KELSEYVILLE – A small barn and a workshop and all of its contents were destroyed in an early evening fire Monday.
The fire occurred at the Oakie Slopes Vineyard, located five miles west of Highway 29 on Kelsey Creek Drive.
A column of smoke rose high in the evening sky visible from Lakeport as fire personnel from Kelseyville Fire Protection District and Cal Fire ascended the moderately steep hillside scene.
Early radio reports indicated that the barn, a workshop and a pickup camper unit were fully engulfed just before 6 p.m. as fire units arrived.
Vineyard owner Edward Tollefson had been called to the location a short time after leaving for a trip to Santa Rosa. He explained that one of his longtime employees had been working in the shop repairing power equipment.
The unidentified worker was transferring gasoline to a riding mower when, for a not yet specified reason, the fuel caught fire.
The fire spread quickly throughout the wood-framed structures. At least one other gasoline container exploded, spreading the fire to a pickup truck-type camper stored behind the two small buildings.
Tollefson told Lake County News that along with three cords of firewood he lost several motorized farm vehicles and dozens of power tools related to farm and vineyard maintenance.
No persons were injured and medical personnel were not called to the scene. Water to fight the blaze was provided by tanker trucks.
The nearly one dozen fire personnel were cleared and released from the scene at 7:35 p.m.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
