NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters are gaining ground on a wildland fire that began on Sunday in Mendocino County, leading to evacuations and a temporary closure of a portion of Highway 20 from Upper Lake to Ukiah.
Cal Fire said Sunday night that the Burris fire had burned 350 acres and was 20-percent contained.
It began on Sunday afternoon on Potter Valley Road and Highway 20, east of Calpella, in Mendocino County.
In response to the fire's rapid spread, Sheriff Tom Allman called for mandatory evacuations along Highway 20 east from Potter Valley Road to the Lake County line.
Evacuations warnings also are in effect for Vista Del Lago, Elledge Ranch Road, King Ranch Road, Horseshoe Circle and all of northeast Lake Mendocino in the Cold Creek Ranch area, as well as Highway 20 south to Highway 175, east of the Russian River and west of the Lake County line.
An evacuation center was opened at the Ukiah Veteran’s Hall, 2937 Seminary. A large animal evacuation center is located at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, 1055 N. State Street, Ukiah.
For several hours on Sunday, the fire resulted in a closure of a portion of Highway 20 between Upper Lake and Ukiah.
On Sunday night the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said Highway 20 had reopened to one lane of controlled traffic in the immediate fire area. Drivers are asked to avoid Highway 20 unless it is absolutely necessary.
Assigned resources on Sunday night included 229 personnel, 21 engines, two water tenders, one helicopter, nine hand crews and four dozers, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said the fire's cause is under investigation.
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.
On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency due to the effects of unprecedented high-wind events which have resulted in fires and evacuations across California.
The Kincade Fire in Sonoma county has burned more than 54,000 acres to date, and has led to the evacuation of almost 200,000 people and threatened hundreds of structures.
The Tick fire in Southern California has also destroyed structures, threatened homes and critical infrastructure, and caused the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
As of today, there are over 3,000 local, state and federal personnel, including first responders, assisting with the Kincade fire alone.
“We are deploying every resource available, and are coordinating with numerous agencies as we continue to respond to these fires. It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders, and have the local and state resources they need as we fight these fires,” said Gov. Newsom.
Earlier this week, the governor secured Fire Management Assistance Grants to help ensure the availability of resources to fight the Kincade and Tick fires and enable local, state and tribal agencies to recover eligible costs.
The governor has also met with first responders, health officials, and residents of Napa, Geyserville and Los Angeles this week, and held public briefings regarding the ongoing fire threats and the need to hold utilities accountable for the consequences of their decisions to shut off power for large portions of the state.
The governor announced a $75 million program for state and local governments to mitigate impacts of power shutoffs and unveil a series of new partnerships and new tools to help secure medically vulnerable populations during these events.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Pushed by high winds and dry conditions, the Kincade fire ballooned in size on Sunday, leading to more evacuations and a closure of a portion of Highway 101.
Cal Fire reported during a Sunday evening briefing that the fire has grown to 54,298 acres with containment cut in half, dropping to 5 percent. On Sunday morning, the fire had been at 30,000 acres.
So far, 94 structures have been confirmed destroyed and another 17 damaged, Cal Fire said.
The fire’s aggressively growing footprint is threatening 80,000 homes, officials said Sunday evening.
Sonoma County officials said that prompted the evacuations that are impacting an estimated 186,000 people, or about 36 percent of Sonoma County’s reported population. For context, that is nearly three times Lake County’s total population.
In Lake County, Sheriff Brian Martin said Sunday that evacuation warnings for the Cobb Mountain area and surrounding communities are remaining in effect.
More than 3,400 firefighters are on the lines, working along with air resources that have been key to the ongoing battle to contain the Kincade fire, which began Wednesday night in The Geysers geothermal steamfield.
Cal Fire said two firefighters were injured on Sunday. One was a minor injury, the second was more significant and required the firefighter to be airlifted to a trauma center.
Radio reports early Sunday morning recorded fire intensity picking up after 1 a.m., particularly in the interior of the fire.
An air attack unit had reported winds of 90 knots – or about 103 miles per hour – as they were flying from the Tehama unit to the fire area, and there were concerns about what those winds would do when they reached the fire area.
At about 2:40 a.m., radio reports indicated the fire was starting to head toward Healdsburg.
By 3 a.m., winds were reported to be swirling around the fire area, running ridgelines, making dozer lines too difficult to hold and cutting off roads firefighters were using to access the various sections of the fire, based on incident radio traffic.
At the same time, firefighters had reported additional spotting west of Highway 128, with an additional request for 40 additional engines of any type submitted.
The conditions led to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office issuing Nixle alerts between 2:50 and 4 a.m. reporting that the fire was heading toward Geyserville and Windsor and ordering anyone still in those evacuation areas to leave immediately. That was followed by warnings that the fire also was headed toward Healdsburg and Shiloh Ridge.
The National Weather Service reported that wind gusts on the order of 75 miles per hour were reported in the fire area. No rain is in the forecast until the end of the month, a concern due to the increasingly dry conditions.
The Kincade fire’s spread has been erratic, with long-range spotting, Cal Fire said.
A forecast Monday wind shift is expected to greatly aid the firefighting effort, decreasing the flame length and rate of spread, according to a Sunday evening briefing.
However, the fire could strengthen in its northeastern portion; additionally, officials are concerned about another high wind event forecast for Tuesday.
Fire nears Windsor; evacuations remain in place
Fire Chief Mike Blankenheim, the Kincade fire incident commander, said in a Sunday evening operational update that the predictions both for weather and fire behavior proved to be extremely accurate.
The winds began around 1 a.m. Sunday and brought the fire down from the hills and across Highway 128 at around 3 a.m., Blankenheim said.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, the fire was threatening Highway 101 between Windsor and Healdsburg. Blankenheim said Sunday evening that the fire has not crossed Highway 101.
He said the wind is lined up in a more northerly direction and has pushed straight south on the east side of Highway 101.
As of Sunday evening, the fire’s edge is reported to be somewhere just south of Windsor near Shiloh, where resources are actively engaged in perimeter control and structure defense, Blankenheim said.
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said all evacuations remain in place, a measure being taken to protect lives.
On Sunday, Essick said he saw the fire from the air. “This is still a very active fire.”
Essick credited firefighters for doing an amazing job of stopping the fire before it entered Windsor. He said Sunday evening that the fire appears to be at the town’s edge.
He said he also visited people in evacuation shelters on Sunday. “When we make a decision to move 180,000, it’s a decision we make for public safety,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the impact on people at the shelters. “It really puts a fine point on the impact here.”
Essick said the goal is to get people back to their homes as quickly as possible. “We are doing the right thing by keeping your out of these areas.”
He asked people to cooperate and stay out of the dangerous evacuation areas, adding that their lives are his priority.
Essick said there are more than 200 law enforcement officers patrolling the evacuation areas. Lake County agencies reported that their personnel are assisting with that effort.
As of Sunday evening, there have been no documented cases of looting or associated arrests, but Essick said they did make an arrest that morning of an individual who had entered the evacuation zone and couldn’t provide information on a residence.
Just after 5 a.m. Sunday, authorities closed Highway 101 northbound at Hopper Avenue in northern Santa Rosa and southbound Highway 101 at Cloverdale Boulevard South in Cloverdale.
Assistant Chief Tim Noyes of the California Highway Patrol said they understand the magnitude of the event and its impact on the public.
He said Sunday evening that the south end of Highway 101 had been flowing well for most of the day, and that the CHP planned to open the highway’s southbound lane completely. However, the northbound lane was to remain closed for the time being, with no estimated time of opening yet.
Sunday’s intense day of fire activity coincided with the first full day of Pacific Gas and Electric’s third public safety power shutoff of October.
The company said it is monitoring another wind event this week that has concerned fire officials and which may result in yet another power shutoff in the region.
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. – The California Highway Patrol has closed a portion of Highway 20 in Lake and Mendocino counties and Highway 101 in Mendocino County due to a wildland fire in Potter Valley that has prompted evacuations.
The CHP said Highway 20 is closed at the junction with Highway 29 in Upper Lake and west to Highway 101.
Highway 101 at Highway 20 east is closed near Ukiah, the CHP said.
The closures are the result of the Burris fire, which began Sunday afternoon off Potter Valley Road, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said in a Facebook video from the scene.
Cal Fire said that as of 3:45 p.m. the fire was 250 acres and at zero-percent containment.
Allman said Cal Fire is attacking the blaze but he urged vigilance from area residents.
“We really want people to pay attention to this,” Allman said, noting winds are heading to the south and the west.
He urged people to stay off the highway if possible.
He later reported the fire had reached Highway 20 and the winds had picked up.
At about 3:30 p.m. the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for Highway 20 to the Lake County line, including the Lake Mendocino Bridge and Del Lago areas.
Residents are directed to exit toward Highway 101 and continue north on Highway 101 as the only direction of travel will be west on Highway 20 and north on Highway 101.
At one point, radio traffic indicated the fire was running southeast on top of the ridge toward Lake County, but so far there have been no reports of it reaching Lake County.
More information will be posted as it becomes 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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The lights went off across Lake County and many communities in Northern and Central California on Saturday evening as Pacific Gas and Electric went forward with its third public safety power shutoff this month.
The shutoffs came hours ahead of a predicted wind event that led to a red flag warning by the National Weather Service, and which some forecasters said could be historic in proportion, with wind gusts of 80 miles per hour or more in some areas.
PG&E said it was implementing the shutoff to protect against the danger of fire.
In this latest shutoff, an estimated 940,000 customer accounts and 38 counties are impacted, the company said.
That includes all of Lake County's populated areas, or more than 37,400 customer accounts.
Throughout the day Saturday, PG&E had made a series of changes to its anticipated time of shutoff. Lake County officials and this publication received information that was at times conflicting, with times ranging anywhere from 3 to 11 p.m.
PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said the company was attempting to adjust its shutoff times in reaction to changing conditions.
During a Saturday evening press conference, Mark Quinlan, PG&E’s senior director of emergency preparedness and response, reported that at around 5 p.m. they had started to deenergize the region.
As he gave estimated shutoff start times for some areas, some commenters on the company's Facebook feed reported that their power had already gone off hours ahead of time.
Across Lake County, residents reported power starting to go off around 5:15 p.m. and continuing until about 7:30 p.m.
There were reports of winds in some parts of Lake County on Saturday evening, with heavy winds hitting the north shore beginning at around midnight and continuing early Sunday morning.
At 3 a.m. a PG&E wind map showed wind speeds of more than 20 miles per hour with guts of around 43 miles per hour near Pine Mountain, 15 miles per hour and gusts of up to 39 miles per hour near Clearlake, 31 miles per hour and 50 mile-per-hour gusts near Knoxville, and on Mount St. Helena wind gusts were measured at 55 miles per hour.
No firm estimates have yet been given by PG&E as to when power might be restored, which depends on the timing of the weather event and the possibility of damage to power equipment.
Once the wind event is over and the all-clear has been called, inspections will begin to find any damage to the electrical that could cause fires, PG&E said.
Just when the all-clear might be called also has been a matter of changing times over the past few days.
Originally it had been expected to come sometimes on Monday evening, and county officials reported that in their discussions with PG&E that had been moved up to Monday morning and then, in the last update, to Sunday afternoon.
Once it's clear that lines aren't damaged, PG&E will reenergize them in stages, with the goal of restoring the vast majority of customers within 48 hours after the weather has passed.
During this shutoff, four community resource centers are being provided to Lake County, where residents can get water, charge their phones and rest. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the shutoff.
The locations are as follows::
– Clearlake Senior Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.
– Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, Lakeport.
– Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.
– Upper Lake Unified School District, 725 Old Lucerne Road, Upper Lake.
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.
Gravenstein apples fresh off the tree. Photo by Esther Oertel. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The tree was small, with gnarled limbs on which grayish-green patches of lichen had made its home.
The apples, though growing plentifully, were small, some the size of large cherries. Someone should have thinned the fruit, but the tree had been neglected.
Apples filled the bowl as I picked them from the tree, a motley crew of misshapen fruit in various sizes, some with patches eaten away by yellow jackets. I didn’t hold out hope for making much from this harvest, especially since many revealed inner rot when I cut and peeled them later in the kitchen.
But I plugged away, bit by bit, till every usable scrap of apple was peeled, cleaned, and tossed in a pot. To my surprise, the yield nearly filled two pots with fruit ready to be cooked into applesauce.
Alchemy occurred with the addition of heat and just a little bit of water. The apples softened into a chunky sauce, to which the smallest touch of brown sugar was added. A light dusting of cinnamon followed.
The result was truly magical. A highly flavored, not-too-sweet, fresh-tasting, soft but chunky sauce had been formed from the humble fruit. My son said it was the best he’d ever tasted and my heart swelled with pride.
It wasn’t me, however, who deserved the credit; it was the pure taste of one of the best cooking apples on the planet, the Gravenstein. If you’ve never made sauce with them or baked them into a pie, it’s well worth seeking them out for your first experience.
This apple variety is native to Denmark, where it was discovered as a chance seedling in 1669. It was introduced to western North America in the early 1800s by Russian sea traders, who planted a tree at their Fort Ross, California, settlement.
Renowned botanist and agricultural pioneer Luther Burbank was particularly fond of the sweet-tart Gravenstein apple. Of it he said, “If the Gravenstein could be had throughout the year, no other apple need be grown.”
The U.S. Gravenstein apple crop is concentrated in western Sonoma County, specifically near the town of Sebastopol.
This amazing apple is a difficult commercial crop. They don’t store well, making them available only in season, and short stems and variable ripening times make harvesting and selling difficult.
Sadly, most commercial Gravenstein orchards have disappeared due to suburban sprawl, grape vineyards and bad economic conditions. Few growers are left.
In 2005, Slow Food USA declared the Sebastopol Gravenstein apple a heritage food and included it in their Ark of Taste, an international catalog of heritage foods in danger of extinction.
I feel grateful whenever I see Gravensteins in a store or on a tree. It’s good to know some still exist, even if in smaller quantities than in the past when they were shipped to World War II troops in the form of dried apples and applesauce.
We are in the midst of apple season, and the Gravenstein is but one of more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples. Most are harvested between August and November.
Though one would be hard-pressed to find a Gravenstein apple in October (their peak of season is in August), multiple other varieties are in season now, among them Braeburn, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious.
Apples are divided into three groups: dessert or table apples, which are bred for eating; cooking apples, such as the Gravenstein, which are bred for baking, drying and making into applesauce; and cider apples, which are typically too tart and astringent to eat fresh, but impart a rich flavor to cider.
Apples are members of the large rose family. Wild ancestors of apples known today still grow in remote mountainous regions of central Asia, such as in southern Kazakhstan and surrounding countries.
Almaty, Kazakhstan’s capital and largest city, derives its name from the Kazak word for apple, “alma.”
I particularly enjoy apples in savory applications. My mother developed a dish inspired by Alice Waters made with sweet potatoes, apples and onions sautéed together in a skillet until the apples become caramelized. It’s absolutely delicious as an unusual side dish.
Another favorite of mine is sautéed apples and purple cabbage flavored with fennel or sage. White wine vinegar and currants or raisins add acidity and sweetness, respectively, for a balanced dish. As you can imagine, this is a nice accompaniment to pork or sausages.
Apples may be cored and stuffed with a bit of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and then baked until soft and sweet for a dessert reminiscent of apple pie, though a bit healthier. This was something that was often served in my otherwise dessert deprived childhood (and that’s not a complaint).
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a phrase that’s said to have been coined in 19th century Wales, and it’s proven to be true to some extent. Research indicates that apples contribute to good health by reducing the risk of colon, prostrate and lung cancer.
They may also help with heart disease, weight loss, and controlling cholesterol. Compared to many other fruits and veggies, apples are relatively low in Vitamin C; however, they’re rich in other antioxidant compounds.
If an apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away, it will at least delay him or her.
There are so many wonderful ways to use apples: in a rustic tart, for example, or baked into bread or added to butternut squash soup.
I especially enjoy baking cubed winter squash, onions and apples together with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper for a delicious and warming side dish.
Today’s recipe is for a favorite fall salad made with spinach, apples and walnuts, perfect for an autumn table.
Esther’s Fall Spinach Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Ingredients
For salad
10 cups loosely packed spinach, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces 1 large red apple, chopped 1 large green apple, chopped 1 cup (about 4 ounces) your favorite Gorgonzola or bleu cheese, crumbled ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion, soaked in water 20 minutes, then drained and dried 1/3 cup dried cranberries
For apple cider vinaigrette dressing
¾ cup apple cider or juice 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons honey ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper (I prefer white pepper) ¼ cup walnut oil or neutral oil of your choice
Instructions
Combine ingredients for salad in large bowl.
Whisk together ingredients for dressing, drizzle over salad, and toss to mix.
Enjoy!
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a new lineup of adoptable dogs this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Australian Shepherd, boxer, Chihuahua, English Bulldog, husky, pit bull, Shih Tzu and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
This male Chihuahua is in kennel No. 11, ID No. 13119. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Chihuahua
This male Chihuahua has a short brown and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 11, ID No. 13119.
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 13067. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This female pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 18, ID No. 13067.
This female pit bull terrier in kennel No. 19, ID No. 13085. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This female pit bull terrier has a short black and white coat.
She has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 19, ID No. 13085.
“Scrappy” is a male husky in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13076. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Scrappy’
“Scrappy” is a male husky with a medium-length black and white coat and blue eyes.
He’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13076.
“Honey” is a female Labrador Retriever-chow chow mix in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13146. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. 'Honey'
“Honey” is a female Labrador Retriever-chow chow mix with a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 13146.
This male Shih Tzu is in kennel No. 24, ID No. 13094. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Shih Tzu
This male Shih Tzu has a curly tan and white coat.
He’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 13094.
“Pudge” is a male terrier in kennel No. 25, ID No. 13068. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Pudge’
“Pudge” is a male terrier with a short brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 25, ID No. 13068.
This female boxer is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13048. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female boxer
This female boxer has a short white coat.
She is in kennel No. 29, ID No. 13048.
“Bruiser” is a male boxer in kennel No. 30, ID No. 13034. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. 'Bruiser'
“Bruiser” is a male boxer with a short brindle and white coat.
Shelter staff said he is great with other dogs and kids, and loves to play ball.
He has been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 20, ID No. 13034.
This male Chihuahua is in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13018. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Chihuahua
This male Chihuahua has a short brindle coat.
He is in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13018.
This female pit bull is in kennel No. 34, ID No. 13092. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull
This female pit bull has a short gray coat.
She is in kennel No. 34, ID No. 13092.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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.
October marks the 10th anniversary of California’s “move over” law expanding to include Caltrans vehicles.
Caltrans wants this milestone to serve as a reminder of just how important it is for motorists to follow motor vehicle safety laws.
California’s “move over” law requires all drivers to move over a lane or, if they are unable to do that safely, slow down when they see amber flashing lights on Caltrans vehicles, law enforcement and emergency vehicles, and tow trucks.
“Every year, highway workers, law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, and tow truck drivers are killed or injured along California’s roadways,” said acting Caltrans Director Bob Franzoia. “Californians can help keep workers safe by slowing down in work zones, complying with the ‘move over’ law and always being work zone alert.”
Although all 50 states have enacted move over laws, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 71 percent of Americans have not heard of them.
In California, failure to obey the move over law can result in fines up $1,000, plus points on your driving record.
To increase awareness of this life-saving law, Caltrans has partnered with the California Highway Patrol and Office of Traffic Safety to launch the “Move Over” campaign.
It is part of the department’s larger “Be Work Zone Alert” highway safety campaign, which includes public service announcements, billboards, radio, television and social media.
“It only takes a split second of inattention to destroy lives at a work zone,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Motorists must give all workers a safe place along the side of California’s roads.”
Crews working on shoulders or closed lanes work just inches from moving traffic, so giving them some extra space helps keep everyone safe and traffic flowing.
Inattentive driving, following too closely and speeding are the top three causes of work zone crashes – and all are preventable if travelers slow down, move over and pay attention in and near work zones.
“From maintaining roads to helping crash victims to fixing a flat, highway workers go above and beyond to make sure the rest of us get where we want to go safely,” Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said. “They also have families they go home to, so please look out for workers and keep a safe distance when you see them.”
“Tow operators are some of the hardest working people on the planet. They are out on the roads every hour of every day, protecting the motoring public. Raising awareness of move over laws is the least we can do for our fallen brothers and sisters, and hopefully our message will make an impact," said California Tow Truck Association President Quinn Piening.
As NASA prepares to return to the moon, one of the many exciting opportunities scientists are preparing for is the ability to use the water that exists there to support human exploration.
The presence of water has been a relatively recent discovery, opening up many exciting possibilities for future exploration and just as many questions about that water’s origins.
In the late 90s, NASA’s Lunar Prospector mission found extra hydrogen at the poles, and where there’s hydrogen, there might be water.
Enter the LCROSS mission, designed to determine the type and amount of hydrogen that might be present just below the moon’s polar regions.
Tony Colaprete, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, was the principal investigator for the LCROSS mission.
“To determine the form of hydrogen at the poles, we needed a way to access material below the Moon’s surface. So we carried a piece of the Atlas rocket we launched on all the way to the Moon and directed it into one of the large permanently shadowed craters near the south pole, which caused a plume of dust and debris to shoot upwards,” Colaprete explained.
“We had a probe with nine different measuring instruments, following the plume’s 10 mile (16 km) upward trajectory. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft was also making observations of the plume while mapping the lunar surface from its orbit around the Moon. The lunar dirt in the plume hadn’t seen the Sun in over 2 billion years. In the sunlight, among other metals and gases, we found water - about 5 percent by weight,” he said.
“Now, we know there’s water on the Moon,” said research scientist Jen Heldmann, also at Ames.
She explained why the discovery is much more than just a scientific curiosity.
“Ultimately, I believe we’ll be living on the moon for extended periods of time, so we need to take advantage of whatever resources we can find there. Water is H2O; a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. And we can break it apart. So now we have a source of hydrogen and oxygen that may be able to be used for rocket fuel, as well as a source of oxygen for breathing. Water on the moon gives you a new paradigm for future space exploration. Very exciting. “
In the 10 years since the LCROSS mission, we have continued to study water at the lunar poles from orbit with instruments on several missions. But we still have lots of questions.
Where, for instance, did the water come from? Some believe that the water and other volatiles could be the remnants of comet impacts from long ago.
Others point to recent meteorite showers that can be seen producing vapor - are they continuing to replenish the moon’s water?
And where exactly is the water? We’ve confirmed it exists in Cabeus crater near the moon’s south pole where LCROSS impacted. But how plentiful is it? And can we expect to find it in other super cold regions?
Colaprete said, “We won’t be able to answer any of these questions with certainty until we visit the south pole with robots and astronauts.”
Through the Artemis program, NASA is planning to do just that.
Thirsting for more information about the changing science of the moon? Visit http://science.nasa.gov.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters gained ground on the Kincade fire on Saturday but concerns about the impacts of an incoming weather system led to many more Sonoma County residents finding themselves under evacuation orders or urged to prepare to leave.
During the course of the day Saturday, the Kincade fire, burning since Wednesday night, grew only 500 acres; the evening Cal Fire report on the fire said it was up to 25,955 acres, with containment up slightly to 11 percent.
Cal Fire said that so far 77 structures have been confirmed destroyed in the fire, while 14 are damaged. Another 23,500 are threatened by the blaze.
A massive firefighting force including approximately 2,830 firefighters and 251 engines are assigned to the incident. On Saturday, Cal Fire extended its estimate for the time of full containment to Nov. 7.
The acreage itself didn't grow significantly Saturday thanks to aggressive efforts by firefighters on the ground and air resources, including federal tankers that criss-crossed the state throughout the day to make retardant drops in the fire's remote and rugged footprint.
Even so, as firefighters made progress, the number of evacuations ballooned on Saturday as officials looked at an incoming weather system that they fear could cause the fire to spread into many Sonoma County communities.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that went into effect at 8 p.m. Saturday due to forecast winds from the northeast of between 25 and 40 miles per hour, with gusts between 70 and 80 miles per hour.
Concerns about those winds and their impact on the fire behavior, coupled with the impending public safety power shutoff from Pacific Gas and Electric, led to calls for widespread evacuations, officials said.
Healdsburg and Windsor residents were ordered to evacuate on Saturday morning, with Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick asking them to be out of the area by 4 p.m., ahead of the shutoff and nightfall.
Then, on Saturday evening, tens of thousands more Sonoma County residents were ordered to leave their homes when authorities issued mandatory evacuations for all areas west of Sebastopol, north of Bodega Highway, and south of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road, including Bodega Bay, Dry Creek Valley, Fulton, Forestville, Guerneville, Jenner, the Mark West/Larkfield area and Occidental.
Later in the night, Cal Fire reported that an evacuation warning was issued for the city of Santa Rosa, including all areas East of the western city limit, north of Guerneville Road, Steele Lane, Lewis Road and Chanate Road, to Montecito Avenue to Montecito Boulevard to Calistoga Road, north to the city limit.
A number of Lake County law enforcement agencies responded on Saturday to offer mutual aid in Sonoma County where increased law enforcement patrols are in effect in the large evacuation area, according to Essick.
In Lake County, Sheriff Brian Martin said Saturday that evacuation warnings remained in effect for Cobb Mountain and a number of surrounding communities.
Martin said the fire had moved into Lake County on Friday but was still a couple of miles away from south county communities.
Out of an abundance of caution Martin issued the warning, asking people to be prepared in the case that a mandatory evacuation becomes necessary.
The forecast winds are expected to push the fire away from Lake County and back toward the Sonoma County communities where evacuations have been expanded.
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. – Pacific Gas and Electric said Saturday afternoon that it has pushed back some anticipated start times for the public safety power shutoff and will be opening additional community resource centers in Lake County.
The time change impacts Lake County, which was expected to lose power around 4 p.m. Saturday.
PG&E said that estimated time has now been pushed back to around 8 p.m., although residents are urged to expect a margin of error of between one and two hours.
PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said they’re working to offer as much information as possible in the midst of a dynamic situation.
She said the company’s meteorological team is running forecast models hourly.
The goal, she said, is to minimize the impacts on customers and narrow the scope as much as possible.
“We just want everyone to be prepared,” she said.
As of 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Contreras said no power had been shut off.
The updated phases for the shutoff are as follows.
– 4 p.m. Saturday: Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Sierra, Shasta, Tehama, Yuba.
– 8 p.m. Saturday: Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino (north), Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Trinity.
PG&E also announced that a total of four community resource centers will be open during the shutoff:
– Clearlake Senior Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.
– Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, Lakeport.
– Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.
– Upper Lake Unified School District, 725 Old Lucerne Road, Upper Lake.
The centers will provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating for up to 100 people and restrooms from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the shutoff.
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. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said late Saturday morning that it is moving forward with a public safety power shutoff that will impact a majority of California’s counties.
The company said it is implementing the shutoff as a safety measure ahead of what is being called a historic wind event that’s forecast to bring dry, hot and windy weather to the region starting Saturday between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and continuing through midday Monday.
The number of customers to be impacted by the outage increased on Saturday by 90,000 to a total of 940,000 customer accounts in portions of 36 counties, PG&E said.
The power will be turned off to communities in stages, depending on local timing of the severe wind conditions.
The outage will cover all of Lake County, impacting 37,441 customers, including 2,170 medical baseline customers.
Lake County’s power is expected to go around 4 p.m., as part of the second phase of the shutoff, PG&E said.
However, Sheriff Brian Martin urged people to be ready to have their power turned off up to an hour and a half ahead of the announced time.
PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras separately confirmed to Lake County News that power could go off earlier.
The shutoff will occur in six phases. Times may change depending on weather.
– Phase one, about 2 p.m. Saturday: Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, Sierra, Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama and Yuba.
– Phase two, about 4 p.m. Saturday: Lake, Marin, Mendocino (south), Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo.
– Phase three, about 5 p.m. Saturday: Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus.
– Phase four, about 5 p.m. Saturday: Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne.
– Phase five, about 5 p.m. Saturday: Humboldt, Mendocino (north) and Trinity.
– Phase six, about 10 a.m. Sunday: Kern County.
Sheriff Martin said Saturday that the forecast weather event is expected to be shorter than anticipated, with the all-clear anticipated on Monday morning, rather than Monday evening.
At that point, PG&E said it will begin inspections in order to restore power.
There will be three community resource centers in Lake County available to provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating for up to 100 people and restrooms.
PG&E said Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport, and Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, 22223 Highway 29 in Middletown, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the outage.
Separately, Clearlake Mayor Russ Cremer said the Clearlake Senior/Community Center will be open and available to residents as a community resource center beginning on Sunday morning. It’s located at 3245 Bowers Ave. Clearlake.
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.
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