LAKE COUNTY ? At least three fires sparked Thursday and Friday in Lake County, burning less than five acres total due to moderate fire conditions and a quick response from crews.
About 5:30 p.m. Thursday fire crews responded to a vegetation fire near Deer Valley Campground in the Mendocino National Forest, Upper Lake district ranger Lee Johnson said.
Crews will continue to mop-up and patrol the contained fire today.
Fire conditions worked in favor of safety personnel, with low temperatures and little wind in the semi-mountainous area with lots of brush and timber south east of Lake Pillsbury, Wolfgang Liebe, zone district fire management officer for the U.S. Forest Service, said.
“We were pretty fortunate with the initial attack,” Liebe said.
Two retardant drops, one helicopter and one air attack assisted an engine crew and a hotshot crew to put a line around the fire, Liebe said. U.S. Forest Service, CalFire, North Shore Fire Protection District, Nice Community Service District, Lucerne Fire Department and the Elk Mountain Hotshots responded, Liebe said.
The small fire didn”t threaten any structures and the crews hadn”t reported injuries, Liebe said.
Fire staff is investigating the cause, Liebe said. Campers cannot legally light fires outside designated fire pits in the Mendocino National Forest. A small fire lit about 2:30 p.m. Thursday behind a backyard off Fairway Drive in Clear Lake Riviera, Battalion Chief Joe Huggins of Kelseyville Fire Protection District said. Crews quickly put out the small blaze, its cause unknown.
About 12:25 p.m. Friday California Highway Patrol received calls about a small vegetation fire near a vehicle on New Long Valley Road at Spring Valley Road.
Fire staff and CHP didn”t return phone calls Friday in relation to the vegetation fire.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
