LOWER LAKE, Calif. – As the Rocky fire near Lower Lake continued to grow through the night, the Lake County Sheriff's Office expanded evacuations in the fire area.
Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the sheriff's office reported that it had issued an order for the latest round of mandatory evacuations, this time for an area south of Lower Lake.
Those evacuations were for Spruce Grove Road, north of the intersection with Jerusalem Grade Road; Noble Ranch Road; Jerusalem Grade Road; and Cantwell Ranch Road.
Earlier on Wednesday, mandatory evacuation orders were issued in the Lower Lake area for Morgan Valley Road, east of Bonham Road, according to the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
As of early Thursday, Lower Lake proper and Hidden Valley Lake were not under evacuation orders, county officials said.
A Red Cross evacuation center is open at the Highland Senior Center in Clearlake, 3245 Bowers Ave., with county officials reporting early Thursday that Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road, also has been opened as a shelter location.
Animals are being evacuated to the parking lot of the Department of Social Services off of Highway 53 at 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway in Lower Lake.
County officials also reported that all summer school programs in Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown are canceled until further notice.
The Lake County Emergency Operation Center also was activated late Wednesday.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services has an information line set up at 707-263-2360 and is posting updates on the Lake County OES Facebook page.