CLEARLAKE, Calif. – City, county and state officials hosted a town hall event on Monday evening in order to give an update on the impacts of the Sulphur fire.
The fire began early Sunday morning near Clearlake Oaks, made a run over Mount Baldy and descended ferociously into the city of Clearlake, where thousands of residents were told to evacuate, according to officials.
By the end of the day on Monday, the fire had grown to 2,500 acres, with 5 percent containment, according to Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, who is helping manage the incident along with Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink, the incident commander.
Officials said the cause remains under investigation.
Sapeta explained that containment means that the area is 100-percent extinguished, is mopped up 300 to 500 feet into the perimeter, and is guaranteed not to rekindle.
The meeting came at the end of a long, exhausting and dangerous day for firefighters and first responders, and an anxious stretch of time away from home for evacuated residents.
As several hundred community members crowded into the Clearlake Senior Center on Monday evening, the sky outside was gray and smoke-filled, shot through with a blood-orange sun.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District reported that the county’s clean air had been seriously degraded in the short term by smoke from the Sulphur fire and the other devastating fires in neighboring Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
Many residents indicated that they wanted to know when the mandatory evacuations would be lifted and they could go home, but that was one answer that wasn’t readily available.
Clearlake Mayor Russell Perdock, who along with Vice Mayor Bruno Sabatier also are among the evacuees, said they would have to be inconvenienced for a short time in the interest of safety, noting the major destruction on the city’s west side.
Perdock and fire officials on Monday also couldn’t give numbers yet on how many structures have been damaged and destroyed by the fire.
Sapeta said the assessment work is expected to start on Tuesday.
Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Mike Ciancio gave an update on the beginnings of the fire, explaining that it started at about 12:45 a.m. Monday near the Elem Indian Colony in the Northshore Fire Protection District.
By that point, “Resources were stretched thin,” he said, as fire resources were being distributed to hard-hit areas like Napa and Sonoma counties.
Ciancio was first at the scene, and when he arrived the fire already was 75 acres. There were sustained winds of up to 40 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
The fire was at that time on both sides of Sulphur Bank Road around the Elem Colony. He said it moved up the hill and extended up the road to the split at Sulphur Bank Road and North Drive.
He said he was most concerned with the safety of residents, and also worked to protect homes at Elem.
Local firefighters then entered into unified command with Cal Fire and Wink acting as incident commander.
Wink said they determined the “box” – or area – where they wanted to confine the fire, and have managed to keep it in that area.
Getting help was difficult. “The resources trickled in through the night,” Wink said.
He said they were actively engaged in rescuing people and then moved to protect structures, and suppress and contain the fire.
As of Monday evening, he said 235 firefighters were on the scene, with representation from all Lake County fire agencies and the US Forest Service’s Mendocino National Forest firefighters.
He said Lake County Animal Care and Control’s Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection is rescuing animals and every agency has stepped up to offer assistance.
Sapeta had headed up a strike team of local engines that responded to the Tubbs fire in Napa County hours ahead of the beginning of the Sulphur fire, so when he returned the work already was under way.
On Monday he said they worked on containment and perimeter security, and are already looking at a repopulation and recovery plan in cooperation with the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
“We are still in a very critical fire season,” he said, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to one’s surroundings, being prepared at all times and understanding that the fire season is year-round.
He said they won’t allow repopulation until the life and safety components are addressed. Those include dealing with hazard trees, damaged power poles and other issues connected with the fire that will potentially harm returning residents.
“We will be here for the long haul,” he said, explaining that the fire seasons that he’s seen since taking over as chief in 2012 “have been profoundly different than anything we’ve seen.”
Sapeta, who just a year ago was in the heart of the fight against the destructive power of Lower Lake’s Clayton fire, became emotional as he spoke to the group.
“I truly am sorry for the loss of your homes,” he said, his voice breaking.
He added that the fire crews “really did everything we could.”
On Tuesday he said fire officials will work with city and county officials and begin looking at the initial damage estimate. He said he hopes to get people into recovery quickly.
“It’s very painful to see this,” said Lt. Hector Paredes, commander of the Clear Lake Area Highway Patrol office, noting the county is going into its third year of devastating wildland fires.
He said the big question related to getting safely in and out of the county.
He said that no state highways in Lake County – Highways 20, 29 and 175 – are closed due to the fire, so residents can leave if necessary, and he suggested that if they need to that they head east.
He said his officers are helping the Clearlake Police Department to patrol the evacuation area in order to help protect the community.
Acting Clearlake Police Chief Tim Celli said his department coordinated with other agencies that led to sending out 4,900 messages to people in the area urging them to evacuate.
He emphasized that the evacuation area also is a disaster area, and people are not allowed to be there under the law. Areas under mandatory evacuations in Clearlake include Second Street to 17th Street, San Joaquin to Windflower Point, the Burns Valley area to Smith Lane and North Drive, and Sulphur Bank Road in Clearlake Oaks.
He said many different agencies – including Fish and Wildlife, Lakeport Police, the CHP and the District Attorney’s Office – are helping patrol the area around the clock, and an additional 13 officers were working with Clearlake Police on Monday night to keep the evacuation area safe.
Sheriff Brian Martin said Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a statewide disaster, which means Lake County must now compete with other areas for the same resources.
He said he’s been in touch with State Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblywoman Cecelia to ensure that Lake County’s needs aren’t forgotten.
Martin said he has made a request for a mobile cell tower in the fire area and is seeking other help for evacuees.
The Salvation Army is providing meals, the Red Cross is staffing the shelters, and Lake County’s Public Health and Behavioral Health departments are providing assistance to community members impacted by the fire, Martin said.
He said the most active part of the fire at that point was out toward Windflower Point and North Drive.
Officials also discouraged the donation of items for fire victims, explaining that they don’t have a place to store them.
Martin said while people may have the best of intentions in donating used items, donations often become the second disaster.
He suggested that if people want to help they should donate money or give items like gift and gas cards.
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.
Officials answer questions, try to address concerns about Sulphur fire
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On