LOWER LAKE >> Rocky countered early gains by fire crews with a couple of vicious jabs on Monday afternoon.
Shortly after 3 p.m. the blaze jumped Highway 20, spotting in several places then racing toward the homes of Spring Valley. An attempt to stall it with a defensive burn failed and the flames quickly consumed 200 acres.
No structures were been damaged, and Cal Fire captain Don Camp on Monday indicated teams had extended the effort to evacuate several residents who had disregarded Sunday’s call to leave the area.
The eruption north of Highway 20 was a setback. Firefighters had held Rocky in check along Highway 20 since Saturday. By 8 a.m. Tuesday, the fire had ripped through 65,000 acres.
Otherwise Monday was a day full of encouraging news. Crews were able to extend containment lines north and cut several bulldozer lines around the scene. Additional resources poured in throughout the day, including two military C-130s from the California Air National Guard. Helicopters operated alone the line all day, conducting water drops and landing hand crews in rough areas.
“The smoke cooperated today and we were able to use our air assets,” Camp said. “There are a lot of places where we can’t get ground crews in. The only way to fight the fire is by air.”
At 8 a.m. Monday, Cal Fire declared Rocky 12 percent contained. Firefighters held that number all day, building control lines and sustaining perimeter control in all areas but Spring Valley. Tuesday morning, the percentage had not budged. Authorities are predicting near full containment by Aug. 10.
As of 8 a.m., 3,205 personnel were engaged in the battle against Rocky, along with plenty of heavy equipment — 301 engines, 57 bulldozers and 40 water tankers, with more on the way.
The Rocky Fire is now the largest fire in Lake County since the Fork Fire of 1996 that blistered 82,000 acres. It spread rapidly over the weekend, jumping from 27,500 acres on Saturday afternoon to 46,000 Sunday morning.
There have been a number of positives, however. Despite the territory scorched by Rocky, the fire had destroyed 24 homes as of 8 p.m. Monday — a figure that could have been higher had winds and containment efforts not turned the direction away from the Lower Lake-Clearlake area.
Cal Fire reports no serious injuries as a result of the fire.
Still 6,959 homes are listed as threatened and all mandatory and advised evacuation orders remain in place.
