LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Another milestone in the fight against the Clayton fire was reached on Friday, as the last evacuation order was lifted and firefighters moved into the home stretch of fully containing the blaze.
The evacuation order for Lower Lake was lifted on Friday at 4 p.m., clearing the way for the remaining evacuees to at last return home.
Authorities urged everyone returning to the fire area to be aware of hazards such as downed lines and hot spots.
A short time later, Cal Fire said the fire was 75-percent contained at 3,929 acres. Officials continue to estimate full containment will be achieved on Sunday.
The latest damage assessment put the total number of structures destroyed at 299, including 189 single-family homes, eight commercial structures, and 102 other structures such as sheds and smaller outbuildings, with another 28 damaged.
Sheriff Brian Martin said Friday evening that the repopulation was going smoothly, and that his deputies would be continuing increased patrols of the fire area in the days ahead.
Martin said that all reports of missing persons related to the fire have been resolved, with the individuals all located. No fatalities have been reported.
But there were close calls. Martin said there were numerous cases of people refusing to leave their homes as the fire approached.
In one case, one of his sergeants had to drag a woman for her home just before it burst into flame, Martin said.
State Sen. Mike McGuire hosted a town hall meeting at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake Friday evening in which local and state officials gave updates on various aspects of the fire and the transition into recovery. An estimated 300 people crowded the center for the presentations.
On hand was Congressman John Garamendi, who urged the community to take time in its healing and to ask for help in facing what's ahead.
Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown, who will be sharing recovery coordinator duties with County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, said the county has learned a lot from last year's Valley fire, and plans to put those lessons to work in the Clayton fire recovery.
He said an assistance center is to open at the Adult Services building, 16170 Main St. in Lower Lake, on Saturday and Sunday, with the center to open on Monday in the old bank building in downtown Lower Lake.
Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said that at the fire's height, which occurred on Tuesday, there were 2,372 firefighters, 248 engines, 61 hand crews, 36 dozers, 19 water tenders and nine helicopters assigned to the incident.
Those resources came from 126 local and state agencies across California, Arizona and Nevada, Jones said.
“You definitely had a lot of folks thinking about you and trying to help keep your community safe,” she said.
As of Friday evening, those resources had been halved as fire crews move into mop up, based on Cal Fire's report.
At the meeting Sheriff Martin credited Supervisor Brown for his tireless efforts during the incident.
Martin said one evacuation center – at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown – was remaining open. On Thursday night, he said the shelter census had been at 56 people, which he said indicated the community was sheltering many others who had been evacuated.
Along with continuing patrols of the fire area, sheriff's resources in the form of its team of chaplains, along with mental health staff, will be available to speak with fire survivors if they wish, Martin said.
Konocti Unified Superintendent of Schools Donna Becnel said the district's schools in Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks will open on Monday.
Also on Monday, staff at the Lower Lake schools will prepare for the start of school, with students returning to classes at those campuses on Tuesday, Becnel said.
Becnel said cleaning crews have been making their way through the school facilities to make sure they're safe for students and staff to return.
She said Lower Lake Elementary School had some damage from the fire, but arrangements have been made to reorganize classrooms to accommodate students.
The Lower Lake County Water Works District also continues to work to get back on line, reported district representative Frank Haas.
The district had reported earlier this week that it had to turn water off to many surviving homes to try to stop leaks and restore pressure, and that all residents were under a mandatory boil water order.
Haas said the power is back on and the district's tanks are almost full. At the same time, district staff is disinfecting the system and is required by the state to conduct two tests of the water.
He said crews from all around the county had responded to help his district make repairs and get back online.
Haas encouraged people to remember to boil their water, adding that an announcement would be made when the order is lifted. He also urged people to use bottled water, which he said will be given out in the fire area.
McGuire lauded Haas for his around-the-clock efforts to get the district fully functional again – despite losing his own home in the fire.
Lower Lake Postmaster Josh Vanatta thanked Cal Fire for saving the the post office, reporting that firefighters had stood on the roof and fought off the fire.
While power has been restored to the post office on Main Street in Lower Lake, there are still issues with the facility, he said.
Vanatta said the lobby has been reopened so that people can collect mail from their post office boxes. However, incoming mail temporarily will be available at the Clearlake post office on Olympic Drive. He said there will be mail distribution from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Additionally, Vanatta said postal officials are working to make post office boxes available for those whose homes burned. He said the “general delivery” service can be used for those who lost homes in the fire area, guaranteeing their mail will be delivered.
The Red Cross reported that it will have disaster response vehicles in the fire area and also will open a service center at the Highlands Senior Center. The organization will offer supplies including dust masks for those in the fire area.
On Saturday at 6 a.m. the Brick Hall will be open for a breakfast and some other services to help the returning community members.
Beginning on Saturday, fire survivors can stop in at the Lake County Fire Protection District Lower Lake fire station to pick up gloves, masks, water and trash bags, officials said.
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