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The fire, reported shortly after 4:15 p.m. Thursday, was located in the Clearlake Park area, along Lakeshore and Lower Lakeshore Boulevards and Arrowhead Road.
Battling wind, heavy fuels and the potential for damage to numerous homes, firefighters from around the county converged on the fire.
An estimated two dozen fire units from Cal Fire and all of the counties fire agencies, as well as the California Highway Patrol, Clearlake Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office, responded to the fire.
Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Charlie Diener said he called for an in county task force, with all local fire agencies in addition to his own agency – Northshore, Lakeport, Kelseyville and South Lake County Fire – responding.
Cal Fire sent a full, five-engine wildland dispatch as well a dozer, plus four aircraft, Diener said. A helicopter made numerous water drops on the fire.
Diener said the Lakeshore incident, as it was called, destroyed three stick-built homes and damaged an outbuilding, with as many as eight homes in immediate danger at its height.
The destroyed homes were located at 13505 Arrowhead, 13530 Lakeshore Blvd. and 13590 Colusa. A structure at 13530 Lower Lakeshore Blvd. was damaged.
Diener said Clearlake hasn't seen a fire that's destroyed as many buildings since about 1992. “It's been quite a while.”
As for the cause, Diener said the Lake County Arson Task Force is investigating the fire.
“We have an idea of the origin but it's still under investigation,” he said.
Residents of the neighborhood, however, offered theories about what started the blaze.
There was a report of three men cutting sheet metal with power saws on Lakeshore Boulevard, throwing a lot of sparks. Once the fire began, the men reportedly jumped into a pickup and sped away. The incident was reported to authorities.
Ed Ross, a resident of Yolo Alley, reported sitting and looking out his front window when he heard a loud explosion.
He said he got up to take a closer look and could see a large, thick black cloud rising from the area near 13510 Lakeshore Blvd.
Ross said he began to gather up his belongings to evacuate and shortly afterward saw a fire engine arrived.
Diener said the wind was between 10 and 15 miles per hour, and was “definitely a factor” in the fire's rapid rate of spread. Other factors included heavy grass and brush, and a very deep slope.
The fire jumped Colusa Street and Lakeshore Boulevard near Lower Lakeshore Boulevard, Diener said.
Diener said “there was a lot of potential” for even more damage had the fire jumped Arrowhead Road, where it could have reached many more homes.
“We were lucky the wind was blowing it away from Arrowhead Road,” said Diener. “If it had jumped there, it would have had a lot of places to run.”
One firefighter suffered an injured ankle, Diener said.
Mop up continued at the scene on Friday, as Konocti Conservation Camp crews worked their way through debris in search of hot spots.
Neighborhood residents who witnessed the fire recounted the experience on Friday.
John Laster, who owns 13505 Arrowhead, had returned from the Bay Area to find his home destroyed.
He said he had received a phone call alerting him to the situation and replied, “Quit kidding around,” because he thought it was a joke.
After seeing the ashes, Laster said, “It really takes the wind out of your sails.”
However, he remained optimistic. The home was fully insured and he said he plans to rebuild everything just as it was and retire to this community that he's lived in for three years.
Keiko Smith, who lives on Arrowhead, saw the large flames from her living room and immediately evacuated to her neighbors' house across Arrowhead.
She said that her neighbor ran to her home and watered everything down for two hours during the fire.
Smith said she couldn't sleep most of the night, but felt better Friday, when she spoke to a company about dealing with possible smoke damage to her home.
Ken Jaffy, another Arrowhead resident, said Friday he felt silly now that he fought the fire with his garden hose, but that was all he could do until he was later overwhelmed by the smoke and driven indoors for fresher air.
Jaffy showed his withered garden plants and melted plastic pots. Recounting the blaze, he admitted being surprised by the volume of noise and heat the fire produced.
“If I were king, I would double the pay of every firefighter in Lake County,” Jaffy said.
Jaffy said he was amazed at the immediate and mass response.
“I really appreciate what they did for us," he said, but added, “My heart really goes out to all who suffered loss.”
The 86-year-old Ross, a Marine during World War II and the Korean War, recalled fighting “wild fires” at Camp Pendleton while training there for each war.
“Those firemen did one helluva job,” Ross said.
Gary McAuley contributed to this report.
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