to assist in the effort and thankful for the ongoing partnership with North Coast Opportunities that allowed us to get this process moving so quickly.  We are committed to continuing to work toward a full recovery for all the affected areas of Lake County.”

Many donors have contributed substantial amounts of money, and even small donations contribute to the whole.

“Our hearts go out to our own team members who lost their homes as well as the countless others who experienced loss,” said Cooper. “We hope that the funds collected here can somehow jump start the road to recovery – in so many ways.” 

When the Rocky and Jerusalem Fires hit Lake County, NCO and MLCU created the Lake County Wildfire Relief Fund to help those impacted. 

In a few short weeks they collaborated to raise funds, advertise the effort, write and translate applications to the fund, create a community-based managing committee to review applications, and verify the losses of those who applied.

The applications for relief funds continue to come in daily to the NCO office and more funds are needed. 

If you want to donate to this important community restoration and relief fund you can go in person to any MLCU branch, or send a check to MLCU made out to NCO with “Lake County fire relief” in the notes field. 

There also is a PayPal account set up to accept online donations, which can be found on the front pages of both the NCO and MLCU Web sites. The website links take donors to a secure PayPal page. 

NCO and MLCU do not take any administration fees so that all donations go directly to those in need.  

If you would like to apply for fire relief funds, simply download an application at www.ncoinc.org and follow the instructions. Applications are available in English and Spanish.

For more information on how to donate and how to apply for funds, contact NCO Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Welch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Hundreds of south county community members came out to Middletown High School on Thursday evening to learn about services and assistance available to help them through the process of recovering from the Valley fire.

The fire, which began Sept. 12, is the third most damaging fire in California's history.

To date it has burned more than 76,000 acres and 1,250 homes, claimed four lives and left a reported 3,000 people homeless, officials reported.

The county of Lake hosted the nearly 70-minute meeting with support from Calpine, and many agencies and organizations – including United Policyholders and North Coast Builders Exchange – that sent representatives to answer questions from community members.

Supervisor Rob Brown said the goal was to let the community know what the recovery process was going to look like.

Referring to the normal process of building and dealing with permits, “This is not going to look anything like that,” said Brown, noting that there are many policies with regard to the recovery that they are still working to finish.

“Winter's coming. We've got a lot of work to do, a lot of cleanup to do, and a lot of erosion control to accomplish before winter sets in,” Brown said, explaining that rebuilding may not happen right away.

Sue Piper, a United Policyholders board member, said the nonprofit consumer advocacy group was founded after the 1991 Oakland Hills fire – which she survived. They have a presence at the Local Assistance Center at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St., this week.

“I'm here to tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel, even though right now it doesn't seem so,” Piper said.

She assured those impacted by the fire that they are not alone, that they have many people prepared to help them.

Keith Woods, North Coast Builders Exchange's chief executive officer, said they are there as a resource when people are ready to rebuild.

He said that on Oct. 1 they are launching a Web site, www.rebuildinglakecounty.com , which will list all the licensed contractors and those offering services who can help community members in the rebuilding process.

Community Development Director Rick Coel said the county is developing a south county permit center which will be located in Hidden Valley Lake.

The county also is contracting with a company for plan and permit checking so when building permit applications start to ramp up in the spring they will be ready. Coel said the county also will work to streamline the permitting process and work with other agencies to get permit approval.

Regarding the cleanup process, Coel said that in most situations it won't be an option for people to live in RVs on their properties while rebuilding due to hazardous materials and hazardous trees, as well as the small size of some of the lots.

He said the county is looking at places where they can set up temporary RV sites for people to stay while keeping the parcels clear for cleanup.

Coel emphasized the need to conduct cleanup properly and to not spread the ash and other burned materials around.

He said the county is encouraging people to fill out right-of-entry permits, which serve as demolition permits and allow state officials to go in and clean up the properties.

One of the most encouraging moments of the night came from the state official who will oversee the massive debris removal effort to be carried out by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle.

Todd Thalhamer is the senior waste management engineer who in 2007 created CalRecycle's debris removal program, which has removed hazardous waste from fires around the state including the Angora fire of 2007 and the Boles fire that destroyed much of the city of Weed last year.

The program also has been part of the cleanup effort for the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, he said.

For Thalhamer, the road ahead for Middletown has great significance – he grew up there and is a graduate of Middletown High School. He said he played football on the field where the meeting took place on Thursday evening.

“I'm going to tell you, there's hope coming,” Thalhamer said, his voice breaking as he spoke to the hundreds of residents sitting in the bleachers.

Thalhamer said residents have options in the cleanup: they can either do it themselves and follow state-mandated standards, or they can sign right-of-entry agreements with CalRecycle, which will then conduct the cleanup.

For those without insurance, the cleanup will be at no cost, he said. For those with insurance, it will cost what their policies will cover.

The debris removal process will start with the schools, and work out from there. Thalhamer said he is going to ask adjacent property owners to sign agreements immediately in order to get the cleanup process under way.

Thalhamer said homes built before 1980 are likely to contain asbestos, which is one of the hazardous materials his teams can remove safely.

He said he plans to drop 10 crews in Middletown next week to start the cleanup process, eventually increasing that number to 20 and then to 40.

At the same time, Thalhamer said he's got four other debris removal projects going elsewhere in the state.

“I ask for patience, I ask for commitment,” he said, promising to bring everything he had to the effort.

The cleanup starts first with population centers, he said, then moves to areas of environmental concerns, such as along creeks.

Thalhamer said his goal – which he acknowledged is a big one – is to get all of the ash and debris from the Valley fire cleared from the impacted areas by Christmas.

As part of the cleanup, he'll be training hundreds of local workers and contractors to do debris removal the right way, with safety a priority.

He also lauded Pacific Gas and Electric for doing a “phenomenal job” in rebuilding utility infrastructure.

Lake County has had three major fires in a row. “Nobody has ever had that happen,” he said.

Thalhamer said the debris cleanup process is thorough. Teams will dig down deep into the soil, removing all layers of ash, and taking out even the concrete footings, leaving a depression in the ground that likely will need to be replaced with clean soil.

That will be followed by soil testing, removing hazardous trees and implementing erosion control, Thalhamer said.

He asked that community members report the presence of underground tanks and any old military ordnance that might be present at home locations.

“It has been a little tough when you see this much destruction from where you've lived. But you know what? It's called 'Middletown Strong' and I'm proud to be right here,” he said, wiping his eyes.

He said a hazardous materials sweep is going to move through the community first, with the cleanup process to follow.

Community members also heard about the utility repairs that have been taking places around the south county.

Preston Dickinson of AT&T said the company has 60 technicians going street to street, with more on the way in from all over Northern California.

Dickinson said 200,000 feet of cable and 360 poles have been replaced so far. In some areas, they also are replacing copper with fiber-optic line.

He said an AT&T hotline is available from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-920-0362. In addition, AT&T has a presence at the Local Assistance Center at the Middletown Senior Center.

They're making available call forwarding, waiving the install fee for that service and offering a free month of the service, Dickinson said.

Carl Schoenhofer, PG&E senior division manager, said the first priority for the company has been to safely restore power, and that it plans to maintain a strong presence throughout the recovery.

The PG&E force on the ground includes 1,000 people, he said. There were 7,000 customers without power after the fire occurred, a number that has dropped to 2,000, Schoenhofer said.

PG&E crews have replaced 700 poles and installed 100 miles of new electrical lines.

“We still have work to do but we'll see it through to the end,” Schoenhofer said.

Officials from the California Office of Emergency Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration also were on hand to encourage people to register for assistance.

To apply, call 1-800-621-3362; those with a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service, call 1-800-621-3362); apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov.

To apply for SBA assistance, call 800-659-2955. Applications for assistance must be made within 60 days of an emergency declaration; in this case, by Nov. 23.

A variety of very low interest loans are available for businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Once approved, funds often are disbursed within 18 to 21 days.

In other news, Brown said there will be a job fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Kelseyville High School.

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. – Local, state and federal officials on Wednesday gathered to speak about the Valley fire recovery effort, and encouraged community members to register for the federal assistance that the president made available through special action this week.

On Tuesday, at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown – with strong encouragement from Congressman Mike Thompson – President Barack Obama granted a presidential major disaster declaration for the Valley fire, an action meant to aid the recovery process.

The Valley fire is the third most damaging fire in California's history, according to Cal Fire.

So far it has claimed four lives, burned more than 76,000 acres and 1,910 structures – including more than 1,200 homes – and left an estimated 3,000 people homeless, authorities reported.

Officials said that more than 20,000 people – nearly a third of the county's residents – had been evacuated at the height of the fire.

Lake County was still reeling from the Rocky and Jerusalem fires, which had together burned close to 100,000 acres earlier this summer, when the Valley fire broke out Sept. 12.

“It's been a hell of a last 90 days for Lake, but if any county can get through it, Lake County will,” State Sen. Mike McGuire said at the gathering of local, state and federal officials in Middletown on Wednesday. 

McGuire said the infrastructure in the south county is having to be completely rebuilt. He said Pacific Gas and Electric has replaced more than 800 damaged poles, and at one point during the peak of its response had 1,000 people in the county making repairs.

“Lake County will become stronger in the weeks and months to come,” McGuire said.

Officials said Wednesday that they're still crunching the numbers in the process of calculating the damage the county has suffered as a result of the Valley fire.

“The devastation is significant. There's no question about it,” said California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci.

Ghilarducci said it's conceivable and realistic that the total damage will be hundreds of millions of dollars.

Lake County Administrative Officer Matt Perry said an initial look at property rolls shows a $2.1 million loss to the county in property tax revenue. He said he anticipates additional losses in sales tax, transient occupancy tax (or bed tax from resorts and other hospitality facilities) and other forms of revenue.

With Obama's declaration issued, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened up a variety of forms of help to residents and businesses impacted by the fire disaster.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate arrived in Lake County to tour the damage, and he joined state and local officials on Wednesday to urge community members to take advantage of the assistance being offered to them.

“The loss of life in any disaster is one that touches everybody in the community,” he said. “Our mission now is to focus on the survivors and the challenges they're going to face in rebuilding.”

In that process, Fugate said it was critical that people register for FEMA assistance so that the process of responding to the needs in Lake County can begin.

Officials urge community members to call 1-800-621-3362 (those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service, call 1-800-621-3362); apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov.

If those routes aren't sufficient, “Tell me where the people are and we'll go to them,” Fugate said.

Fugate – himself a former firefighter and paramedic – also warned, “This fire is a symptom of the underlying drought, and the drought is not over,” adding, “There will be fires that we cannot stop.”

The focus has to be on on life, safety and evacuation, Fugate said. People need to be ready to evacuate with little or no notice. In the case of the Valley fire, people had little or no time to prepare, he added.

If firefighters are telling you to go, Fugate said, it's because they know they can't stop the fire.

The Valley fire's behavior was erratic, and it moved faster than people are used to. He said when evacuation orders are given, people can't delay. “Delay can be deadly.”

For community members concerned about replacing homes that couldn't be covered under fire insurance due to location, Fugate said those uninsured losses trigger FEMA assistance.

He said once registered, it takes from hours to days to get the needed assistance.

As for the possibility of temporary FEMA housing, Fugate said his agency will work with state and local officials to determine the needs and how to respond.

He said FEMA will have a role in oversight for the recovery, making sure the federal funding is spent property and that it gets to the people who need it.

Ghilarducci said the focus must now become the next phase – recovery. That will bring with it a series of challenges for everyone.

“This won't be an easy task,” he said.

With everyone working together at all levels of government, as well as nongovernmental and faith-based organizations, “We can make this better,” he said, adding he has seen recovery time and again following disasters.

Ghilarducci said Gov. Brown has directed all state agencies to assist Lake County with the recovery process.

He said Lake County's recovery process ahead is a marathon, not a sprint.

“Working together we will be able to overcome and make things better,” Ghilarducci 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.

SOUTH LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Now in its 11th day, the destructive Valley fire was pushed closer to full containment on Wednesday, while firefighters kept its acreage from growing.

The Valley fire's size remained at approximately 76,067 acres on Wednesday evening, with containment up to 82 percent, Cal Fire reported.

Officials have so far not given an estimate of when they think the fire will be fully contained.

The damage assessment tally remained the same on Wednesday, with a total of 1,910 structures destroyed, of which 1,238 were single-family residences and 23 multi-family residences, officials reported.

Cal Fire said improving containment lines, mopping up hot spots and rehabilitation of impacted areas continues, with approximately 2,937 firefighters remaining assigned to carry out that work on the incident.

Overall resources continued to drop on Wednesday, with 253 engines, 72 hand crews, 45 water tenders, 20 dozers and 10 helicopters remaining assigned, while many others have been released, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said that at 5 p.m. Thursday, the mandatory evacuation order for the Anderson Springs community will be lifted.

That leaves just the community of Cobb – where the fire started – still under mandatory evacuation.

Cobb residents have voiced frustration about not being able to go back to their homes after a week and a half.

In response, local and state officials have maintained that the delay in repopulating Cobb is due to ongoing issues with fire suppression and safety concerns – including downed lines and dangerous trees – as well as the work of restoring utility services ahead of residents returning home.

On Thursday, the evacuation center at the Napa County Fairgrounds will close by noon, Cal Fire said.

Shelters remaining open include a Red Cross-run shelter at Grace Church, 6716 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville, and a shelter overseen by the county of Lake located at Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway in Middletown.

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.