Downed power lines appear to have caused a fire Friday, Sept. 22 that had a neighborhood engaged in fire suppression. Multiple agencies along with residents of the area responded to the blaze that ignited around 1 p.m. on Vista and Halika streets in Clearlake.
The fire appears to have been ignited when power lines were downed during a spat of high winds that reached up to 50 mph. Investigation of the incident is ongoing and includes an investigation being conducted by PG&E.
Residents of the area commended the quick response of fire units that helped extinguish the blaze, which is believed to have spread from Vista Street to Halika Street when a gust of wind carried burning leaves into a dry field. The leaves scattered resulting in several small fires in various areas. Residents were also quick to respond with garden hoses and anything else they could find to carry water.
Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Jim McMurray expressed gratitude for the efforts the neighborhood displayed in keeping the fire on the ground. Had the blaze been allowed to consume a tree, McMurray said, things could have been much worse. “Sometimes people have a tendency to get in the way,” McMurray explained, “but this time they were a great help.”
Fire crews from Lake County Fire Protection District, North Shore Fire Authority and Kelseyville Fire Station, along with units from Kelseyville/Cobb area California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, including an aerial unit, responded to the blaze. No structures were lost in the incident.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
