CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Due to continued demand, the opening of the Sulphur Fire Local Assistance Center in Clearlake is being extended through the end of the week.

In coordination with the city of Clearlake, the county of Lake, and community, state, and national service and relief organizations, the one-stop local assistance center was opened on Oct. 18 to provide information and assistance to the community.

Since the center has proven to be very helpful to the community and has been heavily utilized by impacted individuals, the local assistance center will remain open until Friday, Oct. 27, rather than closing on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

The local assistance center’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Clearlake Community Center (senior center), located at 3245 Bowers Ave.

In addition, a Federal Emergency Management Agency mobile registration vehicle has been located in Austin Park to assist with registering people into the disaster recovery system.

The FEMA mobile center hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be located at the park until this Friday.

As of Monday, Oct. 23, the Department of Toxic Substances Control is in the area of the Sulphur fire completing a household hazardous waste cleanup in advance of the heavy debris cleanup.

Teams will be clearing homes of any remaining household hazardous waste, such as propane tanks, compressed gas cylinders, solvents, etc.

Property owners are responsible for the heavy debris cleanup on their property and to complete this work as quickly as possible before the rainy season sets in, all are encouraged to
participate in the clean up program managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

To participate in the program, a “right of entry” form will be required to be signed by the property owner allowing the state to clean the property. Right of entry forms can be picked up at the local assistance center.

“The city of Clearlake will be sponsoring another community recovery meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. at Clearlake City Hall with representatives from Lake County, FEMA, CalOES, Lake County Fire, the city of Clearlake and others to give an update on the recovery process to date and answer questions about the process going forward,” said City Manager Greg Folsom.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The work to contain the region’s wildland fires continues in the midst of warm fall temperatures and breezy conditions.

On Monday evening Cal Fire reported that the 2,207-acre Sulphur fire had edged up to 98 percent containment, as firefighters continue extinguishing hotspots and doing fire suppression repair.

The Redwood fire, which along with the Sulphur fire is being managed as part of the Mendocino Lake Complex, also reached 98-percent containment as of Monday, Cal Fire said.

The Mendocino Lake Complex has burned 545 structures, of which 168 were in Lake County, primarily Clearlake, officials reported.

Cal Fire said the Redwood fire has burned 36,523 acres and claimed eight lives. Approximately 228 firefighters remain assigned to the incident.

The Central LNU Complex in Napa and Sonoma counties was 90-percent contained Monday night, Cal Fire said. It has burned 110,720 acres and destroyed 6,768 structures.

The complex includes the Tubbs fire, 36,807 acres, 94-percent contained; the Pocket fire, 17,357 acres, 89-percent containment; and the Nuns fire, 56,556 acres, 90-percent containment, according to Cal Fire’s latest numbers.

In Napa and Solano counties, firefighters had pushed the Southern LNU Complex to 95-percent containment on Monday, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said that complex has burned 51,624 acres, destroyed 481 structures and damaged another 90 buildings.

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. – An upcoming meeting will offer community members information about the Lake Ministerial Association Warming Center, which will open for the season in December.

The community meeting will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, at the Lakeport Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way.

The church also is the location of the warming center, which is scheduled to open on Monday, Dec. 4.

The Nov. 6 meeting will focus on what the center is all about, who it is helping, its goals, how people can volunteer and donate, and how the center impacts the community.

For more information contact District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott at 707-849-4414.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest officials reported that a small wildland fire is burning on forest lands.

The Doe fire started on Sunday and is reported at less than 1/10 acre on Doe Ridge in the Yolla-Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness according to Nancy Henderson, the forest’s public affairs officer.

Henderson said Monday that the Ukiah California Conservation Corps firefighting crew was hiking into the area to work on the incident.

She said the Doe fire is the only fire currently burning on the Mendocino National Forest.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Lake County’s sheriff has issued a report with new details on a deadly Monday shooting spree in Clearlake Oaks, with the suspect in custody and the investigation continuing.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Alan Ashmore, 61 years of age for two counts of homicide as well as multiple other counts of assault with a firearm following shootings that left two adult males dead, one adult female civilian wounded and one California Highway Patrol officer injured after he was struck in his body armor by gunfire from Ashmore, according to Sheriff Brian Martin.

Previous reports had put the total number of shooting victims at five, but Martin told Lake County News that the number was reduced to four after it was discovered that one civilian who had believed to have been wounded was not struck by gunfire.

Martin said the original call came into the sheriff’s office at approximately 11:23 a.m.

The preliminary investigation showed that Ashmore shot into several residences in the 13000 block of Anchor Village in Clearlake Oaks, Martin said. The two homicide victims were located at different locations in the same block.

Ashmore also shot a female resident on the same street, Martin said.

Martin said Ashmore then left the residence and went to a local gas station where he shot at a civilian who happened to be a licensed concealed weapon holder. This person returned fire, striking Ashmore’s vehicle.

Ashmore then went to another gas station where he shot at other people. As of the release of Martin’s report at about 4 p.m. Monday, there were no known injuries from the incident at the second gas station, Martin said.

Martin said the CHP officer was shot early in on in the incident. The officer had non-life threatening injuries.

Witnesses provided a description of the vehicle Ashmore was driving – a white SUV – as well as a direction of travel on High Valley Road, Martin said.

A report of a fire that had just started on High Valley Road came into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch and that fire is being investigated as arson, Martin said.

Martin said the investigation also will focus on determining whether or not Ashmore started that fire.

As deputies were searching for Ashmore, Brassfield Winery reported that Ashmore had shot at employees there, according to Martin.

Responding deputies were able to locate Ashmore’s vehicle and pursued him for several miles, Martin said.

Other responding deputies and officers from Lakeport Police Department and CHP set up a roadblock. When Ashmore encountered the roadblock, he surrendered without incident, Martin said.

Several firearms were recovered from his vehicle and they are believed to be the weapons used in the murders, Martin said. He previously confirmed to Lake County News that a shotgun was among the weapons.

Lake County Sheriff’s detectives, with assistance from the CHP, Clearlake Police Department, Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County District Attorney’s Office are processing multiple crime scenes, Martin said.

Martin said Ashmore is expected to be booked into the Lake County Jail on multiple charges.

The investigation is ongoing and further details will be released as they become available, Martin said.

Meanwhile, the public is being asked for any information they may have concerning this investigation.

If you have information, please contact Det. Sgt. John Gregore at 707-262-4238.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The investigation into a fatal shooting in Clearlake Oaks is continuing.

The incident occurred Monday morning, as Lake County News has reported.

Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin said Alan Ashmore, 61, of Clearlake Oaks is being held for the shooting.

Two people are dead and two others – including a California Highway Patrol officer – were wounded during the incident, which Martin said occurred across multiple locations.

John Jensen of Lake County News was at the scene Monday afternoon and filed the video report shown above.

A previous version of this story stated that the sheriff reported a total of five people had been shot, with two dead and three wounded. However, the sheriff followed up to report that there were two wounded, not three, for a total of four victims.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County sheriff has identified the man believed responsible for shooting four people – and killing two of them – in Clearlake Oaks on Monday morning.

Sheriff Brian Martin said Alan Ashmore, 61, of Clearlake Oaks is being held for the shooting.

Martin said the shooting has left two people dead and two wounded, with the wounded including a California Highway Patrol officer. The officer had non-life threatening injuries, Martin said.

The shooting was first reported before 11:30 a.m. and continued at multiple locations around Clearlake Oaks, including the Clearlake Oaks Post Office, Anchor Village in the Clearlake Keys and Brassfield Winery, as Lake County News has reported.

Martin said there may be as many as eight crime scenes that are part of the investigation, including several homes on Anchor Village.

Ashmore was apprehended at around noon in a white SUV on High Valley Road by sheriff’s deputies, Lakeport Police and the California Highway Patrol, officials reported.

“Our deputies had leads from witnesses with a vehicle description. They were able to track him down and catch up with him as he fled the scene,” Martin said.

Authorities had set up a roadblock on High Valley Road, which Martin said has only one way in and one way out.

Martin said Ashmore led authorities on a four-mile pursuit until he came across the roadblock.

“And then he gave up easily,” Martin said.

The shooting involved several different firearms, including a shotgun, according to Martin.

Martin said a Chevrolet Camaro that originally was listed as having been a possible suspect vehicle turned out to involve a witness – “one of many,” he added – who was speaking with investigators.

Details on a possible criminal history for Ashmore were not immediately available.

A previous version of this story stated that the sheriff reported a total of five people had been shot, with two dead and three wounded. However, the sheriff followed up to report that there were two wounded, not three, for a total of four victims.

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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has secured multiple crime scenes in Clearlake Oaks as it attempts to determine the motive in a Monday morning shooting that killed two people and wounded two others, with one of the surviving wounded being a California Highway Patrol officer.

Sheriff Brian Martin said one man is in custody for the incident, first reported before 11:30 a.m. Monday and spread out across numerous locations around the town, including the area of the Clearlake Post Office to the Clearlake Keys and Brassfield Winery.

Martin said there are a total of four victims – two civilian dead, one civilian wounded and the one wounded CHP officer.

He said no names are being released at this time.

Martin said several different firearms were involved in the shooting, one of them being a shotgun.

CHP Officer Kory Reynolds of the Clear Lake Area CHP office told Lake County News that the male CHP officer who was wounded is alive and in care at a local hospital after suffering a leg wound.

Separately, Martin said the CHP officer had sustained a hit to his body armor that did not result in injury.

“He is expected to make a full recovery. His injuries are non-life threatening,” said Martin.

Based on the reports so far, the CHP officer appears to have been the first member of law enforcement to arrive at the scene and confront the male suspect. Reynolds said the officer reported having been shot about a minute after arriving at the scene.

The suspect was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies, Lakeport Police units and CHP shortly before 12:15 p.m. on High Valley Road, according to officials.

The sheriff’s office, assisted by the California Highway Patrol, has secured multiple scenes around Clearlake Oaks as it investigates the crimes, according to Martin and Reynolds.

“We’re working seven crime scenes here,” said Martin, with the possibility of an eighth.

Most of those crime scenes are on Anchor Village in the Clearlake Keys, along with several other locations, Martin said.

“We pretty much closed the whole street,” Martin said of Anchor Village, explaining that four houses on the street are separate crime scenes.

Investigators also are on the scene at Brassfield Winery on High Valley Road, where the suspect was reported to have shot at people, Martin said.

Nearby East Lake Elementary School was placed on lockdown, with a law enforcement presence there, Martin said.

Reynolds said CHP units are remaining on scene to assist with securing the area.

District Attorney Don Anderson also is at the scene to assist with the investigation.

While there had been reports of a second possible suspect, Martin said there is only one suspect currently. “We narrowed it down.”

He said reports related to another car connected to the incident turned out to involve a witness who is speaking with investigators.

Early Monday afternoon, Martin said he did not yet know the reason for the shooting.

However, he added, “I think we’re going to have a pretty good idea of what the motivation was.”

A previous version of this story stated that the sheriff reported a total of five people had been shot, with two dead and three wounded. However, the sheriff followed up to report that there were two wounded, not three, for a total of four victims.

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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol officer is reported to be alive and in care at a local hospital after being shot in the leg by a suspect believed to have also shot three others – killing two of them – during a Monday morning incident in Clearlake Oaks.

Officer Kory Reynolds of the Clear Lake Area CHP office told Lake County News the male officer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in the incident, which occurred before 11:30 a.m. Monday, as Lake County News has reported.

In addition to the wounded officer, Sheriff Brian Martin confirmed to Lake County News that there have been two civilian fatalities and one civilian wounded in the incident, which was first reported in the area of the Clearlake Oaks Post Office.

Reynolds said the CHP officer had responded to the report of the shooting and arrived to find a male suspect.

Based on the information so far, Reynolds said he was not sure if there was a short pursuit, as there was only about a minute between the time the officer reported getting to the scene and when he reported he had been shot in the leg.

Reynolds said he was not yet sure of where the engagement between the officer and the suspect took place.

Radio reports had indicated that the officer was transported from the scene by ground units, which Reynolds confirmed.

He said CHP officials had spoken with the officer by phone after the incident and that he was being treated at a local hospital. However, medical professionals are considering flying the injured officer out of county.

Reynolds said the suspect fled into the High Valley area, where three sheriff’s units and a CHP unit were reported to have apprehended the man just before 12:15 p.m.

The sheriff’s office had issued an emergency alert just before noon ordering Clearlake Oaks residents to shelter in place. That warning was lifted at around 1 p.m.

Martin said the sheriff’s office has multiple scenes it’s investigating in relation to the shooting.

Reynolds said the CHP remains involved in securing the scenes.

“We still have units out there. We’ll assist the sheriff’s office with whatever they need,” he said.

A previous version of this story stated that the sheriff reported a total of five people had been shot, with two dead and three wounded. However, the sheriff followed up to report that there were two wounded, not three, for a total of four victims.

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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Two people are dead and more believed to be injured following a Monday morning shooting in Clearlake Oaks.

Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin confirmed to Lake County News at 12:30 p.m. Monday that there were two fatalities in the shooting, which was first reported before 11:30 a.m., as Lake County News has reported.

Martin also confirmed that a California Highway Patrol officer was shot during the incident, but it was not clear what the officer’s condition was.

Separate radio reports had indicated the officer had been transported from the scene and was one of as many as four victims.

The sheriff’s office had issued a shelter in place order just before noon because of the shooting, which first occurred near the Clearlake Oaks Post Office. Radio reports also indicated shooting incidents in other parts of Clearlake Oaks.

Martin also confirmed to Lake County News that a suspect had been taken into custody.

Radio reports indicated that the suspect had been apprehended as of 12:15 p.m.

“We have multiple scenes,” Martin said, adding that the male suspect had run down the street shooting at people.

Additional updates will be posted as they become available.

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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Authorities are on the scene of an active shooter with multiple victims – one of them reported to be a law enforcement officer – in the Clearlake Oaks area.

Firefighters from local agencies and Cal Fire were first dispatched shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday to a medical aid in connection to the shooting in Clearlake Oaks, based on radio traffic.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert just before 11:55 a.m. ordering everyone near the Clearlake Oaks Post Office should shelter in place because of the shooting in the area.

“Stay indoors and out of sight until further notice,” officials said.

Radio reports indicated there may be as many as four shooting victims, one of them a California Highway Patrol officer who is being transported from the scene.

An air ambulance has been dispatched to the area for a patient and has been directed to land at Orchard Shores, according to radio reports.

In the midst of the response, a wildland fire at Highway 20 and High Valley Road was reported, with firefighters dispatched to respond. Cal Fire units could not locate a fire originally but later saw a column of smoke.

During the incident there also has been a report of authorities possibly in a vehicle pursuit connected to the incident.

As of just before 12:15 p.m., the shooter was reported to have been apprehended.

Updates will be posted as they become available.

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. – A discussion regarding the continuation of a local health emergency due to the Sulphur fire and a presentation on allowing tiny houses in the county are on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda this week.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:10 a.m., the board will consider continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait due to the Sulphur fire.

During that item the board also will get an update and hold a discussion on the Sulphur fire recovery process that’s now under way.

At 9:15 a.m., the board will hear a presentation from the Community Development Department
regarding options for allowing tiny houses in Lake County. The department also is asking for board direction on the matter.

The full agenda follows.

CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS

6.1: Consideration of Change Order No. 1 for Harbin Springs Road at Harbin Creek Bridge Replacement Project, Federal Project No. BRLO-5914(106), Bid No. 17-04,

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meeting held Oct. 3, 2017.

7.2: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and St. Helena Hospital for the Fiscal Year 2017-18 for a contract maximum of $45,000; and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

7.3: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.4, as the County is piggybacking on a cooperative purchasing consortium contract; and (b) approve purchase order with AAA Business Solutions, for cubicle workstations, in the amount of $84,949.36, and authorize the Community Development director to sign.

7.4: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve notarized dedication and conveyance for sewer mainline extension to serve Assessor's Parcel Number 024-231-120/9535 State Highway 53, Lower Lake and authorize the chair to sign.

7.5: Approve contract between county of Lake and Lake Family Resource Center for CalWORKs Domestic Violence Services in the amount of $25,000, from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018; and authorize the chair to sign.

7.6: Adopt resolution to cancel capital improvement reserve designations in the amount of $31,500 (Middletown Sewer) and appropriate the funds to 253.8353.783.18-00 – Maintenance - Bldgs. & Improvements.

7.7: Approve an agreement between the county of Lake and the Regents of the University of California for a university services agreement to provide phosphorus and nitrogen analysis of lakebed sediment cores from October 2017 through October 2020, for an amount not to exceed $42,663, and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuation of a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer; and (b) update and discussion on Sulphur fire recovery.

8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration and presentation of options for allowing "tiny houses" in Lake County, and request for board direction.

8.4, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of Appeal (AB 17-04) of Planning Commission's adoption of mitigated negative declaration, Based on Initial Study IS 17-21, and approval of lakebed encroachment permit.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration of Proposed 2018 Board of Supervisors regular meeting calendar.

9.3: Consideration of an Ordinance amending County Code section 2-2, 2.2 of Article I, Chapter 2, of the Lake County Code, office hours of county offices.

9.4: Consideration of request to extend the assessor-recorder and treasurer-tax collector’s temporary modification of front office hours of operation through Dec. 31, 2017.

9.5: Consideration for discussion and decision regarding the wall of honor located in the courthouse.

9.6: Consideration of proposed agreement between the county of Lake and the county of Tehama for housing of juvenile wards.

9.7: Consideration of resolution amending position allocations for Budget Unit 2302-Probation.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Public employee evaluations title: Social Services director.

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.