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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A fire destroyed a Hidden Valley Lake home and injured three people – two of them critically – on Tuesday.
Forty firefighters from agencies around the county responded to the blaze, reported at 11:49 a.m. at a home at 18390 North Shore Drive, according to the South Lake County Fire Protection District.
Responding were firefighters from South Lake County Fire, Cal Fire, Lake County Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Northshore Fire, the report said. Cal Fire also sent two battalion chiefs, with one battalion chief each coming from Lake County Fire and Northshore Fire.
Six engines, three medic units, a Cal Fire helicopter used to drop water on the blaze and two air ambulances – one from REACH and from CalStar – were part of the response, fire officials reported.
Firefighters en route to the scene were notified that power lines were down, and also had to deal with a venting propane tank in the home’s front yard, according to South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton, the incident commander.
The wind blowing the fire over North Shore Drive, along with the downed power lines and venting propane tank, made for what Upton called a “pretty severe situation.”
Fire personnel also were challenged in reaching the scene due to vehicles stacking up on North Shore Drive, with CHP officers helping control traffic. Lake County Sheriff’s deputies also assisted at the scene, according to radio reports.
CHP was among the first responders, with Officer Josh Dye responding to help treat one of the two burn patients, a man who was reported to have run from his home while on fire, according to fellow CHP Officer Kory Reynolds, who arrived sometime later.
Reynolds said Dye called for assistance, and CHP sent five additional units, totaling six in all.
Upton said when paramedics reached the burned man Dye was assisting, the man was across the road and down the hill from his home. The other burn victim also was out of the home by the time firefighters arrived.
“We have two very serious injuries,” Upton said, with one being flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and the other to the UC Davis Medical Center in the Sacramento area.
The third injury was Dye himself. Reynolds said Dye appeared to have suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. He didn’t have a condition update for Dye late Tuesday afternoon.
The fire was contained at approximately 12:52 p.m., South Lake County Fire reported.
Upton said the two-story wood structure was destroyed. He remained on scene late into the afternoon with a skeleton crew that was mopping up hot spots.
He was awaiting the arrival of the Lake County Arson Task Force, which will work to determine the cause.
“It’s still under investigation, just exactly what happened,” Upton said.
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