CLEARLAKE >> A small fire caused big concerns for local firefighters and residents along part of Arrowhead Road in the Clearlake Park area of Clearlake Monday afternoon.
Firefighters responded shortly after noon to a report of a wildland fire with power lines down at Arrowhead Road and Ukiah Street. Crews from Lake County Fire Protection District (LCFPD) were first on scene and immediately called for mutual aid from CalFire and Northshore Fire Protection District along with units from the Clearlake Police Department.
The fire was a hundred yards away from the nearest homes and CalFire requested, via a NIXLE alert, a voluntary evacuation of residents along Arrowhead near Ukiah.
Additional fire crews were requested, including two 14-member hand crews from Konocti Conservation Camp in Kelseyville.
“Because there were moderate, erratic winds, we decided to call for a full wildland response,” said CalFire Division Chief Greg Bertelli. That involved 10 engine companies, three airplanes, one helicopter and several bulldozers and water tenders, plus about 70 fire personnel.
A crew from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) also was called in to deal with the downed power lines.
The fire was contained to a half-acre and no homes were damaged, although a back yard and fence were destroyed in the yard of Mark and Melissa Hill on Arrowhead. Ironically, Mark Hill is a firefighter with LCFPD in Clearlake.
Melissa Hill said she had just walked her sister outside around noon when she saw the nearby smoke. She said the first LCFPD units were already arriving. Then her young son told here there was a fire in the back yard.
“It was pretty scary,” she said. “I watched my fence go up in seconds.”
Fire crews were able to put out the fence blaze, caused by a spot fire, and the Hill residence was undamaged.
“The only thing I was worried about was making sure the kids and pets were safe,” Melissa Hill said.
Despite a Red Flag warning having recently expired, Bertelli said CalFire began “peak staffing” at 8 a.m. Monday because of the high fire danger. That means keeping two engine companies on call at most CalFire stations, including in Kelseyville-Cobb and Clearlake Oaks.
Bertelli described the fuel conditions at the fire scene as “cured grass” and “brush on it’s way” to becoming dried-out.
The fire was contained in about a half-hour with crews remaining on-scene for several more hours doing mop-up. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
At the least, the fire serves as a reminder to local residents to be prepared to evacuate on — literally — a moment’s notice along with the need for a cleared, defensible space around structures.
