LAKEPORT,  Calif. – The Board of Supervisors received an update on Tuesday morning on the progress of the state-led Clayton fire cleanup in Lower Lake.

Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski told the board that the CalRecycle operation in the area of the August Clayton fire – which burned 3,929 acres and 300 structures, of which about 200 were homes – had wrapped up the cleanup portion of its work.

He said the agency had cleaned up 152 properties for which owners had granted rights of entry, with the last property completed at the end of last week. Additionally, CalRecycle cleaned three properties that had been included in the county’s nuisance abatement process.

Ruminski said CalRecycle is now demobilizing and taking down a portable bridge it placed over Herndon Creek. That work is expected to be done by Feb. 21.

Altogether, 3,600 loads totaling 35,000 tons of materials – including greenwaste, ash, debris, contaminated soil and concrete – were removed from those properties and placed into the recycle or disposal streams, Ruminski said.

Outside of the CalRecycle cleanup, there is a private cleanup process involving contractors hired by property owners that is still under way, Ruminski said. That private cleanup process includes 49 lots, of which 29 have been completed.

Ruminski said his department is now beginning to work on rebuild-related permits for septic systems.

“I’ve been on this for awhile and I’ve met some really high quality, caring people – caring for the community – and it’s just a pleasure to be part of this operation,” Ruminski said.

Ruminski accompanied Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait to the meeting as part of their usual update in concert with a request to extend the local health emergency Tait had declared for the Clayton fire.

On Tuesday, Tait had not planned to ask for another two-week extension of the emergency, but County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said that, after county staff had checked with the California Office of Emergency Services, “There are some good reasons for continuing it a little longer.”

Those reasons include heightened concerns related to flooding due to the fire, Huchingson said.

Huchingson asked the board to renew the emergency one more time while staff looked at the need to continue it further.

“I have no objection to extending it if there’s a reason for it,” Tait said.

The board agreed and voted to extend the emergency once more through Feb. 21.

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