The fire in Lower Lake broke out Saturday afternoon and exploded to almost 5 square miles as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.
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“There are homes that have burned down, and I’m sure that mine will be one of them”, says Lower Lake resident Susan Smith, who spoke with The California Report.
On Sunday afternoon, the flames jumped a road and marched into Main Street in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,200. Firefighters struggled to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze in 100-degree heat and windy conditions. Large, explosive fires have torn through dried-out or hard-to-reach areas across California this summer, including a stubborn blaze near the picturesque Big Sur coastline that has burned 113 square miles since late July and destroyed almost 60 homes.
In central California, similar conditions led the wildfire near Lake Nacimiento, about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles, to explode from 2 to almost 7 square miles on Sunday, said Cal Fire spokesman Bennet Milloy. The blaze shifted north toward the lake, leading authorities to evacuate some residents by boat. An army of some 5,000 firefighters battled the flames, aided by an air force of 21 helicopters and six air tankers.
That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning.
The flames jumped a road Sunday and moved into the town of 1,200 that’s still recovering from a devastating wildfire almost a year ago.
“Emotions are still incredibly raw from the Valley Fire”, state Sen.
Clearlake Highlands Senior Center – 3245 Bowers Ave.
The blaze is now at 3,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained. “Unless my home is on fire, I’m not going anywhere”.
Fire officials say evacuations were ordered in the Copsey Creek subdivision, north of Morgan Valley Road, Sunday afternoon.
A fast-moving Northern California wildfire has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced thousands to flee an area where drought conditions and high temperatures are making firefighting hard.
Firefighters make a drop on a wildfire near Lower Lake, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Mike McGuire said of the older blaze. Tragically, the Habitat for Humanity office was working to raise money to help rebuild homes destroyed by a devastating wildfire that killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes almost a year ago. Still, Lake County residents aren’t sure how much more they can take after three major wildfires past year.
People in Lower Lake on Sunday reported at least five commercial structures, including the post office, were burning with multiple explosions from propane tanks.
The houses of about 3,000 people in a subdivision also are threatened. Although it didn’t name any specific months, the Predictive Services National Interagency Fire Center has a gloomy prediction: “California will continue to see elevated potential due to long term dryness”.
Over 100 homes were destroyed in the town with working-class families and retirees drawn by a slower lifestyle and lower housing prices compared with the San Francisco Bay Area, a more than two-hour drive away. Cal Fire spokeswoman Suzie Blankenship said the fire was creating its own weather pattern and shifted direction Sunday afternoon into populated areas.
Blankenship says fire activity could change at a moment’s notice as crews fighting the blaze face high temperatures and no cloud cover. At least 1,500 more structures were threatened.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said early Sunday that the flames have chewed through more than 2 square miles south of Lower Lake, a town of about 1,300 people.
A bulldozer operator died on July 26 when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, the sixth wildfire fatality in California this year.
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The fire was throwing embers and spreading rapidly as it fed on bone-dry vegetation. So far, I only know of one structure that was burnt and it doesn’t matter if it’s only one.
