LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters responded to multiple fires in Lake County on Wednesday, as major wildland fires continued to burn elsewhere around the region.
On Wednesday afternoon, one fire after another occurred in Lake County, beginning with a small fire on Wilkinson Road in Kelseyville that was quickly controlled, which was then followed by the beginning of the Scotts fire in the Scotts Valley area, which began shortly after 2 p.m.
Firefighters arriving at the scene were challenged in accessing the fire by an unrated bridge that raised a potential weight issue for fire equipment being the only entry point, besides the creekbed.
In addition to engines and other ground units, Cal Fire air resources were used to fight the fire.
The fire burned a barn as well as vegetation, based on radio reports.
There also was a report of a firefighter that needed to be taken off the line due to difficulty breathing. The firefighter was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment, according to radio reports.
Lakeport Fire units were released by 6 p.m. However, Cal Fire continued to work the fire into the night. By nightfall, the fire was reported to be 38 acres with 15% containment.
As the work on the Scotts fire was underway, a fire in the 6800 block of Hammond Avenue in Nice was reported just before 3 p.m.
With firefighters on the north end of the lake already committed to the Scotts fire, dispatch called for more units to come from the south county.
Firefighters arriving on the scene shortly after 3 p.m. found an estimated half-acre fire. Minutes later, it measured an acre in size and was starting to burn a structure.
By 3:20 p.m., the sheriff’s office had issued an evacuation order for the immediate area, opening an evacuation point at Upper Lake High School’s gymnasium later in the afternoon.
The Hammond Avenue fire was reported to be contained at 6:20 p.m., with two hours of mop up required. It burned a total of 1.2 acres.
The sheriff’s office said that, as of 6:45 p.m., the evacuation warning for zones NIC-E042 and NIC-E047B had been reduced to normal, and the evacuation order for zone NIC-E047A reduced to a warning.
Firefighting efforts continue around the region
Efforts to contain wildland fires in Lake’s neighboring counties continued on Wednesday.
In Sonoma County, the Point fire — burning since Sunday afternoon — remained at 1,207 acres, with containment up to 60%.
One firefighter has been injured, with three structures destroyed and two damaged, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire said that 1,011 personnel are assigned, along with 85 engines, 12 water tenders, nine dozers and 32 hand crews.
On the other side of Lake County, the Sites fire continued growing in Colusa County on Wednesday.
The fire, burning since Monday southeast of Stonyford, reached 19,124 by day’s end, with containment at 10%.
The Sites fire is threatening 326 structures, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said there are 107 engines, 18 water tenders, seven helicopters, 16 dozers, 18 hand crews and 741 personnel assigned to the incident.
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.
Firefighting efforts continue around Lake County, Northern California
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On