Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown told reporters assembled at a press conference Thursday that he “never envisioned” having to face the challenges coming for Lake County.
Although he pointed his comments toward the destruction wrought by the Valley Fire, his words also suggested that the fire is on the wane.
With almost 4,000 firefighters arrayed against the Valley Fire by Thursday evening, Cal Fire noted very little movement. The blaze consumed 73,700 acres by 8 p.m. and remained at 35 percent containment, with much of the day’s effort directed toward improving control lines and smothering hot spots.
“We expect those (containment) numbers to rise,” said Cal Fire’s Mike Smith.
Wednesday’s rain meant something of a reprieve for crews battling the Valley Fire. But Smith cautioned that the return of hot weather today and over the weekend may again slow efforts along the line.
“We can’t allow that (rain) to lull us into a sense of complacency,” he added.
Damage inspection teams and law enforcement officers continued to patrol the interior. These groups were looking to determine the extent of the destruction, ward off looters, repair infrastructure and — most troubling — search for bodies.
“We expect we are going to find more,” said Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin after confirming three deaths. “This fire simply moved too fast.”
On Thursday afternoon residents in and around the community of Berryessa Estates were allowed to return to their homes. Martin said repopulation would continue in other areas when conditions were considered safe.
“We are working to get you back in,” he said.
