Fire suppression at $2.4 million
LAKE COUNTY — Suppression costs on the Oasis Fire reached $2.4 million on Friday. At 3:45 p.m. a CalFire spokesperson confirmed that the fire was 85 percent contained and full containment was still expected sometime yesterday.
The National Weather Service issued a fire weather warning on Friday, advising that thunderstorms containing dry lighting may affect mountains of interior northern California.
At 4:20 p.m. another CalFire spokesperson said that the advisory was not affecting suppression procedures on the Oasis Fire at that time. The advisory was projected to remain in effect through today.
The wildland blaze ignited Monday evening in the Cache Creek Wilderness Area off of Highway 20 in eastern Lake County. The fire consumed 1,400 acres as of press time Friday. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Three injuries were reported in the incident. According to Northshore Fire Protection District (NFPD) Battalion Chief Pat Brown, his district transported those injured to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.
According to the National Weather Service, a low pressure system gathering up tropical moisture over the Pacific Ocean was expected to brush interior northern California late Friday into Saturday. The system presents a potential to cause thunderstorms with dry lighting. “There will be a threat for new fire starts because of the hot and dry air currently over the region and dry vegetation,” the advisory states.
According to the advisory issued, the greatest risk for dry lightening is over the higher terrain of the Mendocino National Forest on Saturday morning. The dry lightening may impact portions of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest on Saturday morning as well.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
