The fire was reported at 6:44 p.m. Friday, July 15, according to a Saturday report from Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.

South Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded to the fire, which was located on Cobb Boulevard, according to Bertelli.

Bertelli said Cal Fire also dispatched a full wildland response due to the threat of the surrounding homes and vegetation.

The fire was contained to the garage area. Bertelli said the estimated dollar loss is $20,000, while the estimated amount saved by firefighting efforts – including the structure and the contents – is $75,000.

Bertelli said there were no injuries.

The fire cause is under investigation, Bertelli said.

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A new law that took effect July 1, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (SB 183), requires homeowners, landlords, apartment managers and builders to install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in an effort to prevent accidental deaths.

Failure to comply with the law could result in 30-day compliance notices or fines up to $200.

The state said owners of multi-family leased or rental dwellings – including apartment buildings – have until Jan. 1, 2013, to comply with the new law.

State officials say that the new law will save lives, with carbon monoxide claiming an estimated 480 people each year nationwide and between 30 and 40 annually in California alone.

Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover said carbon monoxide sends more than more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation each year.

Local fire officials also are urging use of the devices to keep people safe.

“Carbon monoxide is a very deadly gas,” said Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone.

Stone said carbon monoxide is both odorless and colorless, “so it sneaks up on people,” and is very difficult to notice unless a detector is in place.

Cal Fire said carbon monoxide is produced by heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, many types of appliances and cooking devices.

The agency suggested that the best way for homeowners to stay protected from carbon monoxide is to have a detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area.

A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a carbon monoxide detector, Cal Fire reported.

There have been local occurrences of carbon monoxide poisoning, including a March 2005 case in which the Lake County Sheriff's Office concluded that a couple found dead in their Lower Lake home had died as a result of the gas.

Even so, it's not common, with Sutter Lakeside Hospital reporting that in the last two years none of its emergency room visits had a carbon monoxide poisoning-related diagnosis.

Although he hasn't seen issues with carbon monoxide poisoning locally since arriving in Lake County two years ago, Stone said in Marin County, where he previously lived and worked, he periodically saw problems arising from faulty heating systems – including fireplaces – or when people used barbecues indoors to try to heat their homes.

Lake County Building Official Dave Jezek said the county's building department will monitor compliance in new construction, additions and remodels.

Whenever a permit is valued at more than $1,000, Jezek said the county requires that the homeowner fill out a document that attests to the fact that they've installed carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for the home.

“For new construction they all have to be hard wired and interconnected,” Jezek said, while existing dwellings can use battery operated detectors that can be purchased from home improvement stores.

Stone said installing the simple devices can save a lot of lives.

The portable plug-in devices, which can be purchased at hardware stores or online, typically run between about $13 and $40, based on an Internet search. Check reviews and ask your local hardware store staff for suggestions on high quality devices.

For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_carbonmonoxide.php .

For a list of approved carbon monoxide detection devices visit the Office of the State Fire Marshal's Web site at http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/strucfireengineer/pdf/bml/CSFM%20listed%20carbon%20monoxide%20devices%20as%20of%20June%2021%202011.pdf or see the list posted below.

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State-Approved Carbon Monoxide Devices as of 062111

Moviegoers line up for Harry Potter at the Lakeport Cinema 5 in Lakeport, Calif., on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The last installment of the “Harry Potter” film series opened at midnight Friday, and the highly anticipated event proved a hot ticket at the local theater.

Hundreds were lined up Thursday evening outside of the Lakeport Cinemas 5 for the opening of the eighth and final movie in the series, the second part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which the theater is showing in 3D.

A special reshowing of the first part of “Deathly Hallows” took place earlier in the evening before the new movie debuted at midnight.

Some avid fans of the series that follows the story of a boy wizard even came in costume.

Employees at the theater estimated close to 500 people came to see parts one and two of the “Deathly Hallows.”

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The line of Harry Potter fans stretched across the front of the Lakeport Cinema 5 in Lakeport, Calif., on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Photo by Gary McAuley.

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. This week's topic, the county's Old Toll Road, is covered in an excerpt from the files of Lake County historian Henry K. Mauldin, edited by Linda Lake, curator of the Lake County Museum.

In the early 1860s the old and tortuous Soldier Road – in close proximity to what is now Butts Canyon Road – was the only route from the southern part of Lake County to the Napa Valley.

It was popular opinion that a better route was needed, no doubt encouraged by the fact that the northern Clear Lake area was now being served by the new Lakeport-Cloverdale Toll Road.

By Legislative Act on March 17, 1866, John Lawley and Associates were granted the right to build a toll road from the foot of Mt. St. Helena, near Calistoga, up over the pass and into Seigler Valley in Lake County.

Before being completed however, this route was shortened to extend only to the mouth of St. Helena Creek at Mirabel Mine south of Middletown.

John Lawley, Henry Boggs and a Mr. Patterson built the toll road for $14,000. It was completed in early 1868.

The route from the Middletown end was about the same as Highway 29 until the Mt. Mill House was reached just inside the Napa County line. It then followed up the east side of St. Helena Creek, crossed where Highway 29 now is, and then went west up to the toll house which was 100 yards to the west of the Highway and several feet higher in elevation.

John Lawley owned the toll road until his death on May 26, 1906, at the age of 91. It then went to his heirs, sons Charles and Harry, and his daughter Mollie Patten.

Mollie was the gatekeeper for the last years of the road and according to Milt Kugelman, she was a tough old gal who could cuss like a man, and no one dared slip past her gate without paying the toll.

At the Toll House, a long Douglas Fir pole was swung across the roadway about 30 inches above ground level. It was removed on payment of the toll, which varied from time and time, but was once $1.50 for an eight horse team and wagon, $.50 for a horse and rig, $.10 for a horse and $.30 for a sheep.

This route was frequently used for livestock being driven by foot to the Bay Area markets. Hogs were the slowest, taking one full day to go from the Mirabel Mine to the Toll House.

It took three hours for a fast horse stage to go from Calistoga to Middletown. During this time, any stage robberies that took place on the Toll Road were the jurisdiction of Napa County.

About two-tenths of a mile down the road toward Calistoga was the Martz place. Old steam stages would stop there when going up and take on water, or if coming down the mountain, drivers would get out and throw water on the brakes to cool them off.

Auto Stages took over from horses in 1907 and Bill Spiers began a very profitable business with the help of contracts for carrying the U.S. Mail.

In 1922 with the prospect of Highway 29 being built, the counties of Lake and Napa bought the Old Toll Road from the Lawley family for $30,000. They collected fees until it was paid for.

It is believed this road was the last of the toll roads into Lake County.

For more information about the Lake County Sesquicentennial, visit www.lc150.org, join the celebration at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Lake-County-Sesquicentennial/171845856177015 and follow it on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCo150 .

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The grant is part of federal health care reform, which for the first time in history designates a federal funding stream specifically for school-based health centers (SBHCs), according to a Friday report from the Lake County Office of Education.

Of the 278 grantees nationwide, 35 are in California, school officials reported.

Research has shown the inextricable link between good health and success in school.

“These grants will make a tremendous difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families by funding new and expanded services at school-based health centers,” said Serena Clayton, executive director of the California School Health Centers Association, the statewide organization that helped get SBHC funding in the health care reform law.

“These grants embody the spirit of health care reform – making health services affordable and accessible and putting prevention first,” Clayton said. “Putting health care right where kids spend most of their day gives every child the opportunity to be healthy and successful.”

The process began early last year, when representatives from several Lake County agencies, along with Lower Lake High School, gave fresh energy to this dream that has existed for some time.

Joan Reynolds, director of the Healthy Start program at Lake County Office of Education, is quick to share that this success is attributable to the strong collaborations that exist throughout agencies and programs in Lake County.

“So many people got on board with this idea and really made it happen,” Reynolds said. “I wish we could list them all.”

The grant funds will be used for the conversion of the old weight room at Lower Lake High School into the Student Wellness Center, with counseling and health services available for students and the community. A complete listing of proposed services and resources will be available in the coming months.

“This student wellness center is going to be a tremendous asset to our students, families and the entire Clearlake/Lower Lake community,” said Lower Lake High School Principal Jeff Dixon. “Congratulations to the entire team for their work on this project and especially to Karen MacDougall, consultant and grant writer, for getting all of our ideas on paper in a comprehensive manner.”

Special recognition goes to Lower Lake High School students who participated on the team and were a wealth of great ideas and enthusiasm. Dr. Mark Cooper, a member of the Lake County Office of Education Board of Trustees, was especially instrumental in the process.

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The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 16, at the Lake County Youth Center, located at 4750 Golf Ave. in Clearlake.

The Lake County Youth Center and Toys for Tots are putting on the event to support both the youth center's renovations and the Christmas toy giveaway to benefit local children in need.

Clearlake Mayor Joyce Overton, one of the event's organizers, said so far 25 vendors have signed up, there will be three vans to collect donations of unwrapped toys, numerous raffle items, food – from hot dogs to chicken dinners and pork sandwiches – and live music, a daylong basketball tournament with cash prizes and more.

The street in front of the youth center will be closed to accommodate the festivities, she said.

Other offerings include a motorcycle run and the chance for children to talk to Santa.

Overton said one of the goals is to get a head start on gathering toys for the Christmas toy giveaway that, in years past, has been organized by the Lake County Community Action Agency, which closed earlier this year citing a myriad of fiscal issues.

“I didn't want to see it go away on our end of the lake,” Overton said of the toy drive, adding that they're trying to get a head start on the work of collecting toys.

Another part of the effort is raising the estimated $30,000 needed to renovate the youth center, which needs new windows, new flooring and a new kitchen, the latter being the most expensive part, Overton said.

So far, Overton estimates she has about $3,500 pledged toward the youth center's planned upgrades. Labor is being donated for the effort, but materials and funds are still needed.

The youth center and the community's safe house for homeless teens were both under the aegis of the Lake County Community Action Agency, Overton said. They're now overseen by the Lake Community Pride Foundation.

For more information on donating to the youth center's renovations, contact Overton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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NASA's Dawn spacecraft, illustrated in the artist's concept above, is propelled by ion engines. Courtesy of NASA.

NASA's Dawn spacecraft on Saturday became the first probe ever to enter orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Dawn will study the asteroid, named Vesta, for a year before departing for a second destination, a dwarf planet named Ceres, in July 2012.

Observations will provide unprecedented data to help scientists understand the earliest chapter of our solar system. The data also will help pave the way for future human space missions.

“Today, we celebrate an incredible exploration milestone as a spacecraft enters orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt for the first time,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. “Dawn's study of the asteroid Vesta marks a major scientific accomplishment and also points the way to the future destinations where people will travel in the coming years. President Obama has directed NASA to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, and Dawn is gathering crucial data that will inform that mission.”

The spacecraft relayed information to confirm it entered Vesta's orbit, but the precise time this milestone occurred is unknown at this time.

The time of Dawn's capture depended on Vesta's mass and gravity, which only has been estimated until now.

The asteroid's mass determines the strength of its gravitational pull. If Vesta is more massive, its gravity is stronger, meaning it pulled Dawn into orbit sooner. If the asteroid is less massive, its gravity is weaker and it would have taken the spacecraft longer to achieve orbit.

With Dawn now in orbit, the science team can take more accurate measurements of Vesta's gravity and gather more accurate time line information.

Dawn, which launched in September 2007, is on track to become the first spacecraft to orbit two solar system destinations beyond Earth.

The mission to Vesta and Ceres is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, which is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The University of California, Los Angeles, is responsible for the overall Dawn mission science. Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., designed and built the spacecraft. The German Aerospace Center, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the Italian Space Agency and the Italian National Astrophysical Institute are part of the mission's team.

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Lake County's state fair booth won the Gold Award as well as the award for the best design of all the county's booths. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's state fair exhibit received high honors at the fair's debut this week.

On Thursday, July 14, the California State Fair's opening day, the county of Lake exhibit was presented with a Gold Award and an award for the Best Design of all county exhibits, according to Lake County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton.

The Lake County Chamber of Commerce has been responsible for the design, construction and staffing of the exhibit for eight years.

The design was determined by the chamber, using the 150th anniversary of the county of Lake as the exhibit theme. It featured small-scale facade reconstructions of local 1800s storefronts, as well as the Lake County Courthouse Museum and the Lillie Langtry house.

This year three major portions of the exhibit were built by Tim Salisbury Construction of Kelseyville (1800s main street merchant stores), Dave Meek Construction (Lakeport Courthouse Museum) and Jan-Mar Builders (Langtry Estates Ranch House).

On-the-ground construction support prior to and during the Sacramento construction phase was handled by John Fulton with assistance from Walt and Mary Southard.

G&G Printing Service, Pak N Mail, Soul Cooperative and Patrice Wray Graphics handled much of the poster design/printing. Marilyn Holdenried and the Quilt Trail Committee provided artwork for the two quilt reproductions hanging above the exhibit.

Dwain Goforth of the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum crafted 10 highlights of the county's 150 years into small “story” posters which surround the 7-foot reproduction of the time line.

Several Lake County wineries provided wines for the display and the Lake County Winery Association provided a map of the various viticulture areas in the County.

Bill Groody made the video which depicts some of the historic moments from the Lake County 150 year celebration, the Lake County Quilt Trail story and stories of tribal basket making, pear, walnut and vineyard farming.

RAH Outdoor Signs created the Lake County “sign,” a 7.5-foot-tall reproduction of the LC150 logo designed by Gerri Groody.

Fulton said this is not a complete list of all who have participated; that list will be printed in the Lake County Chamber August newsletter.

The California State Fair runs from July 14 through July 31. There are more than 60 volunteer Lake County Ambassadors who will be telling the Lake County's story to several thousand fair visitors during that time.

At the close of the state Fair, the chamber will return the exhibit to the Lake County Fairgrounds where the builders and volunteers will reconstruct it for the Lake County Fair, which runs from Sept. 1 through Sept. 4, Fulton said.

There is still time to volunteer to be an ambassador at Cal Expo in Sacramento. Fulton said to contact the Lake County Chamber office at 707-263-5092.

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A replica of the Lake County Courthouse Museum that is part of the Lake County state fair booth. Courtesy photo.

NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of giant asteroid Vesta on July 9, 2011, from a distance of about 26,000 miles (41,000 kilometers). Each pixel in the image corresponds to roughly 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers). Photo courtesy of NASA.

On Friday, July 15, NASA's ion-propelled Dawn probe will become the first spacecraft to enter orbit around a main-belt asteroid.

Dawn will orbit Vesta for one Earth-year, studying the giant space rock at close range to help scientists understand the earliest chapter of our solar system's history.

As Dawn approaches Vesta, surface details are coming into focus, as seen in a recent image taken from a distance of about 26,000 miles (41,000 kilometers).

Engineers expect the spacecraft to be captured into orbit at approximately 10 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time Friday, July 15.

They expect to hear from the spacecraft and confirm that it performed as planned during a scheduled communications pass that starts at approximately 11:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Saturday, July 16.

When Vesta captures Dawn into its orbit, engineers estimate there will be approximately 9,900 miles (16,000 kilometers) between them. At that point, the spacecraft and asteroid will be approximately 117 million miles (188 million kilometers) from Earth.

“It has taken nearly four years to get to this point,” said Robert Mase, Dawn project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Our latest tests and check-outs show that Dawn is right on target and performing normally.”

Engineers have been subtly shaping Dawn's trajectory for years to match Vesta's orbit around the sun.

Unlike other missions, where dramatic propulsive burns put spacecraft into orbit around a planet, Dawn will ease up next to Vesta. Then the asteroid's gravity will capture the spacecraft into orbit.

However, until Dawn nears Vesta and makes accurate measurements, the asteroid's mass and gravity will only be estimates.

The Dawn team will refine the exact moment of orbit capture over the next few days.

Launched in September 2007, Dawn will depart for its second destination, the dwarf planet Ceres, in July 2012. The spacecraft will be the first to orbit two bodies in our solar system.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Santa Rosa man was killed and five others injured in a head-on crash on Highway 29 near Middletown Saturday early afternoon.

Albert Koran Jr., 60, of Santa Rosa, died after his Toyota Tundra was hit head-on by a Chevy pickup driven by 70-year-old Keith Cronin of Anderson Springs, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye, the collision's investigating officer.

The crash was reported shortly after noon just inside the Lake County line, Dye said.

For unknown reasons, Cronin, driving northbound on Highway 29, crossed the double-yellow lines and hit Koran's pickup, which was traveling southbound, according to Dye.

Koran attempted to take evasive action but was unable to avoid the collision, according to Dye's investigation.

Dye said Koran suffered major injuries and was trapped in the vehicle.

Koran's wife, Kathleen – whose age was not immediately available – and their 25-year-old son, Jason, were with him in the pickup and both suffered minor injuries, Dye said.

Both Kathleen and Jason Koran, as well as passersby, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Albert Koran until firefighters arrived. However, Dye said Albert Koran died at the scene.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli said Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire Protection District also responded to the incident, and he was at the scene just minutes before being dispatched to a crash on Butts Canyon Road involving a vehicle versus a motorcycle, which CHP indicated later was a noninjury incident.

Before he left the scene, Bertelli said he tried to clear a large crowd that was forming at the fatal crash site.

The CHP incident logs indicated that county road crews were called to the scene to clear the debris from a large tree that resulted from the crash.

Dye said Kathleen and Jason Koran, along with Cronin's passengers – his son, Robert Cronin, 41, of Santa Rosa and Rebecca McGough of Sunnyvale, whose age was not available – were transported by ambulance to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for treatment.

Robert Cronin and McGough also suffered minor injuries, Dye said.

Cronin was transported via air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries, including a collapsed lung and broken pelvis, according to Dye.

The roadway was closed for nearly an hour and a half while the victims were transported and the damaged vehicles were cleared. Dye said the northbound lanes were reopened just after 1:30 p.m.

CHP incident logs reported that a Santa Rosa CHP unit was requested to respond to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for a blood draw on Cronin.

Dye said he was at the crash scene for some time investigating it before heading off to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake to speak with the passengers of the two vehicles.

On the way, CHP officers had to stop to make an arrest for driving under the influence, he said.

“It was pretty busy,” said Dye, who had just gotten back to the CHP's office in Kelseyville shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday.

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From left, Tonya Patterson and Ronald Mishler, both of Kelseyville, Calif., were arrested on Thursday, July 14, 2011, on drug-related charges following a warrant search. Lake County Jail photos.

Arrested were 39-year-old Tonya Raynell Patterson of Kelseyville 46-year-old Walter Ronald Mishler, both of Kelseyville, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On July 13, narcotics agents secured a search warrant for Patterson's person, home and vehicles.

On Thursday, July 14, at approximately 3 p.m., detectives served the warrant at Patterson’s Wheeler Drive home in Kelseyville with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail, Bauman said.

When narcotics detectives announced themselves at the door to the home, they received no response, according to Bauman.

As detectives entered the home through the unlocked front door, a suspect fled out of the home through a rear sliding door but was detained in the back yard by Special Enforcement Detail deputies. Bauman said the man was later identified as Mishler, who was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested. Patterson was not located in the home.

Bauman said that when detectives entered the home, they located a police scanner actively monitoring the sheriff’s primary radio frequency in the master bedroom.

He said a search of that same bedroom revealed approximately one ounce of methamphetamine packaged for sales in several individual bags beneath a night stand. Several glass “meth” pipes, digital scales, and other items of methamphetamine sales paraphernalia were also found in the bedroom. Several more “meth” pipes were located in various locations throughout the house.

Mishler was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility for booking. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Bail was set at $10,000, jail records indicated Mishler later posted bail and was released.

Shortly after narcotics detectives left Patterson's home on Wheeler Drive, she was located by a Special Enforcement Detail deputy in her vehicle on Big Valley Road in Finley, Bauman said.

She too, was arrested for the controlled substances and paraphernalia found in her home, and for being under the influence of a controlled substance, according to Bauman.

He said Patterson was subsequently booked at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility for possession of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Her bail was set at $10,000; she also later posted bail and was released, jail records indicated.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

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Sheriff

In a letter to President Barack Obama dated July 13, Gov. Jerry Brown asked that his request for a major federal disaster declaration – which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied – be reconsidered.

“I respectfully seek your favorable consideration of this appeal and request that you declare a major disaster for California as a result of the March storm system event,” he wrote.

Current estimates of the damage caused by the storm now exceed $51 million, Brown's office said.

Brown's request for a presidential major disaster declaration was made on April 22, and denied by FEMA on June 21, the Governor's Office reported.

Brown said he made the request because of the results of a severe storm system that struck California between March 15 and March 27.

The governor's letter said the March storm system's precipitation levels indicate it was the third-wettest storm event in 90 years.

He's asking Obama to grant his request for public assistance and direct federal assistance for the significantly-impacted counties, as well as statewide Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding.

The impacted counties where Brown had declared states of emergency include Alameda, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne and Ventura counties. Marin County was added to the list on Wednesday.

Brown's letter pointed out that California has suffered multiple disasters in the last 18 months due to severe winter storms, flooding, mudslides, fires, drought, heavy rains and earthquakes.

He told the president that the storms have had “significant and overwhelming” impacts at the local level, adding, “the fierce storm system stressed California’s mutual aid system and exhausted local resources in many areas of the state.” One example, Del Norte County completely exhausted its road department resources.

FEMA’s denial letter stated its opinion that the storm incident was comprised of three separate storms but Brown said that the National Weather Service and the California Department of Water Resources have concluded that the series of severe winter storms was part of the same parent intense low-pressure system.

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