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- Written by: Lake County News reports
All three zones of the complex – burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests – have burned a total of 846,898 acres, with containment up to 38 percent, the US Forest Service reported.
Officials said fire crews continued burning operations to the north of Lake Pillsbury on Monday, further increasing protection of communities and overall progress toward containment.
As smoke lifted during the afternoon Monday, firefighters were able to utilize both ground crews and aerial resources in ignition efforts along the M1 from the summit south to Cabbage Patch at the M1-M6 junction, officials said.
The use of helicopters allows operations to take place in areas that are unsafe or inaccessible by firefighters on the ground and complete the operations more quickly to take advantage of favorable weather conditions, the Forest Service reported.
Crews and equipment continue to improve both primary and alternate control lines to the west
and northwest of Lake Pillsbury near Sunset Gap. Officials said the improvements include setting up pumps and hoses and removing trees and vegetation that could cause control problems during future firing and holding operations.
Meanwhile, Cal Fire crews on the West Zone of the August Complex have been working eastward and constructing additional control lines along the fire edge.
No new structure losses have been reported, with the damage reports so far remaining at 35 structures destroyed while 1,595 remain threatened, the Forest Service reported.
In the South Zone of the August Complex, evacuation orders are in effect for portions of Mendocino and Lake counties. In Lake County, orders remain active for Pillsbury Ranch and the entire Lake Pillsbury basin.
Evacuation information can also be found here.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Sunday Lake County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lakeport man who a witness said set a small vegetation fire near Upper Lake.
Baraquiel Simon Ruiz, 33, was taken into custody in the case, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.
At 6:50 p.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the 6600 block of Westlake Road in Upper Lake for a reported arson. Paulich said a witness reported observing a male starting a fire in the area.
When deputies arrived, they contacted the witness, who told them he saw a male lighting a fire on the side of the road that was approximately a 5-foot by 5-foot area, Paulich said.
Paulich said the witness yelled at the subject to stop and the subject started to stomp out the fire. Once the fire was mostly out, the male subject who set it left the area toward Highway 29. The witness was able to capture the subject on video using his cell phone.
The deputies searched the area, locating a male subject identified as Ruiz, who matched the description provided by the witness, Paulich said.
The deputies conducted an in-field line up and the witness identified Ruiz as the individual who set the fire. Paulich said Ruiz admitted to starting the fire to burn some trash. He could not provide a reason why he was burning trash on the side of the road.
The fire ultimately burned a 10-foot by 10-foot grassy area, Paulich said.
Fire personnel reported there had been a separate fire in the same area around 2 p.m. that day. Paulich said it is unknown at this time if Ruiz was responsible for that fire.
Ruiz was placed under arrest at 8 p.m. Sunday and booked at the Lake County Jail for arson, according to jail records. He remained in custody on Tuesday with bail set at $250,000.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or the fire earlier in the day is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-262-4200.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Employment Development Department said Lake County’s August unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, down from an adjusted 11.7 percent in July, 14.2 percent in June, 15.5 percent in May and 16.7 percent in April.
Lake County’s August 2019 unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, based on state records.
California’s overall unemployment rate improved to 11.4 percent in August, down from 13.5 percent last month but up from 3.9 percent from August of last year, the state said.
August’s statewide unemployment rate of 11.4 percent marked the first month since March 2020 that California’s unemployment rate was lower than the 12.3 percent mark set during the height of the Great Recession – March, October and November 2010 – according to the report.
The number of Californians holding jobs in August totaled 16,574,300, an increase of 291,700 jobs from a downward-revised (-11,300) July, but down 2,081,600 from the employment total in August of last year, the state said.
The report showed that the number of unemployed Californians was 2,134,600 in August, a decrease of 408,700 over the month, but up by 1,370,800 compared with August of last year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nation’s unemployment rate in August was 8.4 percent, down from 10.2 percent in July and more than double the 3.7 percent reported in August 2019.
In Lake County, the civilian workforce in August totaled 28,640, up by nearly 2,000 people over July, when the workforce numbered 26,960 members, according to the state report.
Locally, the total farm job category had the most growth in August, 37.2 percent, or 420 jobs, while still being down by 2.5 percent compared to 2019, the state said.
The Employment Development Department said the total nonfarm category was up by 9.2 percent in August compared with July, but down by 7.5 percent in the year-over comparison.
Total nonfarm’s main subcategories that showed growth in August were service providing, 10.3 percent; private service providing, 7.4 percent; and total private, 6.2 percent. Goods producing was down by 1.6 percent.
Lake County earned a statewide ranking of No. 24 for its August jobless rate, tying with Mendocino County.
Lake’s neighboring county jobless rates and ranks in the latest report are Colusa, 11 percent, No. 49; Glenn, 8.1 percent, No. 17; Napa, 8.3 percent, No. 19; Sonoma, 7.7 percent, No. 10; and Yolo, 7.5 percent, No. 6.
The county with the highest jobless rate in August remained Imperial, at 22.9 percent, while the lowest unemployment rate, 6.7 percent, was reported in Lassen County.
Details of statewide job picture
In August, California’s employers added 101,900 jobs, following July’s downward-revised gain of 83,500 jobs. The Employment Development Department said California has now regained nearly a third – 33.9 percent – of the 2,615,800 nonfarm jobs lost during March and April as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
California payroll jobs totaled 15,874,400 in August 2020, up 101,900 from last month but down 1,598,200 from August of last year.
The month-over decrease in California’s unemployment rate (-2.1 percentage points) was larger than that of the nation as a whole (-1.8 percentage points).
Total nonfarm jobs decreased by 1,598,200 (a 9.1-percent decrease) from August 2019 to August 2020 compared to the U.S. annual loss of 10,246,000 jobs (a 6.8 percent decrease).
Six of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in August: Government increased by 66,100, the largest job gain, due to federal temporary hiring for the 2020 Census and growth in local government education; trade, transportation and utilities’ increased by 26,000, buoyed by transportation and warehousing and general merchandise stores; professional and business services increased by 19,400; education and health services, 7,900; construction, 6,700; and manufacturing, 900.
Leisure and hospitality posted the largest industry job loss in August (-14,600), and 561,900 of the sector’s 633,000 year-over job losses have occurred since March 2020. Other services showed a drop of 5,700 jobs, information jobs declined by 4,300, mining and logging was down by 400 and financial activities decreased by 100.
The Employment Development Department said the number of jobs in the agriculture industry decreased by 3,400 from July, to 326,800 jobs in August 2020. The agricultural industry has lost 101,100 farm jobs since August 2019.
Update on Unemployment Insurance
The Employment Development Department also reported there were 2,837,209 people certifying for Unemployment Insurance benefits during the August 2020 sample week. That compares to 3,144,098 people in July 2020 and 309,691 people in August 2019.
Concurrently, the state said 196,855 initial claims were processed in the August 2020 sample week, which was a month-over decrease of 47,651 claims from July 2020, but a year-over increase of 162,080 claims from August 2019.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Vicky Parish Smith
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Pear Festival is a one-day celebration of Lake County’s harvest of pears, walnuts, olives and winegrapes.
This has always been a family-focused event that showcases the rich agricultural heritage of many generations.
It features a grand parade, historical displays, local businesses, craftsmen, food vendors, musicians, dancers, horses, kids’ town, and community services.
This is the best-attended, one-day event in Lake County.
For the past 27 years Lake County families and those from beyond have planned reunions, enjoyed outdoor concerts and cheered at high school homecomings, all to coincide with the Kelseyville Pear Festival held on the last Saturday of each September.
A recent feature is the sold-out farm-to-fork dinner centered in the middle of Main Street on Friday night.
Sadly, 2020 has seen traditional community events canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And again, Lake County endures horrific fires and weather conditions that make any sort of outdoor event nearly impossible this September.
With all the defugalties, the all-volunteer Kelseyville Pear Festival Committee will be planning to bring everything back on Sept. 25, 2021. Mark that day on your calendar and we will see you then.
For more information go to www.pearfestival.com or contact C. Richard Smith at 707-278-7268.
Vicky Parish Smith has worked with the pear festival organizing committee.