SPRING VALLEY — A modular home and detached garage were severely damaged in an early-morning fire that also consumed about half an acre of vegetation Monday, officials said.
“The residents woke to a loud explosion and the home”s smoke detector sounding. Everyone got out of the home safely, but everything else was a loss,” Northshore Fire Protection District (NFPD) Chief Jay Beristianos said.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, but the flames appeared to originate in the garage, Beristianos said.
Firefighters received the initial report of a fire in the area of New Long Valley Road in Spring Valley just before 2:15 a.m. Monday, Beristianos said. They had the incident controlled about 45 minutes later.
Personnel from the NFPD, CAL FIRE and Lake County Fire Protection District responded, Beristianos said.
The original report indicated the blaze was a lightning-ignited wildland fire but officials quickly realized it was a structure fire, the chief said, adding that it was “possible, not probable” lightning sparked the flames.
Thunderstorms rained down all over parts Northern California early Monday morning, with as many as 6,000 lightning strikes in the region, according to CAL FIRE.
Two fires near Upper Lake — one on Elk Mountain Road and one on Clover Valley Road — were possibly caused by lightning, according to CAL FIRE. Each of those incidents reportedly involved less than an acre of land.
In total, 100 state fire personnel responded to almost two dozen small fires in Lake, Colusa, Sonoma and Solano counties in the wake of the thunderstorms. Though lightning strikes were prevalent in those areas, officials continue to investigate each incident to rule out other potential causes, according to CAL FIRE.
(Photo by Spring Valley resident Ken R. Wells)
