LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters made more steady gains on the Rocky fire on Wednesday, despite an uptick in wind activity and hotter temperatures.
During the course of its seventh day the fire grew to 69,600 acres, Cal Fire said in an early Wednesday evening report, a growth of approximately 2,600 acres since Tuesday night.
At the same time, containment rose to 30 percent, thanks to the force of nearly 3,500 firefighters – reported to be coming not just from around California but from across the United States – assigned the task of bringing the Rocky fire under control.
Gov. Jerry Brown is set to visit with fire and emergency officials on Thursday to get a briefing on the efforts to contain the blaze, which began on the afternoon of July 29 east of Lower Lake.
Since then it has burned close to Clearlake and areas east of Clearlake Oaks, and crossed into Colusa and Yolo counties, triggering mandatory evacuations or evacuation advisories.
Its most dramatic growth occurred during a five-hour period on Saturday, during which it scorched 22,000 acres.
Last week, Brown declared a state of emergency in California due to the numerous wildland fires – including the Rocky – burning across the state, as Lake County News has reported.
Cal Fire's latest count of structures that the Rocky fire has destroyed totals 96, with 43 residences and 53 outbuildings burned, and eight other structures damaged.
Cal fire said approximately 6,959 structures remain threatened, with all evacuation orders and advisories continuing to remain in place and shelters open at Kelseyville and Middletown high schools, and Upper Lake Middle School.
An animal evacuation center remains open at Lake County Social Services, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway in Lower Lake.
Highway 20 from the junction with Highway 53 to Williams in Colusa County remains closed, said Cal Fire, as does Highway 16 from Highway 20 in Colusa County to County Road 41 in Yolo County.
A host of 43 helicopters and 17 air tankers worked the fire on Wednesday, with air forces continuing to work the fire aggressively into Wednesday evening.
In addition to planes and helicopters, other resources committed on Wednesday included 3,483 personnel, 323 engines, 89 hand crews, 63 dozers and 43 water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire spokesman Rick Frawley said the weather conditions, overall, had been favorable for firefighters on Wednesday, with the fire not moving much.
“It's been relatively static,” he said, noting that the higher humidity was beneficial, with the wind behavior not appearing to offer any special challenges.
Crews on Wednesday concentrated efforts on both the northwest corner of the fire, on the portion north of Highway 20, and did support work on the southeast corner in the Jerusalem Grade area, Frawley said.
He said firefighters have been shoring up existing containment lines and working to extend containment on other sections of the fire.
“Once we get the line in place we want to reinforce it,” Frawley said, with firefighters incrementally working around the fire's perimeter.
Overall on Wednesday, “Our work efforts were very productive,” Frawley said.
Cal Fire has pushed back the date for when it's estimating full containment will be reached by three days – to Aug. 13.
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.