LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport's Thursday Independence Day celebration once again was capped by a nighttime fireworks display.

The fireworks show, which began after dark, lasted about 20 minutes and was shot off over Clear Lake near Library Park.

The display ended with a spectacular and lengthy finale.

See the video above for the full show.

This story has been updated.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Authorities said they located a woman who went missing on Thursday morning in Clearlake, but they were not offering details on her condition.

Julie Diehl, 43, was last seen in a field near Calvary Chapel on Olympic Drive in Clearlake at around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the Clearlake Police Department.

Search and rescue personnel had been dispatched to Redbud Library in Clearlake shortly before 5 p.m., and a Cal Fire helicopter also had sent to the area to assist with the search, according to radio reports.

Diehl, who police said has dementia, was considered at risk, leading to the search effort.

Clearlake Police said she was located just before 5:30 p.m. The agency did not offer details on her condition, and photos provided to Lake County News by a witness showed officers clustered around a location.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – It was nighttime before firefighters cleared the scene of a wildland fire sparked Wednesday afternoon by a vehicle crash south of Lower Lake.

The fire was first reported at around 3:15 p.m., when a gold-colored SUV hit a power pole, damaging the pole and knocking out power to some south county customers and igniting the blaze, as Lake County News has reported.

Two people were in the vehicle, with one of them flown out to a regional trauma center with what radio reports indicated were moderate injuries.

Firefighters who responded to the scene had been warned that power lines were down, but Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink said that in fact lines weren't on the ground when they arrived.

The roadway also initially was closed as firefighters began working to knock down the fire, according to reports from the scene.

Wink said it took a total of about two hours to put out the fire, which burned a total of 11 and a half acres between Highway 29 and Clayton Creek Road, next to Epidendio Construction's yard. No buildings were damaged.

Cal Fire, South Lake County Fire, Lake County Fire and Kelseyville Fire all responded, Wink said.

“We were under red flag conditions, so it was automatic mutual aid from all departments,” he said.

He estimated a total of 75 firefighters worked the fire, along with nine fire engines, two bulldozers, two hand crews, four airplanes, one helicopter and four chief officers, with two ambulances and a rescue unit responding to the vehicle crash portion of the incident.

Wink said two firefighters experienced heat stress but were OK once they were able to cool down.

The afternoon breeze that is common in Lake County wasn't present when the fire was active, which Wink said worked in firefighters' favor. Had there been a breeze, the fire would have spread much more quickly and been more difficult to fight.

The breeze, he added, appeared about an hour after the fire was contained.

He said fire units remained at the scene until dark.

“They will be out there again tomorrow morning to check on it,” he said Wednesday evening.

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. – Creative and adventurous people of all ages gathered in Lakeport on Thursday to test the limits of duct tape and cardboard.

The sixth annual Cardboard and Duct Tape Regatta, hosted by the Lakeport Yacht Club, drew hundreds of people from around Lake County and beyond.

The event was held in the midst of Lakeport's Independence Day celebration.

This year's regatta saw a number of creative vessels take to the water, from basic tubs to an elaborate pirate ship complete with two sails.

The result was a hilarious and entertaining boat race.

See the video above for highlights of the races.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Thunderstorms that have crossed over Northern California over the past day have been responsible for thousands of lightning strikes, according to state and federal officials.

Thunder rumbled over Lake County late Wednesday and early Thursday, with residents around the area reporting numerous lightning strikes during that time.

A lightning strike map released Thursday morning for California's National Forests (featured here courtesy of www.yubanet.com ), showed that for the 24-hour detection period from Wednesday at 6 a.m. to Thursday at 6 a.m., there were 5,213 lightning strikes reported across California, including 2,615 within the state's national forests.

That followed some 2,800 strikes the day before reported by Cal Fire, which on Thursday reported that those earlier strikes had caused 24 fires that burned 754 acres in northeastern California.

As of Thursday afternoon, no active lightning-caused fires had yet been reported in Lake County, where the hot weather has heightened fire conditions.

The heat wave that the county has experienced over the last several days is expected to lift somewhat as the weekend arrives, with an excessive heat warning to be in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday and a hazardous weather outlook also expected to expire.

Temperatures hovered around the century mark – or passed it – on Thursday, when Lakeport's Independence Day celebration was taking place.

Expectations are for cooler weather over the next several days, with highs forecast to be in the low to mid-90s.

Those slightly cooler temperatures will arrive in time for the annual Maxine Sherman fireworks display taking place in Clearlake Oaks Friday evening, and Clearlake's and Hidden Valley Lake's daylong celebrations set for Saturday, with a Saturday night fireworks display also planned at the Lakeport Speedway. Full details of those events can be found here: http://bit.ly/17vqPPG .

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. – A sample of mosquitoes collected Tuesday near Upper Lake tested positive for West Nile Virus.

This is the second sample of West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes from Lake County this year.

The first West Nile Virus-positive sample was collected on June 19 south of Kelseyville, as Lake County News has reported.

“The hot days – and especially the high temperatures overnight – provide ideal conditions for West Nile Virus to increase in the mosquitoes. Statewide, we’ve seen the number of West Nile Virus-positive mosquito samples double from 70 to 124 West Nile Virus-positive samples just in the last week,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., District Manager and Research Director of the Lake County Vector Control District.  

“We are working hard to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus to our residents and visitors, but people need to use common sense – if you notice a lot of mosquitoes, please go inside, and use an insect repellant if you must be outside,” Scott recommended.

Officials encourage residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites by avoiding being outside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and to wear long sleeves and use an insect repellant containing an EPA-registered active ingredient like DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or IR353.

West Nile Virus has been detected in 24 California counties so far this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds. One fatal human case was reported earlier this year in Sacramento County.

West Nile Virus causes no symptoms in approximately 80 percent of people who catch the infection. Up to 20 percent of people experience a variety of symptoms that range from fatigue, fever, headache, body aches, rash and even nausea and vomiting.

Less than 1 percent of cases suffer severe illness, including neurologic effects that may be permanent, and some instances are fatal.

There is no specific treatment for the virus, so the best approach is to avoid exposure to mosquito bites, which is the means by which the virus is transmitted.

Residents who would like help with a mosquito problem should contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 or visit the district's Web site at www.lcvcd.org .  

For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ .

State officials are preparing to send out the second year's billing for a fire prevention fee that has been the target of legislative efforts to repeal it.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, reported that it has provided an updated billing schedule to the Board of Equalization for the 2012-13 Fire Prevention Fee bills.

The new bills are set to go out beginning the week of July 15.

The bills will go to owners of record as of July 1 for homes in the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area where Cal Fire is financially responsible for the prevention and suppression of wildfires.  

Bills will be mailed alphabetically by county, beginning with Alameda County.

Assembly Bill X1 29 implemented the fees in July 2011.

The state Board of Equalization said the bills are adjusted annually by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Currently, property owners are billed $150 per habitable structure located within an SRA, the Board of Equalization reported. If the habitable structure is also within the boundaries of a local agency that provides fire protection services, the property owner will receive a $35 reduction for each habitable structure.

The Board of Equalization said approximately 90 to 95 percent of habitable structures in the SRA are covered by a local fire protection agency, resulting in most bills amounting to $115 per habitable structure.

Cal Fire said the fee “provides a stable source of funding for vital fire prevention activities such as strategic fuel reduction activities, defensible space inspections, fire prevention engineering, emergency evacuation planning, fire prevention education, fire hazard severity mapping, implementation of the State and local Fire Plans and fire-related law enforcement activities such as arson investigation.”

The agency also reported that Gov. Jerry Brown's 2013-14 budget contains new funding for enhanced land use planning, expanded vegetation management activities, and additional defensible space inspectors.

However, groups like the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have been fighting the fee, which they contend is actually a tax.

Legislation to repeal or change the fee also has been introduced in the state Legislature but so far hasn't been passed.

For more information on the fee, visit www.FirePreventionFee.org .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle in Middletown on Wednesday night, with one of them flown to a regional trauma center.

The incident occurred shortly before midnight on Highway 29 and Armstrong Street, in front of Five Star Towing, according to scanner reports.

Firefighters arriving at the scene found both people down in the roadway, with one of them unconscious and suffering head trauma, radio reports indicated. The roadway subsequently was shut down temporarily.

An air ambulance was requested to fly out a victim with major injuries.

REACH 6 responded and picked up the crash victim at a landing zone set up at a nearby fire station. Radio reports indicated the air ambulance transported the patient to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

It was not clear if the second pedestrian was transported to a local hospital or released at the scene.

Information on the driver who allegedly hit the two pedestrians wasn't immediately available early Thursday morning.

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 vehicle that crashed into a power pole Wednesday afternoon sparked a wildland fire and caused a power outage in parts of the south county.

The crash occurred at 3:15 p.m. on Highway 29 south of Lower Lake, near Spruce Grove and Clayton Creek roads, according to the California Highway Patrol and witness reports.

Reports from firefighters arriving at the scene indicated lines were down and the pole was leaning, with the grass alongside the highway catching fire.

Two people in the vehicle, reported to be an SUV, were able to get out on their own, with one believed to have moderate injuries, according to firefighters.

A REACH air ambulance was dispatched to transport a crash victim, according to radio reports.

At about 4:15 p.m. the fire was reported to be about eight acres. Cal Fire air resources were called to work the fire.

The fire was burning toward the east, with the CHP reporting that traffic was being turned at Clayton Creek. One-way traffic control was expected to be implemented to move traffic through the area.

Hidden Valley Lake residents were reporting outages in their area. Pacific Gas and Electric was reporting 185 customers in the south county were without power as a result of the crash.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

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

Even with an improving economy, Californians reduced the amount of garbage they throw away to an all-time low in 2012.

According to figures compiled by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), California’s disposal rate was 4.3 pounds per person per day last year, beating the previous low of 4.4 pounds per day set in 2011.

CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen said the latest figures are encouraging, especially in light of AB 341, which went into effect last year and sets a goal for California to reduce, recycle, or compost 75 percent of its waste by the year 2020.

“Each incremental step in waste diversion puts the state closer to our goal of 75 percent recycling,” Mortensen said. “The public is doing its part by being conscious of what we throw out and thinking about recycling and reuse. We at CalRecycle will continue to do our part by supporting recycling businesses and other waste diversion infrastructure that create green jobs and help achieve our goal.”

Each year, CalRecycle calculates the amount of waste disposed in California and divides that figure by the state population to establish the per capita disposal rate.

Last year, 29.3 million tons were disposed statewide, and the population was 37.7 million, resulting in the 4.3 pounds per person per day disposal rate.

By comparison, in 1989 – the year the state’s Integrated Waste Management Act went into effect – the rate was more than 8 pounds per person per day.

State reports indicate Lake County's disposal rates also have been reduced in recent years.

According to the California Department of Finance, labor markets, real estate markets and construction activity all showed some improvement in 2012. So far, this has not translated into increases in solid waste disposal.

However, as the economic recovery picks up steam and consumption increases, solid waste generation is likely to grow as well.

In order to achieve the 75 percent goal, the state will need to maximize its waste diversion and recycling capacity to direct materials away from landfills and back into the economy.

The 2012 per capita disposal rate boosts the state’s “diversion rate equivalent” to an all-time high of 66 percent, up from 65 percent in 2011.

The state’s per employee disposal rate, used to determine waste disposal rates for businesses, also improved, dropping from 11.3 pounds per employee per day in 2011 to 10.8 pounds last year.

Ninety-nine percent of California’s 29.3 million tons of waste went to California landfills, while approximately 1 percent was exported to landfills in other states.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A moderate-sized earthquake was reported on Cobb early Thursday morning.

The quake, which occurred at 2:39 a.m., measured 3.3 magnitude on the Richter Scale, according to an initial report from the US Geological Survey,

Its epicenter was located three miles northwest of The Geysers and 14 miles southwest of Clearlake, at a depth of 2.2 miles, the US Geological Survey reported.

The survey reported receiving shake reports from Cloverdale and 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the July 4 holiday set to arrive, weather experts are forecasting continued hot temperatures, with chances of showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service is reporting that an excessive heat warning remains in effect for Lake County through 8 p.m. Thursday, when conditions are expected to cool down.

July 4 itself is expected to have temperatures topping out in the low 90s, based on the forecast.

Cooler temperatures are expected on Friday and into the weekend, according to the agency.

A hazardous weather outlook also is in effect for parts of Northern California, including Lake County. That's because forecasters are predicting a 20-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday evening and into Independence Day morning, with light winds also expected.

A red flag warning is in effect for the northern part of Lake County – including the Mendocino National Forest – until Wednesday night due to critical fire weather conditions.

Officials are concerned about the potential for dry lightning strikes in the area, similar to those which late last month sparked fires around the region.

Since Tuesday morning, an estimated 2,800 lightning strikes have hit in the state's northerneastern region, setting off 16 fires in Cal Fire's Siskiyou, Lassen-Modoc-Plumas Unit and Nevada-Yuba-Placer units, the agency 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.