What's up for November? Mercury transits across the sun, and the dimming of the "Demon star," Algol.

On Nov. 11 we're in for a rare treat, as the innermost planet, Mercury, passes directly in front of the sun for a few hours.

This event is called a transit, and for Mercury they happen only about 13 times in a century (transits of Venus are even more rare.)

The event will last about five and a half hours, during which Mercury's path will take it right across the middle of the sun's disk.

For observers in the Eastern U.S., the transit begins after sunrise, meaning you'll be able to view the entire thing. For the central and western U.S., the transit begins before sunrise, but there's enough time left as the sun climbs up the sky for you to catch a glimpse before Mercury makes its exit.

Now remember, you should never look directly at the sun without proper protection, as it can permanently damage your eyes.

If you have a pair eclipse shades, those are OK for viewing the sun, but Mercury is so small in comparison that it can be next to impossible to see a transit without magnification.

Your best bet is a telescope with a certified sun filter, but other options include solar projection boxes and sun funnels. Plus, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft will be sharing near-real time images during the transit. Whatever method you choose, be safe when observing the sun!

The next Mercury transit that will be visible in the U.S. isn't until 2049! So if you're in the States, you might want to make the effort to catch this special celestial event.

A much more frequent type of transit you might want to check out is the regular dimming and brightening of the "Demon Star," Algol.

Found in the constellation Perseus, Algol is actually two stars orbiting around each other, and they're oriented nearly edge-on such that, from our perspective, the smaller star regularly passes in front of the larger, brighter one, causing it to dim for about 10 hours at a time.

This happens like clockwork, every 2 days, 20 hours, 49 minutes. You can find tables of these "minima," as they're called, in lots of astronomy magazines and websites.

To observe Algol's eclipses, find the date and time of a predicted minimum and start observing maybe an hour or two before that time.

Take a look about every half hour (binoculars are really useful for this). Over a few hours following the minimum, Algol will slowly brighten back to its normal state.

At its normal brightness, Algol appears about as bright as the nearby star Almach, while at its minimum, it dims to around the brightness of its neighbor Gorgonea Tertia. So these two stars provide a helpful way to compare Algol's brightness throughout the night as you observe.

You can catch up on all of NASA's current and future missions at www.nasa.gov.

Preston Dyches works for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A standoff that began in Clearlake on Thursday morning ended early Friday evening as authorities took a man into custody and were able to safely retrieve a child the man had held hostage.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White said shortly after 6 p.m. Friday that the Lake County Sheriff’s SWAT Team had taken 31-year-old Francisco Morales-Gomez of Clearlake into custody without incident after he surrendered the child.

A 6-year-old child who had been kept in the house since Thursday morning is safe and in medical custody, White said.

“The child appears healthy,” White said.

Authorities had been in negotiations with Morales-Gomez since Thursday morning, after they responded to a residence at 29th and Boyles avenues on the report of a male subject at the home who had displayed a firearm.

White told Lake County News that Morales-Gomez had let his brother leave the home but, after appearing briefly at the door of the residence armed with a rifle, Morales-Gomez disappeared back into the house, keeping the child with him.

Police subsequently evacuated some homes in the immediate area and closed nearby streets while the situation unfolded, White said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team as well as the SWAT Team from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office took turns negotiating with Morales-Gomez over a 33-hour-long period before the situation ended, White said.

White said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team was able to continue negotiations with Morales-Gomez, who passed the child to out to them Friday evening before trying to go out a window.

The SWAT Team took Morales-Gomez into custody at that point, White said.

The Clearlake Police Department thanked the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner, California Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife and Lake County Fire for their assistance in peacefully resolving the situation.

Additional details will be published 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, Calif. – Authorities are negotiating with an armed man who they say has been holding a family member hostage at a Clearlake home since Thursday morning.

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White said that on Thursday morning police received a call for service regarding a person who had displayed a firearm at a home on 29th Avenue.

White said units responded and surrounded the house, and were able to get a brother of the suspect – a male adult whom police have so far not identified publicly – to come out of the house.

However, the armed male remained in the house with another family member. White said the man appeared briefly at the door, armed with a rifle, before disappearing back inside the house, keeping the family member there with him.

“He’s been noncompliant since that time and will not let the other person out of the house,” White said.

White said due to the circumstances of negotiations, they also are not identifying the person being kept inside by the armed man, and not saying if it is an adult or child.

Authorities have had a lot of communication with the man, who is so far not complying with their requests, including allowing them to execute a search warrant for the house, White said.

Police began negotiating with the man, and on Thursday morning the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team responded and took over, continuing negotiations throughout Thursday, White said.

White said officers went door to door to nearby homes and evacuated residents there. However, he said they didn’t find it necessary to do a larger evacuation.

With the focus on negotiations, and with the situation being highly dynamic, White said the police department did not send out a Nixle alert or make a Facebook post.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office sent a SWAT team that handled the scene overnight and continued negotiations. White said at one point a helicopter also was over the scene.

During the night, White said they lost communications with the armed subject, but reestablished contact with him on Friday morning.

On Friday morning, White said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office resumed negotiations with the man. Lake County Behavioral Health has also assisted with negotiations.

White said authorities have spoken with other family members not directly involved in the situation and have no reason to believe anyone has been injured.

He said the primary focus remains negotiations and trying to diffuse the quickly changing situation.

In addition to the large law enforcement presence, White said the Lake County Fire Protection District is at the scene and on standby.

He said there are some road closures in the immediate area that they have condensed down so as to have less impact on the community.

The closures are on 29th Avenue from Boyles to Irving, Boyles between 28th and 29th avenues, and on a portion of 28th Avenue, White said.

“We do need people to stay out of those lines” and plan alternate travel routes, he said.

White said police were in contact with the Konocti Unified School District in order to reroute school buses around the area.

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. – The Lakeport City Council this week supported continuing work with the Lakeport Fire Protection District to reestablish controlled burns on larger properties in the city limits, an effort kicked off thanks to a community member’s advocacy.

The discussion begins at the 4:45 minute mark in the video of the meeting shown above. The staff report begins on page 31 of the staff report published below.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said that in 2018 the council voted to revise the Lakeport Municipal Code so that property owners are required to abate hazardous weeds and dry vegetation by June 1 rather than the first week of July, as Lake County News has reported.

It was during the discussion about those changes that the council gave staff direction about exploring other possible ordinance revisions to reduce wildland fire risks, he said.

Ingram said the city has been working with the Lakeport Fire Protection District and Lake County Air Quality Management as well as interested citizens on possible amendments to the city code, which currently completely prohibits outdoor burning.

City Municipal Code Chapter 8.11, “Outside Burning,” prohibits all outside burning of any kind within the incorporated city with the exception of barbecue and “fire department/district training exercises that include burning of a building or other structure when under the supervision of fire chief or his/her designee, and in compliance with applicable air pollution regulations.”

That portion of the city code was approved by Ordinance 817 in 2002.

City council minutes, provided at Lake County News’ request on Thursday by Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton, show that at the council’s meeting on Aug. 14, 2002, then-Lake County Air Pollution Control Officer Bob Reynolds spoke to the council in support of an ordinance to prohibit outdoor burning.

At that point, the council voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance banning outdoor burning at the Aug. 28, 2002, meeting.

The council followed up with a half-hour-long public hearing on Aug. 28, 2002, taking public input from Reynolds and four other community members; the meeting minutes do not detail the content of those comments.

At the end of that hearing, the council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance banning outdoor burning within the city limits “with the understanding that exceptions can be created where needed.”

On Tuesday, Ingram said they’ve been looking at allowing controlled burns on parcels one acre and larger in size. They’ve been looking at the rules for what is allowed in the unincorporated county, with more protections since the city is more densely crowded.

In the meetings between the city, the fire district, the Air Quality Management District and community members, Ingram said they have been discussing the possibility of conducting test burns overseen by Lakeport Fire this winter to explore possible impacts to the community before going ahead and make a formal amendment to the municipal code.

When the city conducts controlled burns on its dam structure at the wastewater treatment plant, it does a lot of public outreach, he said.

Ingram said potential areas for the proposed test burns are a Lakeport Fire parcel on Larrecou Lane near the Vista Point Shopping Center, a 15-acre property at 1842 Todd Road adjacent to KFC, as well as a group of larger properties on the north side of 11th Street, represented at the meeting by Frank Dollosso, a property owner whose advocacy brought the matter forward and who has spoken to the council previously.

“We wanted to kind of get the pulse of the council” on that approach before making a more formal proposal, said Ingram.

Lakeport Fire Chief Rick Bergem said Ingram and Dollosso have done a good job of bringing the matter forward, calling it “long overdue.”

Noting that the ban had been in effect for a long time, Bergem said it has made it difficult for property owners to keep properties clean.

“In that timeframe the fuel loads have just greatly expanded in the city limits,” he said.

Bergem said controlled burning will give the city a much greater chance if a fire comes close to it again.

Dollosso thanked everyone for working on the proposal.

He lives on a five-and-a-half-acre property on 11th street. He has two neighbors who have another 10 acres between them.

When he bought his property, the previous owner had done little clearing due to the burn ban. Dollosso said the result was that he had to cut dump truck loads of green waste from his property, which has numerous oaks and other trees. He said he can’t get enough green waste bins to keep it cleared.

Dollosso said that, if done properly, controlled burning shouldn’t have a big impact on neighboring properties thanks to the requirements for a smoke management plan and the fire chief being able to determine if burning should not happen on certain days because of community events.

Ingram said Dollosso’s comments echo what the city has heard from other community members about how cost prohibitive it can be to clear properties without the ability for controlled burning.

He said people want to do the right thing but have been hamstrung with the tools available to them.

Councilman George Spurr asked if the city would do public outreach for the test burns. Ingram said that’s what they do when the control burns at the dam, but he said he was not sure how far they would go with notifications on each individual burn.

Spurr said people are gun shy after having fires every year, and Ingram said that was the reasoning for doing the training burns this winter.

Mayor Tim Barnes said he liked the idea of stripping out the vegetation that serves as fuel, so if a fire doesn’t break out it isn’t sitting in the middle of a powder keg.

Ingram said most of the properties where the burns could take place are an acre or more in size and are on the city’s boundaries, particularly the western side. He said approval won’t be automatic, and must be granted by both the fire district and Air Quality Management District.

Councilman Kenny Parlet pointed out that even Bergem thinks it’s a good idea to change the city rule, and he said the old ways of doing things were good, and they were burning all the time.

Now, they have gotten away from burning and Parlet said they have seen the consequences of not taking care of business. He commended staff for working on the matter, which he said will be a lot better for everyone.

Barnes congratulated Dollosso, recognizing that he did a lot of the footwork.

Dollosso had talked to Barnes about controlled burns a long time ago, and Barnes said he had encouraged Dollosso to come to the council.

“The point of all of this, is coming and making it work, so good on you, man,” Barnes said, also thanking staff.

Councilwoman Mireya Turner moved to direct staff to continue to work with the Lakeport Fire Protection District and Lake County Air Quality Management on efforts including supervised controlled burns this winter by Lakeport Fire.

Parlet seconded Turner’s motion and the council voted to approve it 5-0.

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.

110519 Lakeport City Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., all are invited to join local 4-Hers, veteran organizations, and the public in the annual Veterans Day ceremony honoring Lake County's veterans at Konocti Vista Casino.

The county’s 4-H clubs have prepared handmade cards for the local veterans as a way to show their appreciation.

Each year 4-H youth join with the community thanking the many service men and women for all their hard work and self sacrifice.

Participation by 4-H members at this event has been a tradition for more than 30 years.

Cards are distributed to those attending with extras designated for the nearest veteran hospital.

In addition to honoring armed forces veterans, Blue Heron 4-H members have been joining in Operation Tango Mike monthly packing parties as part of their community service. They help create the packages going to our active service men and women.

More information about the 4-H organization is available online at http://celake.ucanr.edu/4-H_Program/ or at the county 4-H office 707-263-6838.

Robin Adams is a 4-H All Star candidate.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport has opportunities for the general public to become involved in local government by serving on local commissions and committees.

If you have an interest in serving your community, applying for a position on a city commission or committee is a great place to start.

The city invites applications for the following committees and commissions:

– The Lakeport Planning Commission;
– Parks and Recreation Commission;
– the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board;
– and the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee, or LEDAC.

These appointments would be effective as of Jan. 1, 2020.

Membership on these commissions and committees is voluntary.

If you are interested in serving on one of these committees, applications are available on the city’s website under the Community News Topic, “Now Recruiting: Commission/Committee
Openings” , or under the “Government” tab (Committees & Commissions).

For additional information, please contact Deputy City Clerk Hilary Britton at 707-263-5615, Extension 102, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Applications will be accepted until Thursday, Nov. 21, at 5 p.m.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has many dogs ready to be adopted this week.

The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.

The following dogs are ready for adoption. They include mixes of American Staffordshire Terrier, husky and shepherd.

‘Bentley’

“Bentley” is a senior male Shih Tzu with a medium-length coat.

He is dog No. 3163.

‘Blue’

“Blue” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

He has a short blue and white coat and has been neutered.

He is dog No. 2420.

‘Bones’

“Bones” is a male hound mix.

He is dog No. 3038.

‘Charlotte’

“Charlotte” is a female Akita mix.

She is dog No. 3040.

‘King’

“King” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a short brindle coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3034.

‘Ollie’

“Ollie” is a male terrier puppy with a tricolor coat.

He is dog No. 2951.

‘Spice’

“Spice” is a female pug mix with a short tan and black coat.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 3033.

‘Teena’

“Teena” is a female terrier.

She is dog No. 3025.

‘Tyson’

“Tyson” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix.

He has a short gray and white coat.

He has been neutered.

Tyson is dog No. 1863.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation area noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.

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. – The presence of a deadly synthetic opioid that’s the focus of a federal alert has been confirmed in illicitly manufactured pills seized earlier this year by the Lakeport Police Department.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said this week that recent lab results confirmed that the pills, seized in the spring, contained fentanyl, which the Drug Enforcement Administration says is a dangerous synthetic opioid that is lethal in minute doses.

Federal authorities also warned this week that cartels are distributing the deadly substance throughout North America in the form of counterfeit pills.

On May 29, Lakeport Police Officer Casey Debolt conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Leopoldo Bravo of Kelseyville due to an equipment violation, as Lake County News has reported.

Bravo, who was on searchable probation out of Los Angeles County for selling heroin, was found to be in possession of more than an ounce of cocaine, 100 opioid tablets and approximately $1,968 in cash, police said.

Rasmussen said this week that the pills seized from Bravo were marked as – and appeared to be – pharmaceutical oxycodone tablets.

As part of Lakeport Police’s followup investigation, the pills were sent to the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services for analysis, Rasmussen said.

A sample from the batch was chemically analyzed and found to contain fentanyl. Rasmussen, who got the test results on Monday night, said no oxycodone was detected.

He said the pills were marked with the letter “M” and the number “30” which is consistent with a legitimately manufactured oxycodone pill.

Based on all of the information the police department has so far, Rasmussen said they believe the pills were possessed and transported for sale in the community.

Rasmussen said they also believe the pills were probably manufactured with a larger batch somewhere outside of the community and possibly outside of the United States.

On Monday, the DEA issued an alert stating that Mexican drug cartels are manufacturing mass quantities of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl for distribution throughout North America.

Based on a sampling of tablets seized nationwide between January and March 2019, the DEA found that 27 percent contained potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.

“Capitalizing on the opioid epidemic and prescription drug abuse in the United States, drug trafficking organizations are now sending counterfeit pills made with fentanyl in bulk to the United States for distribution,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “Counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl and fentanyl-laced heroin are responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths in the United States each year.”

Fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids remain the primary driver behind the ongoing opioid crisis, with fentanyl involved in more deaths than any other illicit drug, the DEA reported.

Federal officials said a lethal dose of fentanyl is estimated to be about two milligrams, but can vary based on an individual’s body size, tolerance, amount of previous usage and other factors.

Rasmussen said his agency doesn’t currently know how much fentanyl might be contained in each of the seized pills.

The Lakeport Police Department, which has issued warnings about fentanyl in the past, is once again alerting the community due to the lab results and the danger such pills pose, Rasmussen said.

He said they also have alerted their partners at Lake County Prevention and SafeRx Lake County and asked them to share the information.

“I had been worried about fentanyl pills showing up here and now they have,” Rasmussen said.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A special fire tax put before voters in the Northshore Fire Protection District this week appears to be falling short of the required two-thirds supermajority, based on preliminary numbers.

Northshore Fire put Measure N before voters in a special election. Four precincts – in Clearlake Oaks, Lucerne, Nice and Upper Lake – were open on the Northshore but the majority of ballots were submitted via vote-by-mail, or absentee ballots.

On Tuesday evening, the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office published online an initial count of ballots received through Monday.

That initial preliminary count of absentees counted 1,373 ballots, with 845 yes votes, or 61.5 percent, to 528 no votes, or 38.4 percent.

An updated ballot count, including what ballots had been tallied from the precincts, was not published on the Registrar of Voters’ website until after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The updated preliminary count, which included precinct ballots, showed an overall tally of 1,781 ballots cast, with 1,123, or 63 percent, in favor, and 658, or 36.9 percent, opposed.

To pass, measure N needs a 66.7 percent supermajority.

The information published online by the registrar Wednesday evening did not include an estimate of how many ballots that remain to be counted.

Registrar of Voter Catherine McMullen, who took over the Registrar of Voters Office in June, did not respond on Wednesday evening to a Lake County News inquiry about how many ballots have yet to be tallied.

Northshore Fire District Board Chair Jim Burton, the retired Clearlake Oaks fire chief, said he had received no information on the status of uncounted ballots from the Registrar of Voters Office.

“Everybody worked hard on this thing,” he said of the measure.

Burton noted the challenge of trying to retain firefighters and medics.

The updated ballot count issued by the Registrar of Voters Office Wednesday evening showed a 27.9 percent voter participation rate.

The final numbers are expected to change as mailed ballots continue to come in. Those postmarked by Tuesday must arrive by Friday to be counted.

The Registrar of Voters Office also has a 30-day official canvass in which to certify and finalize the election results.

In April 2018, Northshore Fire put its Measure E fire tax before voters. That effort fell well short of the needed supermajority, receiving a yes vote of 54.1 percent and a no vote of 45.9 percent.

“If it fails this time, it’s not because we didn’t do everything the right way and up front,” Burton said.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two drivers were hurt on Wednesday morning and one was arrested after being involved in a suspected drunk driving crash near Kelseyville.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the wreck occurred at 6:25 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 281, also known as Kit’s Corner.

Jessica Leyva, 32, of Santa Rosa was driving her 2002 Ford pickup south and was stopped at the intersection, while 53-year-old David Mackey of Middletown was driving his 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier north on Highway 29, according to the CHP report.

The CHP said Leyva turned to her left, intending on turning onto Highway 281, and into the path of Mackey's vehicle. The two vehicles collided head-on.

After the collision, both parties remained at the collision scene waiting for emergency responders, the CHP said.

Leyva was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by air ambulance for treatment of major injuries, while the CHP said Mackey was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport with moderate injuries.

The CHP said Leyva was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, the CHP said.

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 trial date early next year has been set for a man arrested this summer for the murder of his traveling companion, whose body he dumped in Lake County.

Mavrick William Fisher, 21, was in court on Tuesday morning for a brief arraignment hearing.

Last month, following his preliminary hearing, Fisher was ordered to stand trial for the murder of 25-year-old Grant David Whitaker of Mackinaw, Illinois, as Lake County News has reported.

The two men, both deaf, had been traveling around California to look for property for a deaf farming community when authorities say they had a disagreement, and Whitaker told Fisher that he intended to part ways.

Investigators have concluded that Fisher killed Whitaker with a blow to the head with a rock at Richardson Grove State Park in Humboldt County on Aug. 20.

Fisher is then believed to have wrapped Whitaker’s body in a sleeping bag and driven the body – in the 2011 Chevrolet Impala that Whitaker had borrowed from his grandmother for the trip – to Lake County, dumping the body at a property on Scotts Valley Road near Lakeport.

Four days later, Whitaker’s grandmother reported him missing in Tazewell County, Illinois, which triggered a search that led to Lake County Sheriff’s deputies finding the Chevy Impala abandoned at the Clearlake Oaks Dollar General.

On Aug. 26 sheriff’s deputies would find Whitaker’s body while serving a search warrant at the Scotts Valley Road location.

Fisher was arrested in Mexico on the same day that Whitaker’s body was recovered and returned to Lake County, where he has remained in custody without bail.

Lake County District Attorney Susan Krones, in working with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, decided to prosecute the case based on California Penal Code section 790, which grants Lake County jurisdiction because Whitaker’s body was found here.

Krones told Lake County News that Fisher’s trial date has been set for Jan. 2.

However, before then he is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 3 for discussion of a possible settlement in the case, which Krones said is standard procedure. Then, on Dec. 20 he will be in court for a trial assignment appearance.

Krones said the scheduled trial date could change depending on what happens at the Dec. 3 settlement conference.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A wildland fire that began in a remote area east of Clearlake Oaks this week has been fully contained.

The Eagle fire, burning since Monday night off Walker Ridge Road and Bartlett Springs Road, east of Clearlake Oaks and northeast of Clearlake, was 100-percent contained as of Wednesday evening, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said the fire burned a total of 75 acres.

So far, no cause has been given for what started the blaze.

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.