LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities have made an arrest in connection to a Saturday afternoon vegetation fire along Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks.

The Mule fire was initially dispatched at around 2:10 p.m. on Highway 20, nearly four miles west of Walker Ridge Road, east of Clearlake Oaks.

“There was a suspect apprehended,” Will Powers, a Cal Fire public information officer, confirmed to Lake County News.

Air resources arriving at the scene said the fire initially was about an acre and making a run uphill. Within a few minutes, it was reported to be about five acres and making a hard push uphill toward structures.

However, firefighters were able to hold the fire’s advance, with one small spot fire reported outside of the lines just after 3 p.m.

At about 3:15 p.m., one person was reported to be in custody with prevention officers from Cal Fire later asked to respond to the Lake County Jail.

Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News that deputies took a Hispanic male adult into custody at the scene.

Martin said there was a seven-minute standoff before the arrest as the man tried to hold off deputies with a knife in the middle of Highway 20.

He added that there was a language barrier between deputies and the man, who was transported to the Lake County Jail.

Martin said early Saturday evening that he did not yet have any additional details about the arrest.

Powers said the Mule fire had burned six acres. Late on Sunday afternoon it was reported to be 50 percent contained.

“They’ll be out there for a while,” Powers said of firefighters, who are constructing line and mopping up.

He said Cal Fire is the lead agency on the fire, with local fire agencies also involved. Radio traffic indicated that including Northshore, Lake County and Kelseyville all were dispatched.

Powers said the California Highway Patrol was on scene to assist with one-way traffic control in the area.

Shortly before 7:20 p.m., Powers reported that the fire was fully contained at 7.35 acres.

Another small fire, dispatched just before 3 p.m. in the 1200 block of Highway 20 near Van Sleeper Road in Upper Lake, involved a trailer load of hay that firefighters quickly contained.

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.