LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – An early Monday morning fire that began in Clearlake Oaks has burned into the city limits of Clearlake, triggering evacuations in both communities.
The Sulphur fire was first reported in the area of Sulphur Bank Road near the Elem Indian Colony in Clearlake Oaks at around 1:15 a.m.
First units to arrive on scene estimated it was about 10 acres, before revising that estimate to 75 acres and then to between 500 and 1,000 acres within the first 20 minutes of dispatch, based on radio reports.
By 3:30 a.m., the fire was reported to have burned 1,200 acres, according to radio reports.
With the fire headed toward the Elem Colony, evacuations were ordered there not long after dispatch as well as at nearby Orchard Shores. In Lake Village Estates, transformers were reported to be blowing.
The fire continued rapid progress toward Clearlake, cresting the top of Mount Baldy just after 2 a.m. and heading for the city.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for Second Street to 17th Street, San Joaquin to Windflower Point, the Burns Valley area to Smith Lane and North Drive in Clearlake and Sulphur Bank Road, officials said.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services said Twin Pine Casino in Middletown has been opened as an evacuation shelter.
The fire came during the midst of a hellish night of wildland fires around the North Coast, with Cal Fire and local agencies stretched thin as they worked to respond to fires in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
The region is under a red flag warning due to high winds and extreme fire dangers, with officials confirming overnight that the winds were contributing to the chaotic conditions.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
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Sulphur fire triggers evacuations in Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake
- Elizabeth Larson
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