- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Firefighters defend structures, gain containment on 'Grade' fire
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Firefighters saved homes and gained containment on a wildland fire that led to advisory evacuations northeast of Middletown on Monday afternoon.
The Grade fire was first reported shortly after noon in the area of Jerusalem Grade and Canyon roads, as Lake County News has reported.
Cal Fire said it's a new fire that started a couple of miles west of the existing Jerusalem fire, which began Aug. 9, and as of Monday night was at 99-percent containment.
Fire officials said the Grade fire burned approximately 25 acres and was 50-percent contained by Monday evening.
Firefighters in the air and on the ground hit the fire quickly, with personnel and equipment being pulled from the Peterson fire in Kelseyville, according to Cal Fire Capt. Sean Jerry.
By day's end resources assigned to the Grade fire included 105 personnel along with five overhead or command staff, 11 fire engines, five water tenders, three fire crews, three bulldozers, two helicopters and one volunteer company, Cal Fire said.
The fire was located near homes, with Cal Fire estimating that as many as 20 structures were threatened.
Due to the fire's close proximity to residences, the Lake County Sheriff's Office issued an advisory evacuation order for Jerusalem Grade from Spruce Grove Road east to Canyon Road, and Spruce Grove Road from Jerusalem Grade Road north to Noble Ranch Road, including all of Black Bass Pass and East Road.
Nearby, people were gathering with horse trailers and watching as firefighters continued to gain ground on the blaze, working on a hillside amidst trees where the fire had appeared to move after scorching a flatter section of ground closer to homes and barns.
A short distance from the fire, a number of Cal Fire engines were staged near homes and barns – as well as corrals filled with horses – in the event that the fire moved closer.
An additional five Cal Fire engines and a Lakeport Fire water tender were staged on Spruce Grove Road, waiting to be called in if they were needed.
While the fire did destroy one building, Cal Fire credited both the aggressive efforts of firefighters as well as good defensible space established by homeowners for helping save the rest of the threatened structures.
The agency said additional damage inspection is under way.
The fire's cause is under investigation, Cal Fire said.
As part of that investigation, two firefighters removed a riding lawn mower from the fire area. They loaded it into the back of a pickup and drove away, stopping on Jerusalem Grade Road to look the mower over before leaving the scene.
Cal Fire said crews were to continue working through the night to mop-up hot spots.
Jerusalem Grade Road remained closed to the general public but is open to residents in the fire area, fire officials said.
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.