The Rocky Fire was only 5% contained Sunday and was feeding on the state’s drought to grow actively, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
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The fire has grown by more than 20,000 acres since 7 p.m. Saturday. And while temperatures are cooling this weekend in Lake County, “conditions are so dry from the drought that won’t do much to stop the fire”, said Berlant.
More than 12,000 residents have either been ordered to evacuate or are living under evacuation advisories, according to Cal Fire.
Dubbed the Rocky fire, it started Wednesday near the shore of Clear Lake, about 110 miles northwest of Sacramento. Nearly 2,000 fire personnel, 180 engines, four air tankers and 19 helicopters are participating in the effort.
Gov. Jerry Brown had to declare a state of emergency for the state of California and activated the California National Guard to help with disaster recovery.
With over 1,800 firefighters battling blazes in the Stouts Fire and Cow Creek area fire, Governor Kate Brown invoked the Conflagration Act on Thursday evening, bringing in structural firefighters in from around the state to help protect neighborhoods impacted by the wildfires.
The U.S. Forest Service said David Ruhl, a father of two from Rapid City, South Dakota, died fighting the Frog Fire in Northern California’s Modoc National Forest near Adin.
Ruhl was in a vehicle Thursday, looking for ways to fight the blaze, when officials lost contact with him, fire information officer Ken Sandusky said. His body was recovered on Friday, according to Sandusky.
Black Hills National Forest supervisor Craig Bobzien said Ruhl was admired by his peers and cared deeply about his work. But late Sunday, CALFIRE had some better news on other fronts: the Lowell fire, in Nevada county, was 85 percent contained; the Wragg fire in Napa was 95 percent contained; and the Fern fire in Shasta county was 60 percent contained.
Today’s Calfire Fire Situation Report shows towers of smoke billowing from the 47,000-acre Rocky Fire near Clearlake. “The big issue is this is an area that hasn’t had burning in several decades”.
The U.S. Forest Service said “fire activity dramatically progressed” late Saturday, forcing the closure of several state highways in the area.
The fire’s location in steep terrain is making work hard for firefighters. It had forced about 650 people to leave their homes.
“He was so highly respected, I think the kind of person that people just wanted to be around”, Bobzien said, his voice breaking.
Berland also said that the thunderstorms which light the fires are expected to continue through Sunday.
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“For us here in San Diego with Cal Fire, our days off have been canceled”, Bortisser said. Officials said they had to halt the search due to hazardous fire conditions.
