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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY,Calif. – As record high temperatures continue to broil most of the state, firefighters throughout California continue to work hard to bring several wildfires under control.
On Monday, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. secured federal financial assistance to help ensure availability of vital resources to extinguish the Wye Fire Complex of wildfires burning in Lake County.
California received approval for a special Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) which provides funds to reimburse firefighting expenses.
“Resources can get strained during this time of year, so these funds are critical for providing our local and state firefighters with the tools they need to fight this fire,” said Cal EMA Secretary Mark Ghilarducci. “We are doing everything we can to assist the fire-affected areas and the firefighters who are bravely fighting this fire. We are thankful for the support from our federal partners and glad that they understand the magnitude of the Wye Fire.”
This specific funding provided by FEMA allows a 75 percent federal cost-share reimbursement, through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund, to California for costs incurred in firefighting activities. The other 25 percent of firefighting costs is left to the local jurisdiction.
The FMAG is available to state, local and tribal governments. The reimbursed costs must be a result of fire disaster declared by the governor and performed within the designated fire area using resources requested by incident commanders.
Reimbursements can include supplies, labor, travel, repairs, administrative costs and mobilizations/demobilizations.
The Wye Fire has so far burned over 6,000 acres and is at 25 percent containment. The fire is threatening 480 residences resulting in mandatory evacuations for the affected area.
For current information about the Wye wildfires visit http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=707
Joining the hundreds of local government and federal firefighting personnel already battling fires throughout the state, the California Emergency Management Agency has currently deployed mutual aid resources including nine Cal EMA Strike Teams, 39 local government strike teams/task forces; 240 engines and 781 firefighters.
Cal EMA is responsible for the coordination of overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government.
The agency is responsible for assuring the state’s readiness to respond to and recover from all hazards – natural, manmade, war-caused emergencies and disasters – and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and hazard mitigation efforts.
Visit the agency online at www.calema.ca.gov or @calema on Twitter and get the latest news at www.calemanews.wordpress.com .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In response to continuing poor air quality conditions due to wildfires burning east of Clearlake Oaks, air quality officials issued another alert for Tuesday.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the Wye and Walker fires have resulted in the smoke, haze, and degraded air quality.
On Monday, ozone and particulate levels exceeded state health-based standards for small respirable particulate and ozone (photochemical smog), Gearhart reported.
He said the prediction for Tuesday is for “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” to “unhealthy for everyone” air quality in Lake County.
The Northshore communities, Clearlake and the eastern portions of Lake County are expected to be impacted the most, Gearhart said. Areas closer to the active fires may experience “hazardous” air quality due to the high levels of fine particulates and ozone.
Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individual including young children, the elderly, individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.
The extreme heat forecast for Lake County can make the stress worse if combined with physical exertion, he said.
Gearhart said the unhealthy air quality alert results from fine particulate in the smoke and ground
level ozone, generated by combustion products in the smoke combined with the high temperatures, significant sunlight and humidity.
Other chemical reactions reduce visibility by forming secondary particulates that grow in size as they draw moisture out of the air, he said.
Poor air quality, haze, and particulate from the ongoing wildfires is expected to continue throughout Lake County until the fires are out, Gearhart reported.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Hundreds of Spring Valley residents got the word Monday evening that they could go back home after they were ordered from their homes the night before due to the Wye Fire.
Cal Fire said the Wye Fire – which now includes the Walker Fire – had reached 6,000 acres by Monday evening, and was 25 percent contained.
The fires had broken out Sunday afternoon in the area of Highway 20 and Highway 53 and near Walker Ridge Road.
Cal Fire reported at 7 p.m. Monday that the mandatory evacuation order for Spring Valley – including Old Long Valley Road and New Long Valley Road – had been lifted, and that residents would be able to return to their homes as of 8 p.m. with the help of an escort.
The California Highway Patrol had begun escorting motorists along a reopened stretch of Highway 20 east of Highway 53 at about 6 p.m. Traffic was limited to a single-lane, guided by a CHP pilot car.
Shortly before 8 p.m. Lake County News received a report from a citizen of backed up traffic in the area of Highway 20 and 53, with the possibility that the highway was to be closed again. When contacted, Cal Fire’s information center said they didn’t have information on another closure.
Cal Fire said the Wye Fire had threatened a total of 480 homes in the Long Valley and Spring Valley areas.
The fire destroyed two structures and damaged a third; the exact locations weren’t reported by the agency.
There also were two injuries from the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.
Evacuees had been housed at a Red Cross shelter set up at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, and an assistance center also was set up at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge.
On Monday, dozens of people, their pets and livestock waited at the lodge for conditions to change so they could return home.
Cal Fire indicated that evacuations in the Wilbur Hot Springs area due to the Walker Fire were still in effect.
Total fire personnel on scene Monday included 358 firefighters, of which 290 were Cal Fire staff, the agency said.
There also were 21 engines, six fire crews, two air tankers, seven helicopters, eight bulldozers and six water tenders working on the fires, according to Cal Fire.
An estimated time of containment hasn’t been announced.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday evening fire officials said they were partially opening a section of Highway 20 to traffic.
The announcement came only an hour after Caltrans officials had said they anticipated the highway remaining closed due to firefighting efforts on the Wye incident, which has burned an estimated 5,000 acres since Sunday.
Cal Fire said just after 6 p.m. that Highway 20 east of Highway 53 to Wilbur Springs will be open to single-lane traffic.
Motorists will be led through the area by a California Highway Patrol pilot escort.
Cal Fire said the road opening is subject to change due to fire activity.
The highway had remained closed Sunday evening and much of Monday due to the fire, as Lake County News has reported.
The fire had burned on both sides of the highway, and had damaged guardrails, road signs and power lines.
Email Elizabeth Larson at