LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three adult cats are waiting for new and loving homes this week at Lake County Animal Care and Control.

The two females and one male are all domestic short hair mixes, and are ready to go to new families.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Domestic short hair mix

This pretty cat is a domestic short hair mix with calico markings.

Shelter staff said she is affectionate and loving.

She's in cat room kennel No. 27, ID No. 2213.

Female orange tabby

This female orange tabby has a short coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 35, ID No. 2416.

Domestic short hair mix

This male domestic short hair mix has a gray tabby and white coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 88, ID No. 2496.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake has proclaimed July 18 as Native American Day and will co-sponsor a Native American Day Gala.

The gala will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at the Highlands Senior Center, located at 3245 Bowers Road.

The event will feature the world premiere of “A Walk Through Time,” a 30-minute film about the history of Anderson Marsh, the American Indians who lived on the land for thousands of years and the preservation of Anderson Marsh through the creation of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

The event is also being sponsored by the Koi Nation Cultural Protection Association and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.

“We are planning a great evening of entertainment to celebrate Native American Day,” said Dino Beltran, treasurer of the Koi Nation Tribal Council.

Peter Coyote, the award-winning actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator, will introduce the film.

The evening also will include American Indian drumming and dancing, and a talk by the noted local archaeologist, John Parker.

“We encourage everyone to come and celebrate with us and enjoy this beautiful film about the history of Lake County’s Anderson Marsh and the Koi people who have lived there,” Beltran said.

The film was directed by Dan Bruns, an Emmy-nominated director from Chico.

"This film is a joint project of the Koi Nation of Northern California, the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropology at CSU, Chico,” explained Bruns. “It tells the incredible history of the Koi, who lived at Anderson Marsh continuously for over 14,000 years, and the efforts to keep the land’s breathtaking beauty and culture intact for future generations to enjoy.”

Bruns added, “The best part of making this film was the opportunity to be involved with the Koi Nation, the State Parks and the people of Lake County who have worked so hard to preserve and protect this special place. I think everyone who sees this film will learn something new about the history of Anderson Marsh and the people who lived there.”

The event on July 18 will begin at 6 p.m., with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets to the event are $20, and will be on sale at the door and before the event in Clearlake at Catfish Coffee House and in Lakeport at Watershed Books.

All proceeds will benefit the work of the Koi Nation Cultural Protection Association and the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association.

For more information about the event, contact the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association at 707-995-9658 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment numbers have continued to dip as the busy spring and summer season continues.

The California Employment Development Department's latest jobless report shows that Lake County's May unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, down from a revised 7 percent in April and 8.3 percent in May 2014.

California's unemployment rate, meanwhile, ticked slightly upward in May, rising to 6.4 percent from 6.3 percent in April, but continuing to improve over its May 2014 rate of 7.6 percent.

Nationally, unemployment in May was 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent in April but down from May 2015, when unemployment was 6.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lake County's May jobless rate is the lowest it has recorded since October 2006, according to Employment Development Department historical data.

The county's civilian labor force in May totaled 30,550 individuals with 2,110 unemployed, compared to a total of 29,990 people and 2,110 unemployed in April and 29,900 people and 2,480 unemployed in May 2014, the agency said.

All employment sectors in Lake County showed growth in May over April, with total farm having the largest increase, 28.3 percent, followed by federal government, 15.4 percent; information, 7.1 percent; mining, logging and construction, 4.2 percent; and transportation, warehousing and utilities, 3.6 percent.

Lake County's statewide rank for unemployment in May was No. 30 – the same rank as for April – compared to neighboring counties including Colusa, 13.7 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 8.7 percent, No. 45; Mendocino, 5.2 percent, No. 14; Napa, 4.1 percent, No. 5; Sonoma, 4.3 percent, No. 7; and Yolo, 6.1 percent, No. 22.

Across the rest of California, nonfarm jobs totaled 16,054,100 in May, an increase of 54,200 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 58,000 businesses The year-over-year change, May 2014 to May 2015, showed an increase of 465,700 jobs, up 3.0 percent.

A federal survey of 5,500 households showed an increase in the number of employed people, estimating the number of Californians holding jobs in May was 17,813,000, an increase of 59,000 from April, and up 487,000 from the employment total in May of last year, the Employment Development Department reported.

The number of people unemployed in California was 1,212,000 – up by 12,000 over the month, but down by 220,000 compared with May of last year, the agency said.

Regarding Unemployment Insurance claims, the Employment Development Department said there were 379,996 people receiving regular benefits during the May survey week, compared with 415,987 in April and 435,763 in May of last year. 

At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 42,929 in May, compared with 47,462 in April and 53,388 in May of last year, according to the report.

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.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Firefighters quickly contained a wildland fire that burned several acres in Clearlake on Sunday evening.

Firefighters were first dispatched to the Ogulin fire shortly after 5 p.m., according to radio reports.

Initial reports placed it on the west side of Highway 53 near Ogulin Canyon Road, with Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli pinpointing the fire area more precisely to Highway 53 and Old Highway 53.

The first units on scene found a small fire burning in grass, with wind shifting and pushing smoke across Highway 53, which was closed briefly by the Clearlake Police Department, reports from the scene indicated.

Lake County Fire, Northshore Fire and Cal Fire had resources on scene, Bertelli said.

In addition to ground resources, Cal Fire's Copter 104 made water drops in the fire.

Firefighters quickly put a line around the fire to contain it, based on scanner reports.

Bertelli said the fire burned a total of 8.3 acres in grass.

He said firefighters “got a quick jump on it,” quickly containing the incident.

There were no injuries, Bertelli said.

Reports from the scene indicated that firefighters planned to conduct a few hours of mop up, extending into the late evening.

Bertelli said the fire's cause is under investigation.

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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A single-vehicle crash early Saturday morning near Lower Lake claimed the lives of two people, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said the crash occurred at 2:30 a.m. Saturday on Morgan Valley Road east of Bonham Road.

Initial reports from both sheriff's personnel and firefighters at the scene on Saturday had indicated one fatality, but in a Sunday morning report the CHP said that, in fact, two male subjects had died.

Neither of the two individuals' names, ages or cities of residence were released by the CHP in its Sunday report, as the agency said the subjects are still in the process of being identified.

The CHP said the driver and his passenger were in a blue 2005 Toyota Scion, traveling westbound on Morgan Valley Road in clear conditions and at an undetermined high rate of speed when, for reasons yet to be determined, the Toyota went out of control in a northerly directly, hitting a tree.

The crash's severity resulted in the vehicle becoming engulfed in flames, according to the CHP.

The CHP said the driver and passenger died of their injuries at the crash site.

Fire personnel arrived on scene and extinguished the flames, the CHP said. Officials at the scene early Saturday said the crash sparked a small vegetation fire – about 10 feet by 10 feet in size – that was quickly contained.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office is conducting a coroner's case for both parties, the CHP said.

As part of that investigation, the CHP said authorities are working to identify the two individuals who died.

Both of the individuals were using their safety equipment, the CHP said.

The CHP said the crash remains under investigation by Officer John Geer.

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.

“It has always been a happy thought to me that the creek runs on all night, new every minute, whether I wish it or know it or care, as a closed book on a shelf continues to whisper to itself its own inexhaustible tale.” – Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cole Creek's source is a vernal pool which emanates from volcanic terrain located in Loch Lomond.

It's year-round rate is about 300 gallons per minute. 

The ancient landscape from which Cole Creek derives is known to be located in the Clear Lake basin, which is set amongst the Coast Ranges and is a tectonic, volcanic region that has been active for more than a million years. 

Geologists have determined that the Clear Lake Basin's two main fault zones are the Clover Valley-Highlands Arm to the northeast, and the Collayomi fault zone, which is situated in the southwest. 

Cole Creek is a tributary to our county's gem, Clear Lake, at Clear Lake State Park in Kelseyville.

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the fish that inhabit Cole Creek are rainbow trout, brown bullhead, Sacramento sucker fish, Sacramento sqawfish, California roach and others. 

A riparian habitat envelops the creek and plays a part in the lives of an assortment of wildlife species. 

An impressive variety of avian life abound around Cole Creek as well. 

These gregarious birds are like poetry and music all in one.

In a recent Audubon outing along Cole and Kelsey Creeks at Clear Lake State Park in Kelseyville – led by extremely knowledgeable guide Brad Barnwell and his wife, Kathy – ospreys were sighted, along with grebes, swallow, titmouse, scrubjay, spotted towee, flicker, nuthatch, quail, bulebirds, California towee, bushtit, tree swallow and more.

It's easy to see why the Xa-Ben-Na-Po Pomo Indians, or Big Valley Pomo, once thrived in the region of Cole Creek, below, and nearby Mt. Konocti. It was an idyllic setting replete with food, water, volcanic obsidian for tool-making and an abundance of plant-life for medicine, shelter, homes and boats.  

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters worked throughout Saturday on several small wildland fires in Lake County and a larger incident in neighboring Napa County.

Local fire districts, along with Cal Fire, responded to four small wildland fires early Saturday morning, as Lake County News has reported.

One fire was near Kelseyville, a small spot fire near Lower Lake was caused by a fatal crash, and two more happened near Middletown. All were contained at an acre or less, according to fire officials.

In neighboring Napa County, a wildland fire was sparked near Lake Berryessa on a peninsula in the Capell Valley off Highway 128 just before 1 p.m.

The Pleasure fire burned 19 acres and was 40-percent contained by day's end, Cal Fire reported. No structures were damaged.

Cal Fire said ground crews made access to the fire via boats from Pleasure Cove Marina, constructed fire line and extinguished hot spots within the fire perimeter. 

Seven engine/truck companies, three water tenders, three volunteer companies, four fire crews, six overhead/command personnel, two bulldozers, air attack, three air tankers, two helicopters and 125 personnel worked the incident at its height, Cal Fire reported.

The Napa County Fire Department and Cal Fire remained on the scene with an engine and four fire crews overnight, according to a Cal Fire report.

Cal Fire's staffing has been increased due to forecasted dry lightning and strong winds throughout much of Northern California. 

A red flag warning has been issued for much of Northeast California, including the Northern Sierra and Tahoe Basin, due to high heat, strong winds and the possibility of dry thunderstorms with lightning. 

On Saturday, Cal Fire said nearly 3,300 firefighters remain on the front lines of several large active wildfires burning in California.

To learn about wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

A rundown of major incidents around the state follows, with size estimates through late Saturday night.

Unified command fires

– Lake fire: Began June 17 in San Bernardino County; 30,526 acres, 50-percent contained. Evacuations remain in effect with additional evacuations added Wednesday. Cause is under investigation.

Federal incidents

– Sky Fire: Began June 18 in Madera County; 500 acres, 97-percent contained. Caused by a vehicle.

– Washington Fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 17,697 acres, 37-percent contained. Caused by lightning.

– Sterling Fire: Began June 27 in San Bernardino County; 100 acres, 95-percent contained. Arson fire.

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. – Dogs from all sorts of backgrounds and breeds are waiting for new homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.

Dogs available to new homes this week include mixes of border collie, boxer, Chihuahua, chow chow, corgi, dachshund, Labrador Retriever, McNab, pit bull, shepherd and wirehaired terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

'Jet'

“Jet” is a male border collie-Labrador Retriever mix with a short brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 2382.

Pit bull mix

This female pit bull terrier mix has a short gray and white coat.

Shelter staff said she is very affectionate and loving.

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 2536.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short sable and black coat.

He's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 2531.

'Lizzy'

“Lizzy” is a female terrier mix.

Shelter staff said she does well with other dogs – male and female – and with cats.

She would do well in a home with an active family.

She's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 2522.

'Rocky'

“Rocky” is a male boxer mix with a short tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said he's a sweet boy who does well with other dogs, male or female.

He's in kennel No. 29, No. 2523.

'CoCo'

“CoCo” is a female pointer mix with a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she likes to play – she can play rough and sometimes is mouthy – but overall gets along well with other dogs, and is sweet.

She's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 2524.

'Toto'

“Toto” is a male wirehaired terrier mix.

He has a medium-length white coat.

Toto is in kennel No. 31a, ID No. 2525.

'Groot'

“Groot” is a male chow chow-corgi mix.

He has a medium-length brown coat.

He's in kennel No. 31b, ID No. 2526.

'Mimi'

“Mimi” is a Chihuahua mix.

She has a short white and tan coat. Mimi loves attention and being held.

Mimi is in kennel No. 32a, ID No. 2055.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has a short white coat.

He's in kennel No. 32b, ID No. 2321.

'Toenail'

“Toenail” is a female pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short red and white coat, and perky ears, and loves tennis balls.

She's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 2455.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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 Big Read will feature the timeless novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” for the program month of October 2015. 

Written by Harper Lee, and published in 1960, this unique bestseller, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, continues to engage readers with its relevant themes, endearing characters, and detailed setting. 

Reading or re-reading of the novel can inspire many great discussions, community activities, and reflections for the creative process.

Local writers – published and aspiring – are encouraged to create a contemporary work that connects to the narrative in a genre of their choice. 

From a children’s story to an opinion or editorial piece, whether in a poetry format, a short story or an essay, selected entries will be featured in The Lake County Big Read kick-off Lit Fest, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Mendocino College Lake Campus in Lakeport.

Additionally, those writings will be included in a printed compilation for the public, as well as in local and social media platforms.  

The deadline for submission is Friday, Sept. 4. It is requested that original text be limited to 500 words or less. 

For questions or for more information, contact Robin Fogel-Shrive, The Lake County Big Read program director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Completed works may be dropped off at any of the Lake County Library branches or mailed to the main branch at 1425 N. High St., Lakeport, CA 95453.

NASA will send an international crew to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean this summer to prepare for future deep space missions during the 14-day NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO 20, expedition slated to begin July 20.

NEEMO 20 will focus on evaluating tools and techniques being tested for future spacewalks on a variety of surfaces and gravity levels ranging from asteroids to the moons of Mars and the Martian surface.

“The NEEMO team is particularly excited about this mission as it is a huge milestone to have achieved 20 missions at Aquarius over the past 15 years,” NEEMO Project Lead Bill Todd said. “Living and working in the highly operational, isolated and extreme environment of the aquatic realm has provided significant science and engineering for the benefit of human spaceflight. It has also clearly proven to be as close to spaceflight as is possible here on Earth.”

The mission will test time delays in communications due to the distance of potential mission destinations. 

The crew also will assess hardware sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows crew members to read the next step in a procedure without taking their hands or eyes away from the task using a tablet, a smartphone and a head-mounted interface.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will command the NEEMO 20 mission aboard the Aquarius laboratory. Parmitano flew in space during Expeditions 36 and 37 aboard the International Space Station in 2013, where he spent 166 days living and working in the extreme environment of microgravity. He conducted two spacewalks on his first spaceflight.

Parmitano will be joined by NASA astronaut Serena Aunon, NASA EVA Management Office engineer David Coan and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Norishige Kanai.

The NEEMO crew and two professional habitat technicians will live 62 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean in Florida International University’s Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat 6.2 miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.

For more information about NEEMO, the crews and links to follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter, visit http://www.nasa.gov/neemo .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters battled and contained a series of small wildland fires around the county early Saturday, including one that was sparked by a fatal vehicle crash.

Altogether, four small fires were reported from just after 12 a.m. to just before 3 a.m., based on radio reports.

The first of the fires occurred in the 7700 block of Wight Way in Kelseyville, and was dispatched just after 12:05 a.m. Callers reported to Central Dispatch that they saw smoke and flames on the hills.

A sheriff's unit arrived on scene ahead of firefighters and helped them locate the fire, according to radio traffic.

Personnel from Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire responded, finding a fire burning down a hill toward a structure, based on radio reports.

Reports from the scene indicated the fire was ultimately held to about half an acre.

Just before 2:30 a.m., another call came in regarding a wildland fire in the 17000 block of Morgan Valley Road. However, additional reports clarified that a vehicle crash had occurred, causing the fire.

A sheriff's deputy on scene reported to Central Dispatch that an occupied vehicle was on its top and fully engulfed in flames, according to radio reports.

Firefighters arrived on scene shortly thereafter, stopping forward progress on the fire, which was contained to a 10-foot by 10-foot spot, based on radio reports.

Personnel at the scene reported one fatality, with Morgan Valley Road to be closed and rescue units to be dedicated to the incident for an indeterminate amount of time.

At 2:35 a.m., a report came in of a fire in the 20000 block of Highway 29 at the Bar X Ranch near Middletown, with firefighters arriving on scene reporting a quarter acre of grass burning, with a slow rate of spread.

Shortly afterward, another small grass fire was reported in the area of Highway 29 at Hofacker Lane, north of Hidden Valley Lake, according to radio reports.

Reports from the scene indicated the Bar incident was contained to a quarter-acre just before 4:45 a.m., which Fire Capt. Joe Fletcher of Cal Fire confirmed.

Fletcher said the Hofacker fire also burned a quarter-acre in total.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the roadway was clear near both fire areas.

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. – Cal Fire said it is stepping up its resources this weekend due to forecasts of high temperatures and threats of dry lightning – and therefore greater fire threat – across Northern California.

Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit – which also serves Solano, Yolo, and Colusa counties – along with the Northern California Region increased its resources to meet the increased fire danger, officials said Friday.

Additional bulldozers, fire engines and inmate firefighting hand crews will be ready to mobilize over the weekend and as incident activity warrants, the agency said.

Besides preparing for the potential for fire weather, Cal Fire issued a strong remind about being cautious about mowing during the current dry conditions.

“Ninety-five percent of all wildland fires are caused by people,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Scott Upton. 

“Over the last week, Cal Fire responded to fires in Sonoma, Lake and Solano counties where people were doing the 'right thing, the wrong way,'” said Upton. “Wildfires were accidentally started in dry grass by private and commercial mowing, parking vehicles in grass, and barbecuing in a designated public area where grass/lawn was dry from drought related water conservation.”

One of those mowing fires – a 4.5-acre blaze – occurred near Upper Lake last Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.

Cal Fire said dry grass should be cut before 10 a.m., when the air is moist, temperatures are low and winds are calm. 

In other fire news, in Lake County on Friday, work continued at the scene of the Harvey fire, located off Harvey Boulevard in Clearlake Oaks.

The fire, which broke out on Thursday afternoon, burned a total of seven acres and was 95-percent contained on Friday evening, with Cal Fire personnel still mopping up, according to Fire Capt. Joe Fletcher.

Early Saturday, Cal Fire worked with Lakeport Fire and Kelseyville Fire on a small grass fire on Wight Way in Kelseyville.

That incident was reported to be less than one acre in size, but had threatened a structure at one point, according to radio reports.

The agency also was part of the local fire response for a fatal vehicle crash on Morgan Valley Road that caused a small spot fire and on a small grass fire reported along Highway 29 near Middletown, as Lake County News has reported.

On the weather front, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant Berlant said a red flag warning has been issued for much of northeast California, including the Northern Sierra and Tahoe Basin, due to high heat, strong winds and the possibility of dry thunderstorms with lightning. 

A special weather statement also was issued for Lake County due to the dry conditions and concerns about increased fire danger, as Lake County News has reported.

Elsewhere around California, Berlant said initial attack fire activity was again high throughout much of the state.

He said firefighters were able to contain one of the large wildfires that had burning throughout the week on Thursday, but another one was sparked in San Bernardino County. 

On Friday, he said nearly 3,300 firefighters remain on the front lines of five large active wildfires burning in California.

Berlant said this week there have been two incidents – in as many days – involving hobby drones that impacted firefighting operations from the air.

The first incident occurred on Wednesday evening at the Lake fire in San Bernardino County, which caused firefighters to ground all firefighting aircraft until they could find the operator and get the drone out of the area, Berlant said.

On Thursday, a drone interfered with air operations on the Sterling fire, also in San Bernardino County, according to Berlant. 

He said a collision with a hobby drone “could easily result in major damage to firefighting aircraft, injuries to the pilot and crew on board as well as firefighters below, and worse, a midair collision. It is unsafe for unauthorized drones to be flown anywhere near a wildfire.”

Berlant said Cal fire officials stress to hobby drone users, “If you fly, we can’t!”

To learn about wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

A rundown of major incidents around the state follows, with size estimates through late Friday night.

Cal Fire incidents

– Otay fire: Began June 26 in San Diego County; 80 acres, 100-percent contained. Cause not reported.

Unified command fires

– Lake fire: Began June 17 in San Bernardino County; 30,526 acres, 20-percent contained. Evacuations remain in effect. Cause is under investigation.

Federal incidents

– Washington fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 17,622 acres, 29-percent contained. Caused by lightning.

– Sterling fire: Began June 25 in San Bernardino County; 100 acres, 75-percent contained. Arson fire.

Other incidents

– Calgrove fire: Began June 24, Los Angeles County; 415 acres, 100-percent contained.

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.