LOWER LAKE >> The commotion of Tuesday evening ended Wednesday with a calm notation from Cal Fire that crews had quelled the Kugelman Fire and closed the Canyon Fire down to a smolder.
Firefighters worked throughout the night and spent the day on Wednesday tamping down hot spots and completing the containment line. At 6 p.m. Cal Fire declared the Kugelman Fire, near the entrance to Anderson Marsh in Lower Lake, 100 percent contained.
The blaze consumed 45 acres and 1 structure, though caused no serious injury.
At the same time, firefighters almost completely blunted the less rapacious Canyon Fire, which ignited Tuesday near Seigler Canyon Road within minutes of Kugelman. On Wednesday evening crews held a 75 percent containment line, shutting down the blaze at 14 acres.
During a frenzied Tuesday evening, fire crews were forced to split forces to attack both fires, as well as attend to a small incident in Clearlake. They closed roads and issued several mandatory evacuation orders starting at 5:30 p.m. By 7:30 p.m. most of these had been lifted as firefighters gained the upper hand.
Electricity was knocked out in some areas.
As people returned to their homes, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake triggered alarm, but did not affect the firefighting effort.
Not far area, firefighters also tamed the Knoxville Fire, located near the north end of Lake Berryessa. Cal Fire listed it as 100 percent contained on Wednesday evening.
The fire burned 36 acres after igniting just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
In Yolo County, containment is at 97 percent as the Cold Fire yields to firefighting crews after consuming 5,731 acres.
Battling the Kugelman and Canyon Fires were teams from all Lake County Districts, Cal Fire, LEAP, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.
