LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While there was several thousand more acres' worth of growth overnight on the Valley fire, the level of fire in some areas near Kelseyville that had been evacuated led officials to allow residents there to go home.
Cal Fire said that as of Tuesday morning the Valley Fire had reached 67,000 acres, with containment moving up to 15 percent.
The agency's damage assessment on the fire, which started on Saturday afternoon on High Valley Road in the Cobb area, remained at 585 burned homes with many more structures of other kinds burned.
There have been no new injuries – four firefighters on Cal Fire's Copter 104 were injured during the initial attack and are recovering – according to Cal Fire.
Officials also had confirmed on Monday that an elderly woman in the Cobb area who had been unable to evacuate had died.
Late on Tuesday morning, the Lake County Sheriff's Office began allowing residents of the Clear Lake Riviera, Riviera West and Riviera Heights to return to their homes, lifting the mandatory evacuation that had been instituted on Sunday morning.
The agency said the threat of fire in the area had been reduced, so residents could go home.
Highway 29 at the intersection with Highway 281 – Kit's Corner – to the junction with Highway 53 in Lower Lake was reopened at noon for residents only, with authorities requiring proof of residency in that area before people could pass.
As the repopulation of the Rivieras was taking place a small fire was reported on Fairway Drive, but it was contained at around 2 p.m.
Officials indicated that the repopulation was continuing throughout the afternoon.
Cal Fire said approximately 2,362 firefighters are assigned to the fire, along with 258 engines, 67 water tenders, 54 hand crews, 31 dozers, eight helicopters and three air tankers.
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.
Valley fire grows to 67,000 acres; Rivieras residents allowed to go home
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On