CLEARLAKE OAKS — North Shore Fire Protection District (NSFPD) responded to a structure fire in the Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven area Sunday morning. The blaze, which was contained to a single cabin unit at Blue Fish Resort, ignited around 8:20 a.m.
Injuries were suffered by a male victim as a result of the fire. Randy Olson, resort owner, was treated for third-degree burns at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake and released. Olson”s wife Susan reported on Monday that her husband has returned home from the hospital and is recovering well.
The fire is believed to have been accidental, caused by a gas leak that ignited and exploded while maintenance was being performed on the cabin unit.
“My husband was very lucky because he was kneeling down when the gas exploded. He is home and he is going to be okay,” Mrs. Olson said. “We have a lot of people in this community to thank. There are so many people who have been really supportive and have offered their help to get us through this and we really appreciate that.”
Three NSFPD fire engines, a battalion chief and 11 personnel responded to the scene, including units from the Clearlake Oaks, Lucerne and Nice stations. Assistance was rendered by Lake County Fire Protection District (LCFPD), which responded with an engine as well as a medic unit. LCFPD ambulance transported Olson to the hospital in Clearlake. The scene was cleared at 10:08 a.m.
The Olsons are new owners of the Blue Fish Resort and have been working toward beautifying the property. “We just bought it in August and we are trying to repair it and make it beautiful so it can be a place in Lake County that the residents can be proud of,” Susan Olson said.
“This was just a tragic accident. We were taking every precaution to be careful while working in the cabin. The gas had been shut off and it was actually a leaky valve that caused the fire.”
Olson continued, “The fire was contained to one cabin and everything else in the resort is fine and we are trying to fix the unit as soon as possible. The rest of the resort is open for business.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
