Fire crews quickly gained the upper hand over two new Lake County blazes on Monday. As of 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, the Peterson Fire, which erupted on Saturday afternoon, was considered 60 percent contained after scouring 215 acres near Kelseyville. Meanwhile teams from Middletown, Clearlake and Cal Fire wrestled the Grade Fire to 50 percent containment.
The Grade Fire broke out Monday along the Jerusalem Grade Road. Firefighters cut its momentum after only 20 acres.
It caused a scare for a moment, however. A report of downed power lines caused approaching crews to tread carefully. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation advisory for those living along June Bug Drive and access to parts of Canyon and Spruce Grove roads was blocked for a time.
“Luckily the weather was on our side and we had air resources to jump on it,” reported Cal Fire division chief Mike Wilson.
Several helicopters executed multiple sorties over the area, two miles from the previous Jerusalem Fire burn. Twenty Cal Fire trucks rolled to the scene almost immediately. Fire crews quickly put a stop to the fire’s forward spread.
“We want to get the small ones before they get big,” said Lake County Fire Protection District chief Willie Sapeta.
He credits the proximity of forces working on Peterson and mopping up Jerusalem for the rapid response time.
“It is so primed out there,” Sapeta said, referring to tinder dry trees and brush. “In a normal fire we’d have a fraction of the resources on hand — and thank goodness we have them.”
On Monday, ambulance crews treated two residents in the Grade Fire area for unspecified injuries. According to Cal Fire, both were released at the scene.
The Peterson Fire blew up on Saturday and cause even greater consternation for a time. Initial estimates put the blaze near Adobe Creek Rd. south of Kelseyville at 400 acres and growing. However, smoke and approaching darkness obscured the area, making the scene appear larger.
By Saturday night, Cal Fire reduced burn estimates to 200 acres.
At press time on Monday, Cal Fire and crews from Kelseyville were actively extending containment lines and had shifted to mop up operations. The majority of air resources were released to squelch the Grade Fire and other incidents.
“There are no more threats to structures,” Wilson said.
Still, more than 250 men and women patrolled the Peterson perimeter, aided by 20 engines and two water tenders.
On Monday evening, Cal Fire reported the dying Jerusalem Fire at 99 percent contained, still holding at 25,118 acres destroyed. With some 372 firefighters completing mop up work, the organization expected full containment by this morning.
Despite the effective efforts of fire crews, Lake County residents are growing a little weary of wildfire season. Sapeta has never seen anything like it — four named fires and a number of smaller blazes in one month — over 35 years in the area.
With another month and more remaining in the season, he said the local crews remained motivated.
“They’re dedicated,” Sapeta said, “but they’re definitely getting worked — and worked hard.”
