“My thoughts continue to be with the people of Lake County during this hard time”, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott said.
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The Lower Lake fire destroyed 175 homes, Main Street businesses and other structures in the working-class town.
As that fire surged, a major blaze north of San Francisco was fading, and about 4,000 people in the town of Clearlake were allowed to return home.
Meanwhile, Gov. Jerry Brown has already declared a state of emergency in Lake County. She said her county has been through so much in the past year due to catastrophic fires that the news that someone was accused of intentionally setting at least 17 fires around the area was incomprehensible, she said.
Lake County sheriff’s detectives in coordination with Cal Fire arson investigators have arrested a man Monday implicated with sparking the Clayton Fire. It grew to almost 7 square miles and forced authorities to evacuate residents by boat when it shifted toward Lake Nacimiento on Sunday.
More than 70 firefighters rushed to a new Lake County fire early Tuesday afternoon.
In Lower Lake, 175 homes and businesses weren’t as lucky. It burned 25,118 acres over two weeks, destroying six Lake County homes.
“It’s emotionally turbulent. At times I’m in tears, at other times I’m making jokes like, ‘I really did hate that green couch in the living room, ‘ ” she said. He had no details, but televised images from the fire scene appeared to show at least two homes on fire.
As of Monday evening, the blaze remains 5% contained.
“We’re safe, and we have each other”.
“That tractor right there actually belongs to the high school and we were doing work on it, too”, said Holley.
Retirees Denis and Carolyn Quinn evacuated once previous year and again this weekend, when they grabbed family photos and fled the house they share just off Main Street with their adult daughter and granddaughter.
Hundreds of animals, including dogs and horses, also were evacuated.
The growth was explosive, San Bernardino County fire spokesman Eric Sherwin said. The fire moved towards Morgan Valley Road but around 6 p.m. the wind reversed direction pushing flames back towards Clayton Creek Road. Despite those efforts, flames damaged or destroyed a number of businesses fronting Main Street between Highway 29 and Mill Street, including a Habitat for Humanity office, the Tuscany Village Winery, a deli, a bar, a firehouse and an auto fix shop. It is 60 percent contained, but continues to threaten more than 400 structures.
No one has been injured.
Most of the local Cal Fire’s air attack force has been deployed to the Clayton fire as of Monday afternoon. All that remained of many homes was burnt patio furniture and appliances, and burned out cars in the driveways.
They are still unsure of the shape of their house. It holds sentimental value to them too because the 3-bedroom place was big enough to allow them to a year ago adopt their three daughters.
One of the first things Mary Henderson grabbed was a tote bag filled with her late son’s childhood books, blanket and other keepsakes. If they HAVE been investigating Pashilk for a year, of course, the question is: Why did it take so long? It has destroyed about 40 structures.
Fire crews gained some significant ground on a massive Northern California wildfire that has destroyed 175 homes, businesses and other structures and charred almost 7 square miles. Right across the street, a whole stretch of downtown was burned to rubble. No injuries were reported.
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A wildfire raging through drought-parched canyons near Cajon (kuh-HOHN’) Pass in Southern California has forced the mandatory evacuation of thousands of people.
