LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – While the Rocky fire was fully contained late last week, the work to make sure the fire is completely out is still taking place.
The fire was 100-percent contained on Friday after burning 69,438 acres, as Lake County News has reported.
It began on July 29 east of Lower Lake and, over the next 17 days threatened thousands of home and caused evacuations, burned about 100 structures and eventually burned north of Highway 20, east of Clearlake Oaks.
The fire's perimeter also spread into the new Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, crossed into Colusa and Yolo counties, and triggered the closure of the Cache Creek Natural Area.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Scott McLean, who has been the lead spokesman for the agency on the Rocky fire, said total suppression costs are still being calculated on the incident.
Congressmen John Garamendi and Mike Thompson reported earlier this month that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the state of California’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant declaration. The grant will cover 75 percent of the fire's suppression costs.
Meanwhile, McLean said that while the fire is contained, that doesn't mean it's fully out.
“There's no flame,” he said, and officials are satisfied that the fire lines are secure and that there are no issues 200 to 300 feet inside of any of the lines.
Making sure it's out is the work of firefighters who will remain on the lines in the days to come, according to McLean.
“We are going to be in patrol mode,” he said.
Much of the patrol work with be done primarily on the ground, with occasional flyovers of the fire area, McLean said.
“They are going to be patrolling that for a few weeks to come, just to make sure that it’s to bed,” he said.
McLean said there also is fire suppression repair work under way to remove the impacts of the firefighting effort.
He said that includes installing water bars for erosion control, repairing fences and fixing dozer lines.
McLean said investigators still haven't released their findings as to the fire's cause.
“They're still working on it,” he said.
As for the effort to help the fire's victims, the county of Lake – through a partnership with the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County – continues to offer a call number for community members impacted by the Rocky fire.
The Fire Help Line at 800-325-9604 is staffed around the clock, offers referrals for services and collects information to help the county with its damage assessment.
A virtual recovery assistance center also is available online at www.LakeCountyLAC.com ; those without Internet access are encouraged to visit one of the county's libraries, where they can use computers and access the Web for free.
The Board of Supervisors last week determined that it wanted to implement a comprehensive debris cleanup program that would be overseen and funded by the state.
The county is waiting for final confirmation from the California Office of Emergency Services that it will receive between $4 million and $5 million in funding to cover the program.
On Tuesday the board will further discuss the debris removal program and the grant application process.
To the south of the Rocky fire, work is still actively under way to contain the Jerusalem fire, which has burned more than 25,000 acres since it began on Aug. 9. It is expected to be fully contained on Friday.
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.