Lake County >> A faulty gas water heater in an outbuilding is to blame for one of the two fires that eventually joined forces to create the Rocky Fire, Cal Fire law enforcement said Wednesday.
The agency had at least five highly-trained, expert investigators on the case, Cal Fire information officer Mike Mohler said. They determined that the heater and its flammable liquids set the outbuilding ablaze, which then ignited nearby vegetation and quickly spread to the surrounding area.
While the cause has been found, Mohler said investigators are still searching for answers surrounding the circumstances.
Their case now revolves around identifying reasons that may have caused the heater to malfunction such as age, rust or manufacturing issues, Mohler said. And the cause of the second fire remains under investigation.
Incidents started by gas water heaters are not very common, and Mohler said it’s difficult to say if such a large-scale fire could have been prevented, given that the outbuilding was located in a rural area with vegetation all around.
The Rocky Fire started on July 29 at 3:29 p.m. off of Morgan Valley Road west of Lower Lake, according to Cal Fire. It burned nearly 70,000 acres during the next 16 days, destroying 43 homes and 53 outbuildings.
More than 13,000 residents were under evacuation at the fire’s peak, and 7,500 homes were threatened, Cal Fire stated.
Before its full containment, the Jerusalem Fire broke out on Aug. 9 just south of the Rocky Fire. It burned close, eventually spreading to land already scorched by Rocky, but the cause of the Jerusalem Fire remains under investigation.
California’s extreme four-year drought continues to be a threat, leading to fire prone conditions, Cal Fire reminds residents, and urges them to take all precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire. To learn more visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
