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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The body of 56-year-old Donnie Kelly Foster was discovered Wednesday morning, according to Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Noe said deputies were dispatched shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday to Brewery Gulch on the report of body found on the beach.
When they arrived, they identified Foster, whose body had appeared to have been washed up on the beach by the tide, Noe said.
Foster had been reported overdue Tuesday evening after last being seen at 3 p.m. in the area of Mendocino Bay in his 7-foot blue whitewater kayak, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said the U.S. Coast Guard had begun an ocean search Wednesday using their helicopter and motor life boat in the area where Foster had last been seen
Foster was visiting the Mendocino Coast with his wife for the Thanksgiving holiday, Smallcomb said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The fire was reported at Kingfisher Mobile Home Park, located at 5845 Old Highway 53, early Tuesday afternoon.
Lake County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta said firefighters were dispatched to the fire at approximately 12:16 p.m. and arrived exactly six minutes later.
Two engines, one water tender, a rescue unit, two battalion chiefs and two medics were dispatched to the incident, Sapeta said.
When firefighters arrived on scene, they found the older singlewide mobile home fully involved, according to Sapeta.
The older male resident suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake, Sapeta said.
Because of the man's injuries, Sapeta said medical personnel were discussing flying him out of the county for treatment.
As the firefighters were dealing with the call, a medical aid for a stroke victim was dispatched at a nearby home, Sapeta said.
Sapeta said it took about two and a half hours to contain and mop up the fire.
“It was an older mobile home. We had to tear everything apart and get into it,” to make sure a fire didn't reoccur, he said.
Sapeta said the home was a complete loss.
The cause is still under investigation, he said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
So far this week there have been several situations where people have become stranded or suffered exposure from the winter weather in the forest, as Lake County News has reported.
In one case, 12 people became stranded in the snow on the Mendocino County side of the forest on Sunday, with some of them not being reached by Search and Rescue until Monday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Three people on the Lake County side of the forest above Upper Lake had to be assisted by a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer on Sunday, according to Mendocino National Forest spokesperson Tamara Schmidt.
Then on Tuesday morning, there was a report of travelers on Forest Highway 7 getting stuck, Schmidt said.
“Road conditions are pretty dicey,” Schmidt said.
She said that the Mendocino National Forest's off-highway vehicle trail system currently is closed because of the weather, which has included snow in the higher elevations over the past week.
Schmidt said the forest is seeing an increase in activity due to people going up to pick out Christmas trees, the permits for which went on sale last week.
The Christmas tree permits will be available through Dec. 17, and are good through Dec. 24. The cost is $10 per tree, with a limit of one tree per household.
Schmidt said the Mendocino National Forest sells about 3,000 tree permits annually, with the money going back into the general fund.
“It ends up going back to the treasury, so it's not really staying here in the forest,” she said.
To find out more about the Christmas tree permits and where to purchase them, see Mendocino National Forest Christmas tree permits available .
For those planning to visit the forest this weekend for outdoors activities and Christmas tree hunts, Schmidt urged them to be cautious.
If road conditions are deteriorating, turn back, she said.
Anyone driving into the forest should be prepared for cold and changing conditions, Schmidt said.
She suggested that visitors take common sense precautions, including telling people where they are going and when they are coming back, and leaving for the trip with a full tank of gas.
All Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed on Thanksgiving.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The end of the year for most Americans means preparing for feasts, festivities and fun throughout the holiday season. But each year that joy is marred by tragedy when accidents and fires cause injuries and even death.
Thanksgiving remains the leading day for home cooking fires with three times as many cooking fires as an average day, according to statistics by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
In fact, on Thanksgiving Day 2009, Cal Fire crews responded to more than 600 emergency incidents and sadly one person died in a home fire.
“Every holiday the number of emergencies Cal Fire responds to increases,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, acting Cal Fire director. “While that’s our job, we certainly don’t want to respond to your house this Thanksgiving because there was a fire or someone was burned. We want everyone to have a safe holiday season.”
To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking, Cal Fire offers the following tips:
Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.
If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
Cooking food should always be supervised by an adult.
Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and other material that can burn. Never use on wooden decks or in garages.
Children should not be permitted near a turkey fryer since hot oil can cause serious burn injuries.
Provide a level surface that is free of ignitable materials when using turkey fryers.
Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy at all times. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.
For more information on fire safety, visit www.fire.ca.gov.
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