LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While Tuesday had started out with concerns about increased winds and the potential for more significant growth on the Rocky fire, by day's end firefighters had increased containment and prevented another major spike in acreage, although the tally of structures destroyed rose.
Cal Fire said on Tuesday evening that the Rocky fire had reached 67,000 acres, with containment at 20 percent.
Firefighters held the fire to 2,000 acres of growth on Tuesday, a day when incident command had feared that a change in weather could bring winds from the east that might have pushed it toward Clearlake.
Cal Fire Division Chief Scott Lindgren, the incident commander, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning that the focus during the day was protecting the west side of the fire, beyond which lay the closest communities, including Clearlake and Lower Lake.
Efforts also were concentrated on Tuesday near Spring Valley and Double Eagle Ranch, where residents had been ordered to evacuate again on Monday afternoon after spot fires crossed the highway.
There was a small amount of rain in the county on Tuesday afternoon, but fire officials were unable to confirm if it made any difference in conditions on the fire lines.
By Tuesday evening, Cal Fire was estimating that the fires on the north side of Highway 20 had burned 1,000 acres, according to Capt. Don Camp.
“They're concentrating a significant amount of resources in that area,” said Camp.
He said it's anticipated that by morning a dozer line will have been placed all around the burn on the north side of Highway 20.
The number of structures reported to have been destroyed grew on Tuesday by 41, for a total of 91 – including 39 residences and 52 outbuildings, plus four damaged structures, Camp said.
Approximately 6,959 structures remain threatened, with all mandatory evacuations and evacuation advisories remaining in effect. Camp said 13,000 people have been evacuated from 5,500 residences.
The fire also has been burning since the weekend in neighboring Colusa and Yolo counties, where some evacuations are in place.
Red Cross evacuation shelters at Kelseyville and Middletown high schools remain open, with county officials opening a third evacuation shelter on Tuesday afternoon at the Upper Lake Middle School, 725 Old Lucerne Road, telephone 707-312-0395.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services said the shelter is set up for 45 evacuees but can be expanded to serve up to 100 people if needed.
The Community Disaster Response Team of Sebastopol has been in Lake County throughout the incident and is operating the Upper Lake shelter site, according to the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
Highway 20 through the fire area – from the junction of Highway 53 to Walnut Street, just west of Interstate 5 in Williams – remains closed, Camp said.
Camp said Highway 16, from the junction of Highway 20 to the County Road 40, also remains closed.
In addition to around-the-clock efforts with dozers and hand crews, and aircraft making water and retardant drops during the day, crews have been fighting the fire with fire, setting backfires to get a better handle on the fire's growth.
Radio reports on Tuesday night indicated there was a dozer accident in the fire area along Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks but that the operator was not injured.
A massive firefighting force remains committed to the incident, including 3,478 firefighting personnel, 318 engines, 86 fire crews, 63 dozers, 43 water tenders, 19 helicopters and four air tankers, Camp said.
Reports from Cal Fire air attack Tuesday evening stated that the fire's perimeter was looking strong, with a decrease of smoke.
“What a difference 24 hours can make,” one firefighter reported over the radio.
However, fire officials caution that a great deal of work remains ahead, with the fire's erratic behavior to date – and its penchant for making sudden runs, sometimes in numerous directions all at once – a constant concern.
Temperatures are forecast to continue to be cooler on Wednesday, with winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour expected in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Lake County Air Quality Management said the overnight forecast in areas impacted by smoke is “moderate” to “unhealthy” air quality with “good” returning for Wednesday.
Similar conditions are expected Wednesday, although south and southeast winds are forecast, which could bring more smoke into the basin. Slight variations in the wind direction can result in significant smoke impacts, the district said.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters are bracing for a forecasted weather change that could bring a shift in winds on the front lines of the Rocky fire on Tuesday.
Cal Fire said Tuesday morning that the fire has consumed 65,000 acres and is 12-percent contained.
The agency said no new size estimates on the incident are expected until Tuesday evening.
Highway 20 remains closed from Highway 53 to Interstate 5 in Williams because of the fire, with 6,959 structures remaining threatened. Mandatory evacuations and advisory evacuations remain in place.
Firefighters continued to work steadily through the night, building fire lines and protecting communities in the fire's path.
Overnight there were no additional structures burned, according to Cal Fire spokesman Steve Swindle.
The count of destroyed structures remains at 50, a tally which includes 24 residences and 26 outbuildings, Cal Fire said.
A change in the weather is bringing cooler temperatures and some favorable conditions, but there also are concerns that the lower pressure system moving into the area could create an unstable atmosphere, said Swindle.
The National Weather Service is predicting some light rain over Lake County throughout Tuesday afternoon.
Swindle said the weather change comes with a prediction of winds possibly shifting and coming from the east, which would blow the fire toward the west, which is where the city of Clearlake is located in relation to the fire.
On Tuesday morning, the Board of Supervisors unanimously ratified an emergency declaration issued on Thursday by County Administrative Officer Matt Perry.
Cal Fire Division Chief Scott Lindgren, the Rocky fire incident commander, updated the board on Tuesday morning on the fire situation.
Lindgren said the main concern for the day is the west side of the fire, which he called the No. 1 priority.
He said incident command has shifted forces to the fire's west side to keep it out of Clearlake and Lower Lake, with firefighters concentrating on keeping those communities near the fire safe.
The fire jumped Highway 20 on Monday afternoon, with spot fires crossing between the Spring Valley and Double Eagle Ranch subdivisions, Swindle said.
The spot fires caused the Lake County Sheriff's Office to issue a second mandatory evacuation for Spring Valley and Double Eagle, as Lake County News has reported.
Lindgren told the board that by Tuesday morning the fire had burned 3,000 acres on the north side of Highway 20 by that point.
“We're going to do our best to put this fire out just as quick as we can,” said Lindgren.
Sheriff Brian Martin reported to the board that sheriffs in neighboring counties have been sending over personnel and search and rescue resources to assist with the process of going door-to-door to notify people of mandatory evacuations and evacuation advisories.
Martin said local agencies are ready to move people out of Clearlake if the fire moves that direction.
He asked community members to take notifications seriously – whether to evacuate immediately or to be prepared in the case it's necessary.
That's important because of the fire's unpredictable nature, Martin said. “It's doing what it wants to do.”
Resources dedicated to the fire on Tuesday morning include approximately 3,205 personnel, 301 fire engines, 80 fire crews, 57 dozers, 40 water tenders, 19 helicopters and four air tankers.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District said air quality conditions in the county are anticipated to improve through Tuesday due to the weather forecast.
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.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Local, state and federal officials took part in a community meeting in Lower Lake on Sunday that sought to bring residents up to date on the effort to bring the Rocky fire under control.
Several hundred community members were on hand for the meeting, which included officials from Cal Fire, Lake County Fire, the Board of Supervisors, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Air Quality Management District and the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
Congressman Mike Thompson and State Sen. Mike McGuire also were on hand to offer their support as well as assurances that the community will be receiving assistance to get it through the fire and the recovery period.
Across agencies and levels of experience, the message to the community was the same – that the Rocky fire was displaying unusual activity that even longtime fire service veterans hadn't encountered before, making it both dangerous and difficult to fight.
Fire officials said a critical element driving the fire's rapid growth and unpredictable behavior is the area's incredibly dry conditions, a result of four years of drought.
Just how quickly the fire grew initially was explained by Cal Fire Assistant Chief Linda Green, who went over the play-by-play of the fire's initial dispatch.
Firefighters were first dispatched to a possible structure fire at the end of Rocky Creek Road east of Lower Lake just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, she said.
The first aircraft to arrive found the fire between 25 and 30 acres. By the time the first Cal Fire battalion chief got there minutes later, the fire was between 50 and 100 acres, and spotting, Green said.
When Copter 104 arrived from Boggs Mountain shortly afterward, it spotted a second fire on Morgan Valley Road about four miles away from where the first fire was reported, she said.
Those two fires eventually would combine, she said.
Then, a third fire was reported on Highway 20 at New Long Valley Road east of Clearlake, Green said. “We were a little stretched.”
She said the initial attack plan was to go aggressive on the second fire, a goal helped by additional resources coming into the county – specifically, a group of engines that was passing through the area of the third fire on Highway 20 and quickly controlled it to an acre.
Back in the Lower Lake area, within an hour, the Rocky fire had reached 150 acres. By 5 p.m. evacuations on Morgan Valley Road began, with the fire hitting 600 acres an hour later, she said.
By midnight, the size estimate was between 7,000 and 8,000 acres, according to Green.
Butte County-based Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Shorrock explained the movement of the fire after its initial push on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the fire made a rapid push to the west and down into Morgan Valley that night and then started heading toward Jerusalem Valley. He said firefighters managed to keep it north of Jerusalem Valley that night.
On Friday, there was a wind shift from about 9 a.m. to mid-afternoon, which covered the city of Clearlake with ash. Shorrock said air and ground resources were able to keep the fire east of the Cache Creek Dam on Friday.
On Saturday, aircraft flying overhead saw the most intense fire activity that had been seen up to that point on the incident. “We knew we were in for a long Saturday,” he said.
At noon, the fire broke across Cache Creek to the north and headed into the wilderness area, Shorrock said.
“We had planned on it getting to Highway 20,” Shorrock said. “We didn’t plan on it getting there so rapidly.”
Beginning at about 3 p.m. Saturday, the fire shifted under a very strong south-southwest wind and began a major run, Shorrock said.
Over the next five hours, the fire burned 22,000 acres.
“That’s a significant movement,” he said.
On Saturday night, firefighters held the fire at Highway 16 up to Highway 20 and over toward Walker Ridge Road, and were trying to stay ahead of the fire, he said. On Sunday, the fire activity was heating up in the wilderness area south of Highway 20.
Shorrock said the incident is presenting the kind of fire danger that he in his 40 years in the fire service hasn't seen before.
“Some of the rules are thrown out just due to the intensity and the spread,” he said, adding that they're lucky to not have had many injuries to firefighters or civilians. Cal Fire previously reported two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
More resources on the way
Sheriff Brian Martin thanked the sheriffs in neighboring counties, Cal Fire, the Board of Supervisors, McGuire and Thompson, noting how all of the agencies are working together.
“This is unprecedented fire activity and it's more dangerous than normal,” Martin said.
Putting the fire's 22,000-acre spread on Saturday into perspective, he said that the city of Clearlake covers 6,400 acres.
Regarding evacuations, Martin said officials have had a lot of cooperation from communities. He said authorities know it's very inconvenient for people to have to leave their homes.
“We will do everything that we can to get you back as soon as we can,” he said, adding, they also want to make sure people are safe. “We will not lift these evacuations until we are certain that it is safe to do so.”
There are many considerations that go into deciding to allow people to return to their homes, which Martin said include having Pacific Gas and Electric look at power lines and local officials assess roads, as well as allowing for firefighters to finish mop up efforts. Going back too soon could hamper those efforts and result in harm, he said.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services, Lake County Sheriff's Office and Cal Fire are the agencies with the authority to tell residents they can return to their homes after an evacuation, said Martin, urging people to wait for that confirmation rather than relying on statements circulated on the Internet.
He also encouraged people to show their appreciation for firefighters with signs or a friendly wave, and said donations may best be made to the Red Cross.
McGuire said the state's job is to make sure that Lake County has the resources it needs to be able to get through a disaster like the Rocky fire and thrive in the recovery.
He also pointed to the drought and its impact on the incident, with its unprecedented fire activity.
“It’s erratic, it’s massive, it’s burning hot and because of the wind we see this fire burning in all directions,” he said.
McGuire said firefighters from around the Western United States are coming to California to assist not just with the Rocky fire but with other major wildland fire incidents.
He said 400 hand crews have been activated from out of state, as have 14 California National Guard aircraft, eight of which – including a Chinook helicopter – are working the Rocky.
Two Nevada National Guard copters have been requested to help California, and two massive C130 tankers have been brought up from the Channel Islands in Southern California, with additional C130s heading into California, one from Colorado and one from Wyoming, McGuire said.
McGuire thanked Thompson for his efforts to secure a Fire Management Assistance Grant from President Barack Obama's Fire Relief Fund, which will cover up to 75 percent of the costs associated with the fire incurred by local, state and tribal governments.
He said the California Office of Emergency Services also has a team of specialists on the ground in Lake County to help assess damages, which has been a difficult task because of the fire's rapid rate of spread. “It's going to be a longterm project.”
McGuire added, “I will make you this promise right now, the California Office of Emergency Services is here for the long haul,” and is ready to assist residents and businesses with their damage claims.
He will host a town hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Clear Lake High School MAC building, 350 Lange St. in Lakeport, where he said representatives of local and state agencies will be on hand to give updates on the fire.
Thompson told the community members at the gathering, “I've never seen fire this bad before,” but he credited the state and local officials working the incident for their skills and professionalism. “They are absolutely top notch.
Thompson also pledged to do everything he can to marshal all of the needed resources.
Cal Fire Division Chief Scott Lindgren said Cal Fire appreciated the thanks for the community, but he wanted to turn the attention back to the local agencies. “They're the ones that protect you day in and day out,” he said, asking for a round of applause for them.
Lindgren went on to caution residents that a lot of work is ahead. “We’re not out of the woods on this fire yet,” he said, also acknowledging the Rocky's “unprecedented fire behavior” which he said could result in more evacuations, a prediction that proved true in the time since the meeting.
“We have a long road to go once we get this fire out to get through the rest of this fire season because of the drought,” Lindgren said.
During a question and answer period, Martin encouraged community members to take evacuation notifications seriously, and to follow any mandatory evacuation orders that are issued.
Lindgren said evacuation advisories are issued when officials think there the potential for a fire to reach an area. He said such advisories aren't issued unless it's believed that there is a legitimate threat to a location. Mandatory evacuations are for immediate danger, he added.
As for those community members wondering if schools in the Konocti Unified School District will start on Aug. 12 as scheduled, Superintendent Donna Becnel said that day was still the target for opening.
She said parents and students will be notified if there are any changes.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify a local emergency declaration issued in response to the Rocky fire when it meets this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
In an item timed for 9:06 a.m., the board will take up the ratification of the director of the Lake County Office of Emergency Services' declaration of a local emergency due to the Rocky fire.
The fire, which as of Sunday night had burned 54,000 acres in four days and was 5-percent contained, is one of the largest wildland fires in the county's recorded history, according to a review of pasts incidents.
Lake County Office of Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe prepared and County Administrative Officer Matt Perry signed the proclamation by the director of Emergency Services declaring a local emergency on Thursday evening, as Lake County News has reported.
The resolution states that the fire has caused “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” within the county since it began burning shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday east of Lower Lake. It has since moved toward Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks.
County officials said the proclamation may make additional resources available and provide certain powers to emergency management officials.
The board at that time also will get an update on activity, progress and concerns surrounding the incident from Cal Fire, the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
Also on Tuesday, the board will hold three public hearings on proposed urgency ordinances for the water systems in the County Service Areas of Bonanza Springs, Mt. Hannah and Starview. The hearings are timed for 10:10 a.m., 10:20 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held July 21, 2015.
7.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of August 2015 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
7.3: Approve agreement between the Board of Supervisors on behalf of CSA #21 – North Lakeport Water and PACE Engineering for engineering services for improvements to the North Lakeport Water Treatment Plant and Distribution System for a period of 540 days in an amount not to exceed $260,588; and authorize the chair to sign.
7.4: Approve amendment one to agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering Inc. for construction management services for the Soda Bay Road at Cole Creek Bridge Replacement Project near Kelseyville, to 1) substitute key survey personnel, and 2) change the method of payment from actual rates of compensation to actual cost plus fixed fee and authorize the chair to sign.
7.5: Approve amendment one to agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering Inc. for construction management services for Ackley Road at Manning Creek and Highland Springs Road at Highland Creek Bridge Replacement Project near Lakeport, CA to 1) substitute key survey personnel, and 2) change the method of payment from actual rates of compensation to actual cost plus fixed fee and authorize the chair to sign.
7.6: Approve amendment one to agreement between the county of Lake and Quincy Engineering Inc. for engineering services for replacement of St. Helena Creek Bridge at Wardlaw Street (14C-0035) and rehabilitation of Cooper Creek Bridge at Witter Springs Road (14C-0102) in Lake County, CA to 1) substitute key survey personnel, and 2) change the method of payment from actual rates of compensation to actual cost plus fixed fee and authorize the chair to sign.
7.7: (a) Waive the normal sealed bid process under Ordinance #2406, section 38.2; (b) award the bid to Kathy Fowler Chrysler Jeep Dodge in the amount of $39,664.40, (c) authorize the sheriff/coroner or his designee to issue a purchase order; and (d) approve budget transfer in the amount of $8,165 from Budget Unit 2217 acct. 62.72 to Budget Unit 2201 acct. 62.72 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.8: Approve amendment to letter of agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration for an increase in funds in the amount of $15,000 for marijuana eradication and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:06 a.m.: Addendum, (a) ratification of director of Emergency Services' declaration of a local emergency due to the Rocky fire incident in Lake County; and (b) update on activity, progress and concerns surrounding the Rocky Fire incident from Cal Fire, sheriff and Office of Emergency Services.
8.3, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of August 2015 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
8.4, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of: (a) contract between the county of Lake and Lakeport Senior Activity Center, for FY 2015-16 Health-Related Senior Support Services, in the amount of $10,618 and authorize the chair to sign; (b) contract between the county of Lake and Live Oak Senior Center, for FY 2015-16 Health-Related Senior Support Services, in the amount of $11,758 and authorize the chair to sign; (c) contract between the county of Lake and Highlands Senior Service Center, for FY 2015-16 Health-Related Senior Support Services in the amount of $18,849 and authorize the chair to sign; (d) contract between the county of Lake and Middletown Senior Citizens, for FY 2015-16 health-related senior support services in the amount of $$8,148 and authorize the chair to sign; (e) contract between the county of Lake and Lucerne Alpine Seniors Inc., for FY 2015-16 Health-Related Senior Support Services in the amount of $10,182 and authorize the chair to sign; (f) contract between the county of Lake and Kelseyville Seniors Inc., for FY 2015-16 services to senior citizens in the amount of $2,000.
8.5, 9:30 a.m.: Cyanotoxin monitoring presentation by Sarah Ryan and Karola Kennedy.
8.6, 10:10 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of proposed urgency ordinance for County Service Area #7, Bonanza Springs
8.7, 10:20 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of urgency ordinance for County Service Area #22, Mt. Hannah Water System.
8.8, 10:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of urgency ordinance for County Service Area #18, Starview Water System.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Consideration of the following appointments: Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC) Glenbrook Cemetery District Library Advisory Board Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board Mental Health Board.
9.3: Approve county employee health plans - EIA Health, Dental, Vision and Life Renewal for 2016 Plan Year.
9.4: Consideration of equitable sharing agreement and certification for the period ending June 30, 2015, and authorize the sheriff to electronically submit the form.
9.5: Consideration of master services two-year contract agreement with Paymentus Corp. for electronic payment implementation and authorization for Special Districts Administrator sign.
9.6: Second reading, consideration of proposed ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Ordinance Code of the county of Lake pertaining to age limits for installation of used manufactured homes on private property.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Bond v. Martin, et al.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has temporarily postponed its plans for its popular National Night Out event due to the Rocky fire, according to the city's police chief.
The Lakeport Police Department planned to host the third annual block party at its new headquarters at 2025 Main St. on Tuesday.
The Lakeport City Council also had adjourned its meeting so council members could take part.
However, on Saturday Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the Rocky fire – which by that time had scorched 27,000 acres and displaced more than 12,000 area residents, primarily in the Lower Lake and Clearlake Oaks areas – was causing them to postpone the event.
Rasmussen said that on Monday city staff will discuss a possible date for rescheduling the event.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters in Mendocino County filed a citizen initiative today to address the danger posed by millions of trees killed and left standing in the forest.
Albion Little River Chief Ted Williams explains: “This initiative safeguards firefighters from unnecessary manufactured hazards and residents from loss of critical infrastructure, including escape routes and telecommunications lifelines. It effectively places people before private industry profit, shifting damage losses from the citizens to the corporations who stand to profit from radical forest management practices. It's about industry accountability.”
The timber industry in Mendocino County kills over one million “undesirable” hardwood trees each year and leaves them standing dead in the forest because they see it as the cheapest and easiest way to restore the more profitable conifers.
Retired CAL FIRE Air Attack Captain Kirk Van Patten observes: “In ten years of aerial wildland firefighting in Mendocino County, one of the most profound and troubling observations I made was the timber management practice of hack & squirt. This clearly has created a serious wildland fire threat for the firefighters and citizens of Mendocino County.”
Dead standing trees ignite easier and burn hotter and faster, endangering everyone who lives near the dead zones. They also pose increased danger to firefighters who are called upon to respond to such fires. A dead tree burning is one of the most dangerous situations a firefighter can face, and that hazard increases exponentially as the number of dead trees rises.
Mike Coltan, volunteer firefighter, states: “Mendocino County's rural residents are at greater risk of catastrophic wildfire due to standing dead timber intentionally left after hack & squirt, which greatly increases wildfire flame height, rate of spread, and fire line intensity. I am very concerned about community safety as well as the safety of my fellow volunteer firefighters.”
More than 200 residents and firefighters came before the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on April 21, 2015, requesting action on this industrial practice. In spite of overwhelming public support, the resolution failed by one vote.
James Sibbet, another volunteer firefighter, says: “The practice of killing millions of trees over thousands of acres, compounded with leaving the dead trees as a fuel load for fire, after years of drought, is a clear case of human arrogance.”
These four firefighters, along with Comptche resident Katy Tahja, are the proponents of this initiative. Once enough signatures have been gathered, this measure, which declares intentionally-killed-and-left-standing trees a public nuisance, will be on the June 2016 primary ballot.
Ms Tahja concludes: “It would be much nicer to not have to worry about having a standing dead forest in our backyards.”
Supporters of this initiative hope to finally achieve what the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors unanimously called for in a resolution twenty years ago: “Call an immediate halt to any practice which leaves large acreages of killed hardwoods standing but not downed.”
When signature gathering starts, organizers expect it will take place throughout the county, especially the western half where the industrial timberlands are located.
The ballot title and summary, the ordinance and notice of intention to circulate the petition are published below.
-BALLOT TITLE AND SUMMARY-
Shall the People of Mendocino County Declare Intentionally Killed and Left Standing Trees a Public Nuisance?
It is being proposed that an initiative be placed on the ballot that asks the voters to declare trees that have been intentionally killed and left standing, that are more than five meters tall and within 1,000 meters of specified “critical infrastructure”, be declared a public nuisance.
The proposed initiative would make the “party responsible” liable for any resulting damage caused by the tree. Finally, the proposed initiative does not give “[t]he County the right to enter onto residential property to verify compliance.”
The initiative must be adopted by a majority of the voters.
Dated: July 27, 2015
s/DOUGLAS L. LOSAK Interim County Counsel County of Mendocino
-THE ORDINANCE-
DECLARE INTENTIONALLY KILLED AND LEFT STANDING TREES A PUBLIC NUISANCE
Title 8 of the Mendocino County Code entitled PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE grants Mendocino County the authority to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the county's residents. The citizens of Mendocino County find as follows:
A. The county has over 1 million acres of forest lands with much of it in private industrial ownership; and B. Some industrial owners manage their forest lands by intentionally killing but not downing unwanted trees; and C. Intentionally killed and left standing trees present an extreme fire hazard; and D. Intentionally killed and left standing trees can impede rapid suppression of fires; and E. Intentionally killed and left standing trees pose a life safety risk to firefighters; and F. Intentionally killed and left standing trees endanger the public health and safety of rural residents.
The citizens of Mendocino County, by their authority to adopt ordinances by initiative add a new chapter to Title 8 of the Mendocino County Code to read as follows:
Trees greater in height than 5 meters, intentionally killed and left standing for more than 90 days (except those created for the benefit of wildlife habitat) are a public nuisance and the party responsible shall be liable for any resulting damage when the tree is:
(1) within 1,000 meters of one or more critical infrastructures: (a) roads including public roads, private roads and driveways, fire lanes (b) telecommunication infrastructure including poles, wire, fiber, terminals, towers (c) electrical infrastructure including poles, wire, substations, transformers (d) significant water sources, including rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes (2) within 1,000 meters of a structure (3) within CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area
The County shall not enter residential property to verify compliance.
Severability If any section, subsection, sentence, phrase or clause of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the Ordinance. The citizens of Mendocino County here declare that they would have adopted the Ordinance and each section despite the fact that one or more section, subsection, phrases or clauses be declared invalid.
Date of Effect This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force immediately upon adoption by the voters of Mendocino County.
-NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CIRCULATE PETITION-
Notice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear hereon of their intention to circulate a petition within the County of Mendocino, California, for the purpose of qualifying a citizens' initiative for the June 7, 2016 primary election, to be voted on by the voters of Mendocino County, California. The initiative states: Shall the people of Mendocino County declare intentionally killed and left standing trees a public nuisance?
A statement of the reasons for the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows:
Many citizens, including firefighters, believe that the practice of intentionally killed and left standing trees presents an extreme fire hazard, impedes early rapid suppression of fires, and poses a life safety risk to firefighters and endangers the public health and safety of rural residents.
Proponents:
Ted Williams Fire Chief, Albion Little River Fire Protection District
James Sibbet Firefighter, Comptche Volunteer Fire Dept.
Katy M. Tahja Librarian, ret.
Kirk Van Patten CAL FIRE Air Attack Captain, ret.
Mike Coltan Firefighter, Comptche Volunteer Fire Dept.
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