LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While Tuesday had started out with concerns about increased winds and the potential for more significant growth on the Rocky fire, by day's end firefighters had increased containment and prevented another major spike in acreage, although the tally of structures destroyed rose.
Cal Fire said on Tuesday evening that the Rocky fire had reached 67,000 acres, with containment at 20 percent.
Firefighters held the fire to 2,000 acres of growth on Tuesday, a day when incident command had feared that a change in weather could bring winds from the east that might have pushed it toward Clearlake.
Cal Fire Division Chief Scott Lindgren, the incident commander, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning that the focus during the day was protecting the west side of the fire, beyond which lay the closest communities, including Clearlake and Lower Lake.
Efforts also were concentrated on Tuesday near Spring Valley and Double Eagle Ranch, where residents had been ordered to evacuate again on Monday afternoon after spot fires crossed the highway.
There was a small amount of rain in the county on Tuesday afternoon, but fire officials were unable to confirm if it made any difference in conditions on the fire lines.
By Tuesday evening, Cal Fire was estimating that the fires on the north side of Highway 20 had burned 1,000 acres, according to Capt. Don Camp.
“They're concentrating a significant amount of resources in that area,” said Camp.
He said it's anticipated that by morning a dozer line will have been placed all around the burn on the north side of Highway 20.
The number of structures reported to have been destroyed grew on Tuesday by 41, for a total of 91 – including 39 residences and 52 outbuildings, plus four damaged structures, Camp said.
Approximately 6,959 structures remain threatened, with all mandatory evacuations and evacuation advisories remaining in effect. Camp said 13,000 people have been evacuated from 5,500 residences.
The fire also has been burning since the weekend in neighboring Colusa and Yolo counties, where some evacuations are in place.
Red Cross evacuation shelters at Kelseyville and Middletown high schools remain open, with county officials opening a third evacuation shelter on Tuesday afternoon at the Upper Lake Middle School, 725 Old Lucerne Road, telephone 707-312-0395.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services said the shelter is set up for 45 evacuees but can be expanded to serve up to 100 people if needed.
The Community Disaster Response Team of Sebastopol has been in Lake County throughout the incident and is operating the Upper Lake shelter site, according to the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
Highway 20 through the fire area – from the junction of Highway 53 to Walnut Street, just west of Interstate 5 in Williams – remains closed, Camp said.
Camp said Highway 16, from the junction of Highway 20 to the County Road 40, also remains closed.
In addition to around-the-clock efforts with dozers and hand crews, and aircraft making water and retardant drops during the day, crews have been fighting the fire with fire, setting backfires to get a better handle on the fire's growth.
Radio reports on Tuesday night indicated there was a dozer accident in the fire area along Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks but that the operator was not injured.
A massive firefighting force remains committed to the incident, including 3,478 firefighting personnel, 318 engines, 86 fire crews, 63 dozers, 43 water tenders, 19 helicopters and four air tankers, Camp said.
Reports from Cal Fire air attack Tuesday evening stated that the fire's perimeter was looking strong, with a decrease of smoke.
“What a difference 24 hours can make,” one firefighter reported over the radio.
However, fire officials caution that a great deal of work remains ahead, with the fire's erratic behavior to date – and its penchant for making sudden runs, sometimes in numerous directions all at once – a constant concern.
Temperatures are forecast to continue to be cooler on Wednesday, with winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour expected in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Lake County Air Quality Management said the overnight forecast in areas impacted by smoke is “moderate” to “unhealthy” air quality with “good” returning for Wednesday.
Similar conditions are expected Wednesday, although south and southeast winds are forecast, which could bring more smoke into the basin. Slight variations in the wind direction can result in significant smoke impacts, the district said.
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