ST. HELENA – After a 40-year distinguished career in the fire service, Fire Chief Ernie Loveless is retiring.

Loveless will retire as the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit chief and Napa County Fire Department

chief.

His last day is Tuesday, the same day as the Napa county Board of Supervisors is set to read a proclamation in his honor.

Loveless began his career in 1970 as a seasonal firefighter and promoted through departmental ranks.

As the Cal Fire Unit chief, Loveless has been responsible administratively and operationally for six counties that are served by 410 personnel, twenty state fire stations, two conservation camps, one Helitack base and one Air Attack base which provide fire protection to over two million acres of

state responsibility land.

As the Napa County Fire Chief, he has overseen 15 fire stations, 50 career and 200 volunteer personnel that provide emergency service response to the unincorporated areas of Napa County.

Officials said a replacement has not been identified at this time but who will inherit the tremendous workload that Loveless managed effectively.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .