CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A lawnmower appears to have been the cause of a fire that burned in the city of Clearlake on Saturday.
Firefighters from around the county responded to the Denton Fire, located in the 3200 block of Denton Lane off of Old Highway 53. The incident was first dispatched before 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire shared unified command on the fire, which was contained at about 7 p.m., according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Chris Jurasek.
Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Charlie Diener said the fire burned a total of about 18 to 20 acres.
The fire had burned near a number of residences. Diener said one garage had slight fire damage but no other structures were damaged or lost.
In addition to Lake County Fire and Cal Fire, resources came to assist from Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire, Northshore Fire, South Lake County Fire and the US Forest Service, Diener said.
An in-county task force of engines and water tenders, and a Cal Fire strike team also responded from Mendocino County, according to reports from the scene.
“We needed a lot of resources,” Diener explained.
The Cal Fire Command Center reported that Cal Fire sent 13 engines, five crews, two dozers, three air tankers, two helicopters and an air tanker, along with command staff.
The Denton Fire burned right up to Highway 53 and jumped over it, with Jurasek reporting a few small fire spots burned on the other side of the roadway.
The fire's close proximity to the roadway caused officials to close Highway 53 between Highway 20 and Olympic Drive for close to two hours.
A portion of Highway 53 from Highway 20 to Old Highway 53 was reopened at around 7:30 p.m., but the remaining stretch to Olympic Drive was expected to be closed until midnight, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Diener anticipated a Lake County Fire engine would remain on scene throughout the night.
“There was extensive mop up that needed to be done,” he said.
The fire appeared to be mechanical in nature, with Diener explaining that firefighters believed the fire had been caused by a lawnmower.
During the summer, it's important not to mow past 10 a.m. and to have a garden hose or other water source available when doing such mowing work, Diener said.
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