MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On Wednesday Cal Fire officials said the Valley fire – the third most destructive in California's history – was the result of faulty wiring.
The announcement came at a Wednesday afternoon press conference at Cal Fire's Middletown station that the agency had called only a few hours beforehand.
Cal Fire said its investigators were dispatched as part of the initial response to the fire 11 months ago and immediately began working to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
The ensuing investigation, which Cal Fire said was comprehensive, uncovered evidence that a residential electrical connection arced and ignited surrounding dry grass.
Cal Fire said it is submitting its investigation report to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office for review. A copy of the final report can be found at http://calfire.ca.gov/fire_protection/fire_protection_firereports .
Cal Fire's release of the results of its investigation came just a month short of the Valley fire's one-year anniversary.
The fire erupted in the area of High Valley Road on Cobb on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, sweeping through southern Lake County and also burning into Napa and Sonoma counties.
State Sen. Mike McGuire said the fire's damage in Lake County alone is estimated at $1.2 billion.
At the height of the fire nearly 20,000 people – or close to one-third of Lake County's population – were forced to evacuate from the communities of Anderson Springs, Clear Lake Riviera, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, Loch Lomond, Twin Lakes and Middletown.
The Valley fire resulted in four confirmed fatalities.
Altogether, the Valley fire burned 76,067 acres and destroyed 1,955 structures, among them approximately 1,349 residences, according to Cal Fire's final damage estimates.
At its peak, more than 4,000 firefighters battled the blaze which cost nearly $57 million to extinguish. Four firefighters with Copter 104 from the Boggs Mountain Helitack were seriously injured in the initial attack.
The incident was fully contained on Oct. 6, 2015.
A full story on the press conference and report will be posted later on Lake County News.
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.
Cal Fire says Valley fire caused by faulty electrical wiring
- Elizabeth Larson
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