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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A week into the effort to contain several massive Northern California wildland fires, Cal Fire said containment continues to increase on the incidents.

Cal Fire issued Monday morning updates for the three significant fire complexes in wine country, the Mendocino Lake Complex, the Central LNU Complex and the Southern LNU Complex.

The Mendocino Lake Complex, composed of the Sulphur fire in Lake County and the Redwood fire in Mendocino County, remained at a total of 38,007 acres, with overall containment at 52 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Sulphur fire’s size on Monday morning was unchanged at 2,207 acres, with containment up to 85 percent, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said the Redwood fire also showed no growth, staying at 35,800 acres through the night, with containment up to 50 percent.

The death toll in the incident remains at eight, with one firefighter injury previously reported, Cal Fire said.

The tally of destroyed residences remains at 436, of which 136 are in Lake County, based on the local initial damage assessment. Cal Fire said 75 homes remain threatened by the complex.

There are 2,401 firefighters assigned to working the complex, which is expected to be fully contained on Nov. 1, with Cal Fire reporting that the cause of the fires still under investigation.

On the Central LNU Complex, burning in Sonoma and Napa counties since Oct. 8, Cal Fire on Monday morning rolled back the overall size by about 9,000 acres, to 97,781 acres.

That acreage reduction was the result of an adjustment on the size of the Tubbs fire, which is burning near the southern Lake County border.

On Sunday night, Cal Fire had reported the fire was more than 44,000 acres, but on Monday, Cal Fire said the Tubbs fire’s size in actuality was 36,390 acres, with 70 percent containment.

Cal Fire said it adjusted the number based on more accurate and detailed mapping.

The fire’s most active portion remains on the northeastern portion around Red Hill and Mount Saint Helena, Cal Fire said.

The Pocket fire, which also has burned close to southern Lake County, remained unchanged in size overnight, at 11,889 acres with containment up to 40 percent. Cal Fire said the Pocket fire is burning to the north.

The Nuns fire remained at 48,627 acres overnight, with containment at 50 percent, Cal Fire said. It also is progressing to the north.

The fire that showed growth on the complex since Cal Fire’s Sunday night report was the Oakmont, now reported to be 875 acres and 15-percent contained. It also is moving in a northerly direction with a moderate rate of spread.

The Central LNU Complex’s death toll now stands at 23 – 22 of them civilians – making it among the deadliest fire complexes in state history.

The death toll rose on Monday morning when a contract firefighter working on the Nuns fire was reported to have been killed in a rollover crash on the Oakville Grade in Napa County.

A total of 3,947 structures have been destroyed and another 159 damaged. Cal Fire said 24,914 structures remain threatened by the complex’s fires.

That Central LNU Complex is expected to be fully contained on Oct. 20. Its cause also remains under investigation.

In related news, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office lifted an advisory evacuation for the Middletown area on Monday after Cal Fire issued its latest report on the Central LNU Complex.

Also on Monday, Cal Fire reported that progress is being made on the Southern LNU Complex burning in Napa and Solano counties.

That complex of fires, which also began Oct. 8 during the region’s fierce windstorm, has so far burned 51,064 acres, with overall containment at 68 percent, Cal Fire said.

It has so far destroyed 342 structures and damaged another 50, with 5,000 structures still actively threatened, Cal Fire said.

Resources working the fire on Monday included 2,962 firefighters, 332 engines, 17 water tenders, 21 helicopters, 48 crews and 46 dozers, according to Cal Fire’s 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.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A local assistance center to assist community members with Sulphur fire recovery will open this week in Clearlake.

Beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Saturday, Oct. 21, the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake will partner with community, state, and national service and relief organizations to provide a one-stop local assistance center, or LAC, for those impacted by the Sulphur fire.

The LAC will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clearlake Senior Community Center, located at 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

Local officials said the LAC will provide an experienced team to help impacted community members find assistance and walk them through the start of the recovery process.

“Our goal is to assist you with recovery and rebuild and help you turn tragedy into a new beginning,” said Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom.

A wide-ranging array of services and expertise will be available.

If you need food, assistance accessing medical care, advice regarding temporary and permanent housing, replacement copies of vital records or a new driver’s license, come to the LAC.

If you have concerns about your animals or even insurance matters, there will be people on site at the LAC to help.

The California Office of Emergency Services, other state agencies and Lake County Environmental Health will have representatives available to assist those trying to navigate the removal of debris from their property.

All of these organizations will be there to help make profoundly complicated situations a little bit easier, and offer some of the first building blocks of a successful long-term recovery.

“We are grateful and excited that such a great team will be helping Clearlake residents respond to the Sulphur Fire,” said Clearlake City Council Member Bruno Sabatier. “Working together and taking the right steps, we will overcome this disaster, and build a rich and vibrant future.”

For more information, call Clearlake City Hall, at 707-994-8201.
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THE GEYSERS, Calif. – The work of thousands of firefighters around the North Coast is beginning to bring major wildland fires in neighboring counties under control and is preventing them from progressing to Lake County’s borders.

This week, in addition to responding to the Sulphur fire in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks, and then the Long fire in Clearlake on Saturday morning, county supervisors have been doing their best to keep south county residents calm due to the proximity of the Tubbs and Pocket fires.

Cal Fire is managing the Tubbs, Pocket, Nuns and Oakmont fires under one incident, the Central LNU Complex, with total size at 94,370 acres.

On Saturday night, Cal Fire said containment on the Tubbs fire, at 35,470 acres, rose to 50 percent, with the Pocket fire at 11,246 acres and 15-percent containment, the Nuns fire at 47,106 acres and 15-percent containment; and the Oakmont fire, at 550 acres and 10-percent containment.

The Central LNU Complex has destroyed 3,462 structures and killed 22 people, officials said Saturday night.

Resources assigned to the complex on Saturday had grown, with total personnel increasing to 3,439, along with 343 engines, 43 water tenders, seven helicopters, seven air tankers, 68 hand crews and 80 dozers.

Firefighters slowed the rate of spread of both fires on Saturday, with the Tubbs fire growing by 200 acres and the Pocket fire burning another 250 acres, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said the most active portion of the Tubbs fire is still the northeastern portion around Red
Hill and Mount Saint Helena, where the fire continues to make short uphill runs around to the north side of the peaks.

While the incident has crept closer to the Lake County line, on Saturday night Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli confirmed that it was not yet within Lake County.

On the Pocket fire, Cal Fire said the incident continues to the east, with crews continuing their progress in increasing containment.

District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon and District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown have been leading the effort in responding to concerns about the fire and working to dispel fears that have arisen because of posts on social media that in some cases have panicked south county residents.

Simon said he’s in constant communication with Cal Fire and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

He’s also personally put eyes on the Tubbs fire every day to assess its distance to southern Lake County.

While the Middletown area remains under an evacuation advisory issued on Wednesday, he said the fire lines are holding.

“I think Mother Nature is cooperating,” he said in a Saturday evening interview with Lake County News.

If evacuations are necessary, the message would come out through the appropriate channels, including the sheriff’s Nixle alerts, which Simon urged people to continue to keep an eye on at this time.

While social media is good, Simon said it’s better to have information directly from officials.

Brown was on the ground in Spring Valley on Saturday morning when firefighters stopped the forward progress of the Long fire, which began shortly before 5 a.m.

The last size report on the fire from the scene on Saturday afternoon put the fire’s size at 41 acres, as Lake County News has reported.

In an effort to better illustrate the distance of the fires Tubbs and Pocket fires from Lake County, on Saturday afternoon, Brown and Calpine Director of Engineering Tim Conant hosted Lake County News on a tour through The Geysers geothermal steamfield, which stretches across 45 square miles in southern Lake County and Northern Sonoma County.

From the ridges in the steamfield, the smoke from both fires was clearly visible, with tankers flying through the Pocket fire area.

Both Brown and Conant explained that the Pocket fire would have to turn around, cross several ridges, hillsides and creeks, and the burn scars or both the Valley fire and last year’s Sawmill fire to reach Lake County.

In the case of the Tubbs fire, the winds were blowing the smoke and the fire away from Lake County.

In the video above, they explain the situation and point out the fires’ locations in relation to Lake County.

After driving a circuit from Bottle Rock Road through The Geysers, Highway 101 and then back over the Hopland Grade, it became clear that the fire remained several miles away from Lake County and that the wind is blowing to the east and away from the county.

“It is highly unlikely that Lake County will be at risk,” said Brown, agreeing with Cal Fire’s assessment of the situation.

Cal Fire said the Central LNU Complex is expected to be fully contained on Oct. 20.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will begin discussions on the Sulphur fire recovery process.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:10 a.m. the board will consider an update but hold a discussion on the Sulphur fire response and recovery.

The fire has burned 2,207 acres and 168 structures, officials reported. It’s expected to be fully contained this week.

At 9:15 a.m., the board will consider a proclamation of a local health emergency by Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.

At 9:20 a.m., the board will consider an urgency ordinance prohibiting rental housing price gouging in the county of Lake during a state of emergency.

In other news, at 9:45 a.m. the board will consider and discuss a motion to support the Lake County Arts Council’s branding of Lake County as an arts destination.

The full agenda is posted below.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2017, as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.

7.2: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Aug. 22, Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

7.3: Approve leave of absence request for Dennis Reynolds, senior deputy probation officer, Oct. 16, 2017, through Jan. 1, 2018.

7.4: (a) Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-98 declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property, not required for public use, known as Holiday Harbor, located at 3605 and 3655 Lakeshore Boulevard, Nice, California (APN’s 032-133-35 and 032-137-01), pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq.; and (b) adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2017-85 declaring the Board of Supervisors intent to sell property, not required for public use, known as the Visitor Information Center, located at 6110 State Highway 20, Lucerne, California (APN 034-112-360), pursuant to Government Code Section 25520 et seq.

7.5: Adopt resolution approving a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide an animal damage control program for the county of Lake.

7.6: Approve reissuance of tax refund check from FY 2010/11 to Carol Pramann in the amount of $630.34.

7.7: Approve agreement for cost allocation plan professional services fiscal years ending 2018, 2019 and 2020; and authorize the chair to sign.

7.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Davis Guest Home for adult residential support services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $38,325 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

7.9: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Lake County Wrap Program, Foster Care Program and Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) Program for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $550,000; and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

7.10: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Star View Adolescent Center OP for specialty mental health services in the amount of $110,000 for Fiscal Year 2017-18 and authorize the chair to sign

7.11: Approve the first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Restpadd Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services for Fiscal Year 2017-18 for an increase of $80,000 for a new contract maximum of $90,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the first amendment.

7.12: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Jones Towing for towing services, total amount not to exceed $110,000, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Kelseyville Auto Salvage and Towing for towing services, total amount not to exceed $60,000, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, for the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program, and authorize the chair to sign.

7.13: Adopt resolution approving Lake County Health Services Department to apply for a Rural CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency) grant through California Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA) not to exceed $100,000 and authorize the Health Services director to sign.

7.14: Adopt resolution approving Lake County Health Services Department to apply for Naloxone Distribution Project Grant for fiscal years 6/1/2017-6/30/2019 through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Authorize the Health Services director to sign.

7.15: Approve purchase of John Deere 1570 Terrain Cut commercial mower and discharge deck from Belkorp Ag LLC and authorize the Public Services director to issue a purchase order in the amount of $33,974.02.

7.16: Approve amendment three to the contract between the county of Lake and the Middletown Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians for tribal cultural monitoring in an amount not to exceed $276,000; and authorize the chair to sign.

7.17: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Adventist Health Clear Lake with the donation amount of $70,276.80 per fiscal year, for the services of county eligibility workers from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020; and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:06 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.

8.3, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of update and discussion on the Sulphur fire response and recovery.

8.4, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer.

8.5, 9:16 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.

8.6, 9:17 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.

8.7, 9:18 a.m.: Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a declaration of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm.

8.8, 9:20 a.m.: consideration of an urgency ordinance prohibiting rental housing price gouging in the county of Lake during a state of emergency.

8.9, 9:22 a.m.: Consideration of request for board approval of recommended changes to paid county emergency leave policy, including changing the title of said policy to “paid emergency leave policy.”

8.10, 9:30 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $4,476.65, on property located at 3427 Scotts Creek Road, Lakeport (APN 005-029-36 - Peter Le) .

8.11, 9:35 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $2,274.68, on property located at 7190 Inyo St., Nice (APN 031-211-16 - Chandra Nailor).

8.12, 9:40 a.m.: hearing, consideration of proposed notice of assessment and recordation of lien for nuisance abatement, in the amount of $3,264.77, on property located at 5980 E. State Highway 20, Lucerne (APN 034-061-03 - Virginia Hearn).

8.13, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration and discussion of a motion to support the Lake County Arts Council’s branding of Lake County as an arts destination.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration of the following appointment: Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Advisory Board.

9.3: Second reading, consideration of ordinance Amending Article 72 of the Lake County Code to allow the outdoor cultivation of medical cannabis in "RL" Rural Lands and to create a certification of compliance process for cannabis cultivation.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Sitting as the Lake County IHSS Public Authority Board of Directors, Conference with labor negotiator: (a) agency negotiator: Crystal Markytan and F. Buchanan (b) employee organization: California United Homecare Workers Union AFSCME/SEIU Local 4034.

10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Loberg v. County of Lake, et al.

10.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): LCCOA v. County of Lake, et al.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Sunday four more victims of the wildland fires in Sonoma County were identified.

A total of 36 people have died in the wildland fires in Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties this past week, officials said.

Most who have been named have been elderly.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said his department has so far identified 14 of the 22 people who have died so far in his county from the fires.

The latest victims identified are Santa Rosa residents Sharon Rae Robinson, 79, Daniel Martin Southard, 71, and Carmen Colleen McReynolds, 82; and Lee Chadwick Roger, 72, of Glen Ellen.

Those previously identified as having died in Sonoma County’s fires include Santa Rosans Carol Collins-Swasey, 76, Lynne Anderson Powell, 72, Arthur Tasman Grant, 95, Suiko Grant, 75, Valerie Lynn Evans, 75, and Veronica Elizabeth McCombs, 67; Larkfield residents Donna Mae Halbur and Leroy Peter Halbur, both age 80; Carmen Caldentey Berriz, 75, of Apple Valley; and Michael John Dornbach, 57, of Calistoga.

Area officials report that they are continuing the process of searching for missing persons from the fires.

Giordano reported that he continues to run 300 people on every shift in the effort to keep the fire-impacted communities safe.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire said Saturday night that firefighters did another good day’s work on containing the fires in the Mendocino Lake Complex, while at the same time the acreage estimate for the Sulphur fire was reduced.

The Mendocino Lake Complex is composed of the Sulphur fire, burning since Monday morning in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks, and the Redwood fire, which also began Monday morning in Redwood and Potter Valleys.

On Saturday night, Cal fire said significant progress had been made over the previous 24 hours in the effort to contain both of the fires in the complex.

The complex’s size reached just over 37,200 acres by nightfall Saturday with 32-percent containment, Cal Fire said.

As part of that overall number, the Sulphur fire’s size was reduced from 2,500 acres to approximately 2,207 acres to reflect more accurate mapping, with the fire’s containment up to 70 percent, Cal Fire said.

The Redwood fire’s acreage was at 35,000 acres, with containment at 30 percent. Cal Fire said the Redwood Fire continues to present challenges as resources actively mop up and
extinguish hotspots around structures. However, officials said the fire’s southwest perimeter continues to hold.

The number of deaths in the Redwood fire remains at eight, Cal Fire said.

Eight hundred structures are still threatened, Cal Fire said, while 410 single-family residences have been destroyed. Of those, 136 are in Lake County, according to a local damage assessment report.

Cal Fire said the resources assigned to the complex on Saturday included 2,415 personnel, 143 engines, 31 water tenders, 16 helicopters, 69 hand crews and 50 dozers.

As of Saturday night, Cal Fire said there were approximately 2,000 evacuees from the Redwood Fire, while the last of the evacuation orders in Lake County were lifted on Friday.

The entire complex is expected to be contained by Nov. 1, Cal Fire said.

Officials said the cause of the complex’s fires remains 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.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters are continuing to push the Sulphur and Redwood fires that have burned on the North Coast this past week closer to being fully extinguished.

Cal Fire said Sunday evening that the Sulphur fire, which has burned 2,207 acres and 168 structures in Lake County since it began last Monday, reached 80-percent containment.

It’s being managed along with the Redwood fire – which also began on Oct. 9 and is burning in Potter and Redwood valleys in Mendocino County – as the Mendocino Lake Complex.

The overall complex has burned 38,007 acres and is 47-percent contained, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said the Redwood fire has burned 35,800 acres and is 45-percent contained.

The number of fatalities remains at eight in the Redwood fire portion of the complex, officials said.

Cal Fire said approximately 433 single-family residences have been destroyed. Local officials said 136 of those residences are in Lake County, primarily the Clearlake area. A total of 242 minor structures also have been destroyed across the complex.

Seventy-five structures remain threatened, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said firefighters are continuing mop up and patrol in the Sulphur fire area, where suppression repair is still expected to begin on Monday.

On the Redwood fire, the southeast and southwest perimeter fire lines are holding and firefighters continue to improve containment lines and patrol for hot spots, Cal Fire said.

On the southern perimeter fire line resources continue to actively mop up and extinguish hot spots around structures, according to the report.

There are approximately 900 evacuees affected by the Redwood fire, with the Mendocino-Lake Community College District opening it facilities to the Red Cross in order to be the Ukiah shelter location for Redwood fire evacuees.

Evacuations in Lake County have been lifted, as Lake County News has reported.

Resources assigned to the complex include 2,385 personnel, 125 engines, 31 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 72 hand crews and 36 dozers.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will get an update on the Sulphur fire and begin to discuss the recovery process.

Cal Fire said the investigation into the cause of the fires remains under way.

Full containment on the complex is expected by Nov. 1, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Air Quality Management District said smoke and haze that has made its way into Lake County’s air basin over the past week due to local and regional wildland fires dissipated on Sunday as a result of favorable wind conditions.

Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the smoke from the Tubbs fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, the Pocket fire in Sonoma County and the Redwood fire in Mendocino County has not settled into the basin since Friday night.

Gearhart said the “good” to “moderate” air quality forecast with a chance of “unhealthy” air quality results from the variable weather conditions experienced in Lake County and the region.

As containment improves on the fires, conditions should improve. Gearhart said smoke from these fires is likely to continue to impact the county with winds from the west being forecast for Tuesday.

Gearhart said current particulate levels in Lake County range from “good” in the Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake areas to the “good” range in the northern portions of the county.

South winds are forecast to cause smoke to increase again in the Lake County Air Quality basin, though the transition to an east wind overnight is expected to help clear out the county for Monday, Gearhart said.

All areas of the county may experience “unhealthy” air quality at times when conditions become unfavorable, though overall conditions are improving. Gearhart said the smoke is expected to intermittently impact all of Lake County through the week.

With air quality forecast to be in the “good” to “moderate,” all areas of the county should remain prepared for “unhealthy” conditions if conditions change, Gearhart said.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As firefighters make progress on containing the region’s wildland fires, law enforcement officials have continued the tragic task of recovering and identifying the dead, with the death toll from the fires rising again on Saturday.

On Saturday evening, the Sonoma County Coroner’s office reported that five more deaths had been confirmed from the fires, raising that county’s deaths to 22.

The identifications and notifications to next of kin were being made on Saturday, with more name to be released on Sunday, officials said.

The 22 deaths confirmed by Sonoma County officials so far come from the 94,370-acre Central LNU Complex, composed of the Tubbs, Pocket, Nuns and Oakmont fires.

The complex’s latest count of destroyed structures rose to 3,462 on Saturday evening, with 36,746 still threatened, according to Cal Fire.

The Central LNU Complex’s growing damage assessment has pushed it to the top of the list of the most damaging wildland fire in the state’s history.

It has surpassed the 2,900 homes destroyed in the 1991 Tunnel fire, a rekindle of the Oakland Hills fire in Alameda County, although so far that fire remains the deadliest incident, with 25 deaths attributed to it.

The 2015 Valley fire in Lake County, with 1,955 structures destroyed and four confirmed deaths, remains in the top four most damaging fires in the state’s history.

The Redwood fire in Mendocino County, which is being managed along with the Sulphur fire as the Mendocino Lake Complex, has claimed eight lives, according to Cal Fire. No deaths have been reported as a result of the Sulphur fire.

On Saturday the fire-related death toll also was confirmed to have risen In Napa County.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said two more bodies were found at a residence in the 1900 block of Soda Canyon Road, bringing the total to six.

It’s believed that the two victims are 90-year-old Sally Lewis, the homeowner, and her caretaker 50-year-old Teresa Santos, but the sheriff’s office said positive identifications have not yet been made.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters continued to work steadily on the fires in neighboring Sonoma and Napa counties on Sunday, raising containment on the massive Central LNU Complex despite growth in its acreage.

Cal Fire’s Sunday night report put the complex at 106,272 acres, up by approximately 11,902 acres over the course of the day.

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said Sunday that the death toll on the complex remained at 22.

The number of structures destroyed by the complex rose by nearly 500 on Sunday for a total of 3,947, Cal Fire said, with 24,914 structures remaining under threat.

The complex includes the Nuns fire, 48,627 acres, 40-percent contained; the Tubbs fire, 44,881 acres and 60-percent contained; the Pocket fire, 11,889 acres, 30-percent contained; and the Oakmont fire, 575 acres and 15-percent contained.

“Overall, things are feeling optimistic for us,” said Cal Fire Incident Commander Bret Gouvea said during a Sunday briefing.

At the same time, they’re remaining cautious, as Gouvea said there is still a lot of fire in Sonoma County, with different activity across the various fires.

He said there are positive developments on the Pocket, Tubbs and Nuns fires.

“They’re not going down easy but we’re getting them,” Gouvea said.

Much of the growth on the fires came on Sunday on the Tubbs fire, which along with the Pocket are close to the border of southern Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.

The overall complex acreage growth came mainly on the Tubbs fire, which grew by approximately 9,411 acres on Sunday, with its containment remaining unchanged during the day, according to Cal Fire’s report.

Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Steve Crawford said during the Sunday briefing on the complex that firefighters are getting “a lot of black on the map” when it came to the Tubbs fire, referring to the black line used on fire mapping to denote areas where the fire is no longer expanding and containment lines are strengthened.

Cal Fire said the fire remained most active on the northeastern portion around Red Hill and Mount Saint Helena.

The fire on Sunday had continued to make short uphill runs around to the north side of the peaks, officials said.

Because of the Tubbs fire portion of the complex, the Middletown area remained under an evacuation advisory on Sunday.

Radio traffic on the complex on Sunday indicated that air resources were continuing to be used heavily throughout the day in an attempt to contain the Tubbs fire’s growth.

By Sunday night, reports from the scene indicated that the fire was backing downhill on Mount Saint Helena and not making any more significant runs at that point. The fire also was keeping within fire retardant contingency lines.

Regarding concerns about the fire’s approach to Lake County, Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli told Lake County News Sunday night, “It should not be in Lake County yet.”

Local officials have remained optimistic that the fire is not posing an immediate threat to southern Lake County communities.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he visited the Tubbs fire site on Mount Saint Helena on Sunday with Bertelli and saw where the fire activity had been taking place on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Brown said Cal Fire hit the fire hard with bulldozers and hand crews.

A fire retardant batch plant also has been set up at the base of the mountain, “And they’re literally pouring tons of retardant in that area to keep it from spreading,” Brown said.

The Pocket fire was up by 643 acres and saw a 5-percent increase in its containment at the end of the day on Sunday. Cal Fire said the Pocket fire is continuing to move toward the east.

“We’ve been making really good progress on that one,” said Crawford, explaining that a firing operation was conducted on the Pocket fire on Saturday and Sunday.

While the Nuns fire grew by 1,521 acres, containment increased by 15 percent, Cal Fire said. That fire is progressing to the north at a moderate rate of spread, driven by steep slopes and dry fuel.

The Oakmont fire grew by 25 acres, its containment also not changing on Sunday, according to the Cal Fire report.

Cal Fire said the Oakmont remained very active on Sunday, progressing in a northerly direction with a moderate rate of spread.

Gouvea said that he anticipated there would be a number of repopulation plans for evacuated areas in Sonoma County coming out in the next day.

Total resources working the complex on Sunday increased again, with 4,231 personnel, 470 engines, 50 water tenders, 33 helicopters, 10 air tankers, 80 hand crews and 86 dozers assigned, Cal Fire reported.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While Middletown schools are anticipated to remain closed on Monday, other schools and colleges around Lake County are reporting that they expect to resume classes.

Due to a continuing evacuation advisory for the Middletown area as a result of the Central LNU Complex that’s burning in neighboring Napa and Sonoma counties, the Middletown Unified School District reported on Sunday evening that there will not be classes on Monday.

Middletown and several other districts had suspended classes last week because of the regional fires as well as the Sulphur fire in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County News has reported.

Kelseyville Unified and Konocti Unified, which also had been closed last week, reported on Sunday that they also expected to be back in session on Monday.

Kelseyville Unified said it is monitoring the wildfire and air quality situations closely and will inform families about any possible changes to the school schedule.

The district also reported that buses will run their regular routes and school will start at all campuses at their regular times.

Lakeport Unified, Upper Lake Unified and Lucerne Elementary are also expected to be in normal session on Monday. Of those districts, only Lucerne Elementary had reported a closure early last week.

The community colleges serving Lake County also will resume classes on Monday.

Executive Dean Annette Lee confirmed to Lake County News on Sunday evening that the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College will be open and back in session as regularly scheduled on Monday.

Lee said the school’s offices also will be open.

Mendocino College classes will reopen Monday at the main Ukiah Campus, the North County Center in Willits, the Lake Center in Lakeport and Coast Center in Fort Bragg, according to spokeswoman Jessica Silva.

Additionally, Silva said the Mendocino-Lake Community College District has opened it facilities to the Red Cross and will officially be the Ukiah shelter location for residents of Potter and Redwood valleys that have had to evacuate due to the Redwood fire, which is part of the Mendocino Lake Complex.

Mendocino College Ukiah Campus facilities also continue to be open for public use daily, Silva said.

Bathrooms and showers are available in the Mendocino College Athletic Building. Silva said towels, shampoo, soap, and other hygiene items are provided.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Air quality conditions that had degraded around Lake County over the past week due to the local and regional wildland fires are continuing to improve.

On Saturday the Lake County Air Quality Management District said the smoke and haze visible through areas of Lake County this week have dissipated as a result of the moderate northeast winds.

The smoke from the Tubbs fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, the Pocket fire in Sonoma County, and the Redwood Complex fire in Mendocino County has not settled into the basin since Friday night, according to Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart.

Gearhart issued a “good” to “unhealthy for everyone” air quality alert on Saturday due to the variable weather conditions experienced in Lake County and the forecast for extended smoke impacts.

As the winds associated with the red flag warning subside, the smoke from these fires is expected to return to Lake County with a potential for unhealthy conditions, Gearhart said.

Gearhart said Saturday that particulate levels in Lake County are in the range from “good” in the Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake areas to “good” range in the northern portions of the county.

With the subsiding of the northeastern winds, the smoke levels in the county are expected to increase. As a result, Gearhart said all areas may experience “unhealthy” air quality at times, though overall conditions are improving.

The smoke is expected to remain in Lake County through the weekend, though there may be periods of improved or degraded air quality as the winds shift through the next few days, he said.

With air quality forecast to be in the “good” degrading to potentially “unhealthy” conditions, people are recommended to use caution when the smoke is present, avoid strenuous activity, avoid outdoor activities when possible, and reduce other sources of air pollution (such as smoking, use of aerosol products, frying or broiling meats, burning candles, vacuuming, etc.) and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions, according to Gearhart.

He said localized areas of very unhealthy or hazardous air quality, regional haze, and particulate from these fires can be expected until the regional fires are fully contained and the weather pattern shifts to clear the smoke. Take appropriate measures until the smoke clears.

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