LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters from local, state and federal agencies successfully contained a series of small wildland fires that broke out along Highway 20 and near Clearlake on Saturday afternoon.
The fires were all reported within about a half hour beginning at 4:25 p.m., according to radio reports.
The incidents – in order – were located in the area of Olympic Drive and Highway 53 in Clearlake, on Witter Springs Road near Upper Lake, Old Long Valley Road and Highway 20, and Highway 20 and Walker Ridge, east of Clearlake Oaks, based on reports from the scene.
Lake County Fire and Cal Fire worked the Clearlake fire, while Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire, Cal Fire and the US Forest Service responded to the incidents along Highway 20 in Upper Lake and near Clearlake Oaks, scanner reports indicated.
With local resources stretched, Williams Fire and Cal Fire were dispatched to the incident near the county line and Walker Ridge, officials said.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the Witter Springs Fire was located in a vineyard that had not been planted but had 6-foot-tall weeds. He said a man was mowing the weeds when the area caught fire.
Beristianos said the fire burned four and a half acres. The fire was reported controlled just before 5:30 p.m., with firefighters remaining on scene for a few hours for mop up.
Reports from the scene indicated the fire on Olympic was just under two acres. That incident was terminated shortly after 8 p.m.
The fire on Old Long Valley Road burned about half an acre, according to Northshore Fire.
Cal Fire said the fire at Highway 20 and Walker Ridge burned about two acres.
Information about the causes of the fires near Clearlake and Clearlake Oaks was not immediately available Saturday night.
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.
Firefighters contain four Saturday wildland fires
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On