LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District said schools in Lower Lake were closed on Thursday and will remain so on Friday as a result of the Cache fire.
Konocti Unified reopened for classes on Monday. Just two days later, shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Cache fire erupted in Clearlake, swiftly moving into parts of Lower Lake.
On Thursday evening, officials said damage assessments so far have found the 83-acre fire destroyed 56 homes, 81 outbuildings and 158 vehicles.
The fire, at that point about 40% contained, damaged utility infrastructure. On Thursday evening, 105 customers in the fire area along Dam Road were still out of power, Pacific Gas and Electric reported.
Evacuation orders also remained in place for portions of Lower Lake and Clearlake on Thursday night.
The Cache fire, hit by strong winds, threw numerous spot fires, some of them burning close to Lower Lake Elementary School and Lower Lake High School.
The fire’s proximity — there were reports that it burned on school property near the site of facilities that had burned in the Clayton fire — necessitated the evacuation of students.
Officials said students were evacuated by 2 p.m. Wednesday and transported by bus to Haverty Field at Austin Park in Clearlake.
Superintendent Dr. Becky Salato said the district evacuated 1,500 students and 200 staff “very successfully.”
In a message to parents, Dr. Salato said there was no structural damage to any of our schools.
She said Lower Lake High School, Lower Lake Elementary School, Carle Continuation High School, Blue Heron and Highlands Academy were closed on Thursday and would remain closed on Friday.
From Friday through Sunday, staff will deep clean the interiors of the school buildings. Salato said that work includes cleaning and disinfecting horizontal surfaces, hepa-vacuuming carpets, cleaning and disinfecting bathrooms, and changing HVAC filters.
The goal, said Salato, was to have students back in class in Lower Lake on Monday.
She said all of the district’s other schools will remain open on Friday.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said its crews began conducting patrols on Wednesday after the high winds that prompted a public safety power shutoff the previous night had subsided.
The company said its meteorologists began issuing the weather “all clear” Wednesday morning for portions of affected areas impacted by the public safety power shutoff, or PSPS.
As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, PG&E said it had restored power to 55% — or 27,000 — of the impacted customers.
The remaining customers are expected to have their power restored by late Thursday afternoon or early Thursday evening, PG&E said.
PG&E had been planning to turn off the power to 51,000 counties across 18 counties on Tuesday night.
However, on Wednesday, the company said it removed five counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Sierra, Trinity and Yuba — from the shutoff scope.
That left 48,000 customers in portions of Lake and 12 counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Mendocino, Napa, Plumas, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama and Yolo.
In Lake County, the number of impacted customers in the first PSPS of the year was 4,563, including 353 in the Medical Baseline program, PG&E said.
During the shutoff, PG&E said it recorded wind gusts of 56 miles per hour at Jarbo Gap in Butte County, 48 miles per hour at Wilson Hill Road in Shasta County and 55 miles per hour at Thomes Creek in Tehama County.
Once the windstorm had passed, PG&E said its crews had to begin patrolling more than 3,289 miles of transmission and distribution lines to ensure that no damage or hazards existed before reenergizing the lines to restore power to customers.
PG&E said 1,302 ground patrol units and 33 helicopters were involved in the patrol work.
By Wednesday afternoon, power restoration had begun in some areas where PG&E said it was safe to do so.
There were reports in some parts of Lake County that power was being turned on Wednesday afternoon.
At the same time, due to the Cache fire in Clearlake, transmission lines through the fire area had been temporarily deenergized, according to radio reports.
A PG&E map of the PSPS area showed a large portion of Lake County’s impacted customers remained without power early Thursday morning, with restoration expected by 2 p.m. Thursday in most of those outage areas.
Three community resource centers remain open in Lake County until the outage is fully resolved. They are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. They are:
— Clearlake Senior Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake. — Mountain Lions Club (also known as Little Red Schoolhouse), 15780 Bottle Rock Road, Cobb. — Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Red Hills property, 7130 Red Hills Road, Kelseyville.
The centers offer charging for medical equipment and electronic devices, information on the outage, and water, snacks and other essential items.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday evening, as a red flag warning was going into effect across parts of Northern California, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. moved forward with shutting off power to 51,000 of its customers across portions of 18 counties, including Lake.
In Lake County, approximately 4,563 customers — including 353 in the Medical Baseline program — had their power turned off starting between 5 and 7 p.m., the company reported.
PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said the shutoff was expected to impact areas in or near Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville, Cobb, Lower Lake, Riviera, Clearlake Highlands, Morgan Valley, Spring Valley and Hidden Valley Lake.
The number of Lake County customers to be included in the shutoff doubled earlier in the day, according to PG&E.
The last time a public safety power shutoff took place in Lake County was in December, when only about two dozen customers were impacted.
PG&E said it took the action due to concerns about the incoming weather system, which could bring gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, which could increase fire danger significantly when combined with dry vegetation and low humidity.
The company said it expects the “all clear” will occur on Wednesday afternoon, but Contreras said power restoration is expected to occur on Thursday afternoon.
That’s because, once the windstorm has subsided, PG&E said it will patrol the de-energized lines to ensure they were not damaged and, if necessary, make repairs before restoring power as quickly as possible.
“It is very possible that customers may be affected by a power shutoff even though they are not experiencing extreme weather conditions in their specific location. This is because the electric system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions,” Contreras said.
Due to the smoke from wildland fires around Northern California, the inspection process could be hampered by reduced visibility, the company said.
PG&E is opening 36 community resource centers — 16 outdoor sites and 20 indoor sites — in 17 counties to support customers affected by this event.
The centers initially opened from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and will be open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for the remainder of the shutoff.
In Lake County, four community resource centers are being opened at the following locations:
— Clearlake Senior Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake. — Live Oaks Senior Center, 12502 Foothill Blvd., Clearlake Oaks. — Mountain Lions Club (also known as Little Red Schoolhouse), 15780 Bottle Rock Road, Cobb. — Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Red Hills property, 7130 Red Hills Road, Kelseyville.
At the community resource centers, community members can charge medical equipment and electronic devices, get water, snacks and other essential items, and also receive updates on the PSPS. All resource centers will have COVID-19 health guidelines in place.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — After missing last year due to the pandemic, the Lake County Home Wine and Beer Makers’ Festival is back.
This family-friendly fundraiser will take place at its usual location — Library Park in Lakeport — but on a new date, Sept. 18.
The “WineFest” normally happens annually on the Saturday before Father’s Day, so planning normally begins in February.
Since COVID-19 restrictions remained unclear in early 2021, organizers felt it prudent to change the date to later in the year.
Now in its 20th year, the WineFest has become a fixture in Lake County.
It was originally started by amateur winemakers who were members of the Lake County Symphony Association, to help raise needed funds for the Lake County Symphony.
The WineFest was later expanded to include amateur and commercial beer makers — a welcome addition that has included participants such as the Konocti Mashers and the O’Meara Bros. Brewing Co.
For nearly two decades, home winemakers and brewers from all over Northern California have come to Lake County to pour samples for the public.
Home winemakers have the chance to enter their products before the event for judging by experts. All participants are eligible for the gold, silver and bronze ribbons which are awarded for a wide range of varietals and brews. All have a chance to win the popular “Peoples’ Choice” awards voted on by attendees, with results announced during the festival.
While commercial Lake County wineries are usually on hand to pour tastes of their products too, they are not eligible for prizes; these only go to the amateurs.
But it’s not just about the wine and beer. As in past years, there will be numerous vendors offering arts and crafts, clothes and agricultural products. Attendees to this year’s event can also expect a variety of delicious food choices, including tri-tip sandwiches from our local Knights of Columbus.
Live music will be provided by the David Neft Duo, featuring David Neft on keyboard and Steve DuBois on drums.
The silent auction is another important piece of the WineFest as is the "barrel of wine" raffle, which gives the winner a huge assortment of Lake County wines.
“We are really glad we could make the WineFest happen in 2021,” said Carl Fredrickson, president of the Symphony Wine Club. “We did not want to miss another year. This is a major fundraiser for our local symphony and supports youth music programs, lessons and scholarships.”
WineFest chairperson Deborah Spangler-Welch added, “We are happy for the opportunity to share our local wine and beer again, and, of course, hoping for a huge turnout. We think people are ready to get out there, make up for the past year and have a fun day while supporting a good cause.”
There is still time for commercial or amateur wine and beer makers to get registered and participate in a day of friendly competition. Booths are provided at no charge to amateur wine and beer makers who register by the deadline. Food and craft vendors also have time to reserve a spot. Go to www.homewinemakersfestival.org for more details and to download an application.
Businesses or individuals who wish to support the symphony with a donation for the silent auction (gift basket, original artwork, gift card, or something similar) can contact Kerry Moore at 707-364-6165.
Admission to the WineFest is $30 with advance purchase, or $35 at the gate, and includes tasting of both amateur and commercial wines and beers. All tasters receive a commemorative wineglass and a wrist band for identification. Children and leashed pets are welcome, although tastings are restricted to those 21 years and older.
There is no charge for those who only want to walk around the area or visit the food vendors or the craft booths.
Advance tickets are available for purchase at Watershed Books and Lake County Chamber of Commerce in Lakeport, or online through Eventbrite.
For more information, go to Lake County Home Wine and Beer Makers Festival on Facebook or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Debra Fredrickson is a member of the Lake County Symphony Association.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Registrar of Voters said registered voters should soon receive ballots for the California Gubernatorial Recall Election set to take place next month.
The election is set for Sept. 14, and Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez reported that all registered voters will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot to ensure a safe and accessible voting option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mailing of vote-by-mail ballots began no later than Monday, Aug. 16, Valadez said. Supplemental mailings will follow for newly registered or re-registered voters.
Valadez said her office will begin processing the returned vote-by-mail ballots on Monday, Aug. 23, with the processing of the vote-by-mail voter ballots will continue through Election Day as well as during the official canvass. Results won’t be released until after polls close on Sept. 14.
To ensure there are no delays in receiving your ballot in the mail, verify that the Registrar of Voters has your most up-to-date voter information. Visit https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ or call 707-263-2372 or toll-free at 888-235-6730 to verify both your residential and mailing address.
Is everything correct? If not, you can update your registration by re-registering to vote at http://registertovote.ca.gov or by calling 707-263-2372 and requesting a voter registration form be mailed to you.
Return your vote by mail ballot
The Registrar of Voters Office encourages you to vote safely at home, and return your vote-by-mail ballot in one of the following ways:
— Mail your ballot on or before Election Day; no postage is required. — At any official ballot drop box location. Visit the following website at https//caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ or call 707-263-2372 for locations. — At the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office or at any polling place location within the state of California.
Track your vote-by-mail ballot
Receive your personalized text message, emails or voicemails letting you know when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted by the Registrar of Voters Office by subscribing to https://wheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
In-person voting
There will be 22 polling place locations on Election Day. Polling place locations will be staffed for voters to drop off voted ballots or to be issued a replacement ballot from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To vote in-person at your assigned polling place site on Election Day (please call the Registrar of Voters Office for instructions). You will be required to vote a provisional ballot if you are unable to surrender your vote by mail ballot and envelope.
For additional information call the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 or 888-235-6730.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As major wildland fires continue to burn across Northern California, the Lake County Air Quality Management District said more smoke and haze are expected in the air basin this week.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said fires including the Dixie, McFarland and Monument are creating the regional smoke impacts throughout Lake County and California.
The new Caldor fire in El Dorado County also will contribute to smoke impact in Lake County over the next several days, Gearhart said.
Gearhart said all of Lake County has experienced intermittent air quality impacts from moderate to hazardous over the past few weeks.
He said the air quality forecast through Friday will range from “moderate,” or 51 to 100 on the Air Quality Index, to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (AQI of 101 to 150) with a heightened potential for “unhealthy for all” (AQI of 151 to 200) conditions as the anticipated north winds may bring smoke from the Northern California fires into Lake County.
This forecast is based on the latest weather, monitoring and fire activity information, Gearhart said.
The National Weather Service, which also has included information about hazy conditions on Wednesday in its forecast, has issued a red flag warning for Lake County until 8 p.m. Wednesday due to high winds in the forecast, with those winds also prompting Pacific Gas and Electric to conduct a public safety power shutoff impacting parts of Lake County.
Gearhart said the district continues to actively monitor the smoke impacts throughout the County.
Information also is available at the Lake County Air Quality Management District website; follow the quick links for air monitoring for current smoke and air quality conditions.
Current particulate levels in Lake County range from “good” to “moderate.” Gearhart said those values were forecast to degrade overnight to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse as smoke is pushed into the county.
Gearhart said concentrations of smoke may vary depending upon location, weather and elevation.
Smoke from wildfires and structure fires contain harmful chemicals that can affect your health. Smoke and high winds can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing. People who are at greatest risk of experiencing symptoms due to smoke include those with respiratory disease (such as asthma), those with heart disease, young children and older adults.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Pacific Gas and Electric said Thursday night that it had restored power to all of the 50,000 Northern California customers impacted by a public safety power shutoff this week, and also reported on the damage to equipment from the windstorm that prompted the shutoff.
The public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, began across 13 counties — including Lake — on Tuesday evening, with the all-clear called on Wednesday, when patrols for damaged equipment began.
In Lake County, approximately 4,563 customers, including 353 in the Medical Baseline program, were impacted in areas in and around Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville, Cobb, Lower Lake, Riviera, Clearlake Highlands, Morgan Valley, Spring Valley and Hidden Valley Lake.
The company said wind gusts peaked at 56 miles per hour in the outage area.
PG&E said 1,300 ground patrol units and 33 helicopters inspected more than 3,200 miles of distribution and transmission lines for damage or hazards.That’s a distance greater than driving from San Francisco to Miami, Florida.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, PG&E said preliminary data show at least 10 instances of weather-related damage and hazards in the PSPS-affected areas. Of those, at least four had the potential to cause wildfire ignitions if PG&E had not de-energized power lines.
Examples of those hazards include damaged equipment and vegetation and other debris on power lines. PG&E said more hazard and damage reports are being evaluated.
In areas where equipment was damaged by the windstorm, crews made repairs and then restored power to customers, the company said.
PG&E said it will submit a report to the California Public Utilities Commission detailing this PSPS event within 10 days of the restoration of the final customers.
MICHAEL D. KING, NEIL BENNETT, AND LINDSAY M. MONTE
Ballooning student debt was already a concern prior to COVID-19 but the widespread economic hardship brought on by the pandemic, including a spike in unemployment, has left some groups in even more precarious financial conditions than before.
Student loans are among the largest contributors to household debt. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that in 2017 the total amount owed in federal student loans was $1.37 trillion.
Experiences prior to and during the pandemic provide insight into what we can expect going forward.
In 2017, 15% of adults (33 million) who had completed at least a high school degree had student loan debt, according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which provides detailed info about debt holders in the years preceding the pandemic (all subsequent SIPP estimates are limited to those with at least a high school degree).
But the number was higher for certain groups: 21% of non-Hispanic Black adults; 23% of never-married adults; and 29% of adults ages 25 to 34.
Education and debt go hand in hand
Student debt was tied to educational attainment or the highest degree someone has received.
About 1 in 4 adults with advanced degrees, meaning those with more than a bachelor’s degree, had at least some student debt, compared to fewer than 1 in 5 adults with an associate or two-year degree.
Those with only a high school diploma were the least likely to carry student debt. But even this group accrued debt if they started but did not complete college courses or took vocational training, such as trade certifications or licensing.
Although those with advanced degrees were the most likely to hold and have higher student debt, those with some college but no degree were in a particularly difficult double bind: They accumulated debt during college but were yet to benefit from the greater earnings that come with a college degree.
In 2017, median annual earnings of those with some college but no degree was significantly less than among those with a bachelor’s or higher degree, making it more challenging for them to pay off their student debt. And while some may eventually complete a college degree, many will not.
Who is most likely to have student loans?
Racial differences in student debt holding are stark.
Non-Hispanic Black adults were particularly likely to have student debt.
In 2017, for example, rates for some non-Hispanic Black groups were twice as large as for non-Hispanic White adults and Black adults were more likely than White adults at every educational attainment level to have student loans.
Women overall were 28% more likely than men to have student debt.
In 2017, non-Hispanic Black women were the most likely of any gender group to have student loans. About 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women had student debt, compared to 1 in 8 non-Hispanic White men.
Younger adults, particularly those in their late 20s and early 30s, held a disproportionate amount of debt and clear racial and ethnic differences existed in this age group as well.
Among adults ages 25 to 44, Hispanic adults were the least likely to have student debt, partly a reflection of the lower likelihood of college attendance among the Hispanic population.
Roughly a third of non-Hispanic Black and White adults ages 25 to 34 held student debt.
However, older Black adults were significantly more likely than White adults to still have debt.
Differences by educational attainment and race were so large that non-Hispanic Black adults who had attended college but not earned a degree were about as likely as non-Hispanic White adults who had completed advanced degrees (21% and 22%, respectively) to carry student debt.
How much student debt do people owe?
Median student debt in December 2017 was similar for non-Hispanic Black women and non-Hispanic White women, with each group each carrying roughly $20,000.
Non-Hispanic White women, who made up the largest percentage of college graduates, carried as a group an estimated $398 billion in student loans in 2017.
Non-Hispanic White men, the second-largest student debt group, owed $278 billion in student loans. Non-Hispanic Black women carried $110 billion and Hispanic women an estimated $54 billion in student debt.
According to SIPP, adults with at least a bachelor’s degree had student debt totaling $756 billion.
Student loan debt associated with more debt overall
Many adults with student loans also faced other debt burdens. Of those with student loans, about 23 million (69%) had at least one additional type of debt like credit card, vehicle or medical.
Among those with student loans, credit card debt was the most common additional debt (52% of those with student debt also had credit card debt), followed by vehicle loans (33%), and medical debt (18%).
Those with debt on top of their student loans also often owed more in student loans.
For instance, the median student debt of those with no credit card debt was $16,000 in 2017. However, those with both student and credit card debt owed a median amount of $20,000 in student loans.
COVID-19 adds layers of economic hardship
Since 2017, federal student loans have increased an additional $190 billion, totaling $1.57 trillion in 2020. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has piled on additional layers of economic challenges on top of existing loan burdens.
Responses to the Census Bureau’s experimental Household Pulse Survey highlight how some groups for whom student debt may present particular challenges have also been hardest hit by the pandemic.
For example, those with some college but no degree were more likely to have experienced a loss of employment income within their household since the start of the pandemic. They were also more likely to report having a somewhat or very difficult time paying their usual expenses in the prior week than those with at least a bachelor’s degree.
In an effort to reduce the burden of student debt during the pandemic, the government has frozen payments for federal student loans and interest rates have been set to zero.
However, these policies are only temporary. Even with high national unemployment and without a current need to pay down this debt, recent stimulus money has been used to reduce debt burden.
Although the stimulus payments received in January were not more than $600 per person, more than three quarters of the people who received them spent them immediately and about half reported spending it to pay down credit card, student loan or other debt.
The populations most likely to carry student debt were even more likely to use the January stimulus payment to pay down debt.
For example, women were more likely than men to use the stimulus to narrow debt. Similarly, more than 60% of both non-Hispanic Black respondents and Hispanic respondents also used that money to shrink debt compared to less than 50% of non-Hispanic White respondents.
These results suggest that despite the freeze on payments student loan debt is still a heavy burden for many households during the pandemic.
About the data
SIPP is the nation’s premier source of information for income and program participation. It collects data and measures change in Americans’ economic well-being, family dynamics, education, assets, health insurance, child care and food security. Information on the methodology and reliability of these estimates can be found in the source and accuracy statements for each SIPP data release.
HPS is designed to provide near real-time data on how people’s lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Information on the methodology and reliability of these estimates can be found in the source and accuracy statements for each HPS data release.
Michael D. King and Lindsay M. Monte are survey statisticians in the Census Bureau’s Program Participation and Income Transfers Branch. Neil Bennett is an economist in the Census Bureau’s Labor Force Statistics Branch.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — State Sen. Mike McGuire is planning a town hall to discuss the latest developments on the coronavirus.
The community meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The town hall will be streamed live on Facebook or on McGuire’s website.
You may also dial in to listen by phone at 1-669-900-6833 and enter the Webinar ID, 975 8621 7852.
Dr. Jose Morales, Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and infectious disease physician Dr. Timothy Brewer of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Geffen School of Medicine will join McGuire to talk about the facts and dispel the myths surrounding this public health crisis.
They’ll also cover the latest surge and what to expect as we head into the fall for adults and kids in school.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Wednesday night, as firefighters continued their work to fully contain the Cache fire that burned in Clearlake and Lower Lake, the city of Clearlake declared an emergency in response to the incident.
City Manager Alan Flora emailed the declaration to council members, local officials and others including Lake County News shortly after 9 p.m., less than nine hours after the fire began.
Flora said staff will ask the council to ratify the declaration at its Thursday night meeting, when it will be added to the agenda as an emergency item.
The proclamation says that in addition to the 80 acres burned, the fire destroyed 60 homes, damaged Pacific Gas and Electric infrastructure, and resulted in “significant private property damage,” the full extent of which is still unknown.
The document also states that the majority of Creekside Mobile Home Park and portions of Cache Creek Mobile home park were destroyed, which causes concerns for pollution due to their proximity to Cache Creek.
Speaking Wednesday night from the incident command post at Lake Street and Tish-A-Tang Road, Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta — one of the first on scene who was acting as incident commander overnight — said the damage assessment was still underway so he declined to estimate the number of structures destroyed, anticipating he would have firm numbers on Thursday morning.
He said most of the fire’s damage was centered on the south side of Dam Road, just east of Wilkinson Avenue.
Late Wednesday, the fire remained at 80 acres with 20% containment. Sapeta explained that it was only 20% because there was still a lot of fire burning within the perimeter, with spot fires continuing to kick up into the night.
“We’ll be hitting it all night and tomorrow,” Sapeta said.
During the course of the day, the Cache fire drew a huge response from agencies around Lake as well as four other counties, Sapeta said.
Fire grows fast, displacing thousands
The fire was first dispatched at 12:36 p.m. in the area of Sixth Avenue at Cache Street.
Initial reports stated that it was the result of a commercial vehicle fire that had spread into vegetation.
Follow-up reports from the scene would put the fire between Fourth and Sixth avenues, between Cache and Wilkinson avenues.
Sapeta confirmed that dispatch’s initial report was that it was a commercial vehicle fire, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Based on the initial information, the Cache fire appears to be the second vehicle-caused fire in less than a week that had threatened a Lake County community. The Coyote fire on Friday, which burned 127 acres and some outbuildings, began due to a vehicle rollover, as Lake County News has reported.
Sapeta said when he arrived — radio reports put him on scene within minutes — the fire was an acre in size and “running hard at me,” and was “ripping pretty good” in 20 mile per hour winds.
“It had such a rapid rate that we couldn’t keep up with it,” said Sapeta.
The first units on scene reported multiple RVs in the area on fire and an extreme rate of fire spread.
Reports from the scene had it growing from Sapeta’s initial size estimate of an acre to up to 25 acres within five minutes, with Sapeta calling for evacuations to begin in the immediate area — specifically, for Wilkinson on the north side of Dam Road — shortly after his arrival.
At 1 p.m. Wednesday an online meeting of the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority — which includes city and county representatives — was called to order.
District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon, who chairs the committee, handed over the running of the meeting to vice chair, Clearlake City Councilman Russell Perdock, saying he wanted to travel to Clearlake to get eyes on the fire. Simon said he’d spoken with Sapeta, who told him that firefighters were “getting their asses handed to them.”
Sapeta told Lake County News that, all told, 28 engines, five dozers, 10 overhead or management personnel, seven tankers, five helicopters and nine water tenders would respond to assist.
Firefighting resources came from fire agencies all over Lake County, as well as from Colusa, Marin — which sent two hand crews and an engine — as well as Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Sapeta said.
The Clearlake Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Lake County Sheriff’s Office were part of the response, evacuating the residents — in some cases running from door to door to get people out, according to radio traffic.
Sapeta said a local water company stepped up to help, with the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport and the county of Lake also sending water tenders from their respective water agencies.
Evacuees flee to safety
As the fire grew, evacuation orders for several zones in the county’s Zonehaven system were issued. Some county residents reported to Lake County News that they had issues using the Zonehaven website and that it crashed at one point.
Sapeta estimated 1,600 residents of Clearlake and Lower Lake were under evacuation orders or warnings at the height of the incident.
Of those, about 1,000 residents were still evacuated late Wednesday, Sapeta said.
An evacuation shelter was established at Kelseyville High School less than two hours after the fire started.
Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News on Wednesday night that 32 people were registered to stay there at that time.
Among those evacuating on Wednesday afternoon were two women, who identified themselves as Liz and Vicki, who Lake County News photographer Gemini Garcia encountered at the bus stop at Walmart.
They had been dropped there by an ambulance to wait for a ride to the evacuation center.
Liz said her home was burning as she left. She said she felt numb.
Many people who evacuated waited at Walmart, where employees gave them cold bottles of water.
People waited with pets in cages, not knowing when they would be able to return home.
Rescues, injuries and recovery
Two injuries have been confirmed during the incident. One was an elderly burn victim at the Cache Creek Mobile Home Park who was seriously injured. An ambulance was dispatched to the park at 1:46 p.m. Sapeta said the victim was later flown out of the county.
Then, just after 8:15 p.m., incident command reported that one firefighter was being sent to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital with a minor eye injury. Earlier in the day, the hospital had diverted all medical transports in response to the fire, according to radio reports.
Animal control officials and the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection, or LEAP, group also were dispatched to the scene due to injured pets and livestock.
North Bay Animal Services reported on Facebook Wednesday that its officers had been responding to welfare calls on animals caught in the Cache fire, showing pictures of injured goats and a dog with singed fur transported to the Clearlake animal shelter for treatment.
Lake County Animal Care and Control said the phone lines for LEAP assistance would reopen at 8:25 a.m. Thursday. Call 707-263-0278 if you need help with animals in the evacuation zones.
Besides fully containing the fire, what’s ahead is more of what Lake County has endured repeatedly over the past decade — fire cleanup and rebuilding.
State Sen. Mike McGuire, who has been a key player in Lake County’s fire recovery, said in a Wednesday night Facebook post that the fire was “simply devastating.”
He added, “We’ll be working hand in hand with Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, the City, County and neighbors on recovery and debris clean-up in the weeks to come.”
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.
By 1:40 p.m., the fire was estimated to be up to 40 acres. Minutes later, an update said two dozen structures were involved.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at 1:40 p.m. that an evacuation shelter has been established at Kelseyville High School.
Incident command called at 1:46 p.m. for an ambulance to respond to Cache Creek Mobile Home Park and an air ambulance to Adventist Health Clear Lake for an elderly burn victim. However, the air ambulance request could not be filled so a ground ambulance was requested. Later, it was reported an air ambulance would respond.
Just after 1:50 p.m. a grass fire was reported to be near Lower Lake Elementary School and the Lower Lake Cemetery, with a firefighter trying to access it.
Help from CHP was requested at Highways 29 and 53 shortly before 2 p.m. in order to get traffic going, as cars were backing up.
At 2 p.m., it was reported that Lower Lake Elementary’s evacuation had been completed, with children moved out by bus.
Minutes later, as many as three spot fires were reported around Lake Street.
At 2:07 p.m., an evacuation order was issued for south of 10th and East of Cache Creek apartments to the city limits.
At the same time, heavy traffic was reported on Highway 29, and at 2:10 p.m. radio traffic indicated a hard road closure was needed for northbound traffic at Highway 29 and Highway 53.
The fire was estimated to be 50 acres as of 2:12 p.m., with numerous structures involved and a moderate rate of spread.
At that point, incident command asked for four more dozers, two more crews and additional water tenders, with plans to update evacuation orders.
At 2:39 p.m., incident command reported the fire was up to 100 acres, with no updated estimate on structures. They asked for Animal Control and the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection, or LEAP, team to respond to Dam Road for numerous burned pets and livestock.
Evacuation areas have continued to expand. A rundown of zones and descriptions and their evacuation status is below.
There were separate reports over the air of forward progress being stopped, at 3:21 p.m. and again at 4:48 p.m.
Tankers began to be released shortly before 3:30 p.m. while work continued on a stop fire near the school.
At 4:36 p.m., there were plans to begin reenergizing major transmission lines that go through the fire area.
At 4:50 p.m., the sheriff’s office released a Nixle alert reporting that road closures are in place at the following locations: Dam Road at Jack in the Box, Main Street in Lower Lake at Highways 53 and 29, and Jessie Street at Highway 53 All other road closures were removed by that point.
At 6:55 p.m., incident command reported the fire was 80 acres and 20% contained, with two helicopters — of them Copter 104 — released.
At 7:51 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said evacuation orders for zones LOW-E159 and LOW- E169 were no longer in effect and residents could return home, but they were asked to be alert as fire and law enforcement personnel are still in the area.
The evacuation warning for zones LOW-E161, LOW-E167, LOW-E170 and LOW-E176 also were reported to have been lifted at that time.
However, the sheriff’s office said evacuation orders for zones LOW-E160 and CLE-E157A remain in effect.
The Clearlake Police Department reported just before 8:30 p.m. that the mandatory evacuation order for Cache Creek Apartments has been lifted and residents could return home, but the LOW-E160 and CLE-E157A evacuations orders were still active.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
ZONES IMPACTED BY THE CACHE FIRE
Evacuation orders remaining in effect as of 8 p.m.:
CLE-E157-A: Everything in the city of Clearlake to the south of 18th Avenue and east of Highway 53 except for Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.
LOW-E160: Lower Lake. North of Main Street and Morgan Valley Road. South of Cache Creek. East of Bonham Road and west of Highway 53. This area excludes school district campuses.
LOW-E163: Richard H. Lewis School campuses.
LOW-E164: Includes Lower Lake, north of Main Street and Morgan Valley Road, south of Cache Creek, east of Bonham Road and west of Highway 53.
LOW-E166: Lower Lake High School and William C. Carle Continuation High School campuses.
Evacuation orders lifted as of 8 p.m.:
LOW-E159: Located north of Morgan Valley Road and south of Cache Creek, east of Bonham Road and southwest of Staehle Lane.
LOW-E169: North boundary extends south of Main Street and Morgan Valley Road. West boundary extends to the east of Highway 29. South boundary extends north of Spruce Grove Road North.
Evacuation warnings lifted as of 8 p.m.:
LOW-E161: West of Highway 53, north of Highway 29, northeast of Point Lakeview Road.
LOW-E167: Twin Lakes, west of Highway 29. North and east of Perini Road. East of Big Canyon Road and Seigler Canyon Road. Seigler Canyon Road passing through the outer part of the northwest boundary. Highway 29 passes through the outer part of the north boundary.
LOW-E170: South of E-169 and E-159, no boundary description offered, but northern boundary is Morgan Valley Road.
LOW-E176: Southwest of Spruce Grove Road and Old Spruce Grove Road. Southeast of Highway 29. North and northwest of Henderson Ranch Road. 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.
A measure to grant the state’s judicial branch employees the first-ever paid state holiday on California Native American Day was approved Tuesday on a 32-0 bipartisan vote on the Senate floor.
Assemblymember James Ramos, a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, is the first California Native American lawmaker elected in the state’s 170-year history. He has been working to enact a California Native American Day since 1998.
“I was a San Manuel council member when I started working toward this goal with then-Assemblymember Joe Baca Sr. This is one more step forward in recognizing and building knowledge about the history, culture and contributions of California’s Native Americans,” Ramos said.
Judiciary employee holidays are set in the Code of Civil Procedure and a change requires legislation. Other state employees are covered in the Government Code.
AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday to provide proper recognition for the state’s First People and celebrate their history.
It would not create an additional paid holiday for court personnel because Columbus Day would be exchanged for another state holiday, California Native American Day which is celebrated on the fourth Friday in September.
Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the existing Oct. 12 holiday as a paid day off.
The Judicial Council, a sponsor of the proposal, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a paid holiday for court employees.
“The Judicial Council is proud to sponsor AB 855, and thanks Assemblymember Ramos for authoring this historic bill,” the council said in a statement. “The judicial branch recognizes that access to justice is served by ensuring all Californians feel seen by the justice system, and this bill recognizes and celebrates the important contributions of Native Americans to this state. The Judicial Council extends its gratitude to the members of the Senate for their support of AB 855.”
“Our state Judicial Council brought the idea for this bill forward, and I thank them for their initiative,” Ramos added. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day recognizing California’s First People and their history. California has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.”
AB 855 is sponsored by the Judicial Council of California. It is also supported by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the California Tribal Business Alliance.