A Willits man wanted on a $1 million bail felony warrant out of Lake County has reportedly been arrested in Ukiah. John McCullough was wanted for Criminal Threats, Malicious Harassment and more, but based on some previous run-ins with him, Ukiah Police say they knew he had a mechanic shop on North State Street. UPD says several officers went to the shop on Wednesday and when they got there, they were able to get him into custody without incident. He is now in the Mendocino County Jail.
The cause of Wednesday’s Flora Fire in northern Sonoma County has been determined to be the result of a man from Geyserville driving 4 miles on Chalk Hill Road with no right front tire on, creating sparks as the truck grinded on the asphalt. Justin Jones was arrested Wednesday evening. He’s been booked into the Sonoma County Jail charged with unlawfully or recklessly starting a fire and violating his probation, both felonies. The Flora Fire continues to burn, at last update, it’s 75% contained and has scorched 50 acres.
CalFire crews continue to battle several fires in the area. The Hill Fire in nearby Humboldt County has burned just over 7 thousand acres so far and is 14% contained. The fire has been burning for 10 days now, and officials say persistent hot and dry conditions are not helping. The Ridge Fire burning in Colusa and Lake Counties has claimed 2,756 acres and is 65% contained as of the latest updates. Cal Fire Sonoma Lake Napa Unit continue to battle the fire along Walker Ridge Road and Highway 20 between the two counties. The Acorn Fire, now burning in Lake County, started around 1 yesterday afternoon. It’s burned 151 acres so far and is 10% contained. The fire is burning near Manzanita Circle in Upper Lake. Forward progress has been stopped, firefighters are now working the control lines and mopping up. Finally, the Grange Fire that was sparked just before 4pm on Thursday is burning along Highway 128 near Boonville. Cal Fire Mendocino Unit says it’s burned 150 acres so far and is 0% contained. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place, see the latest info at Fire.ca.gov
The man accused of starting California’s most massive fire this year is due in court Monday. Ronnie Stout was arrested yesterday and remains behind bars without bail. The Butte County district attorney says he pushed a car on fire down a gully, which tumbled 60-feet and burned completely. Those flames spread and sparked the destructive Park Fire. The suspect has two prior felony convictions and was sentenced to 20 years in 2002. He could get life if convicted this time under the “three strikes and you’re out” law. Meanwhile, more crews are racing to help battle the Park Fire. It exploded yesterday and now tops 164-thousand acres. The Park Fire has forced four thousand people to evacuate in Butte and Tehama counties. Some homes have already burned down but there’s no exact count yet.
The Golden State is known for some of the worst traffic in the nation. And now, it’s also being called the worst for road rage. A new study by Forbes Advisor found California has the most confrontational drivers, scoring the full 100 points. Many aren’t likely surprised by this as data shows people have been cut off, yelled at, tailgated, even approached by some who got out of their cars to fight.
The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority says a fire that destroyed a large building in early July was most likely cause by a battery that wasn’t disposed of properly. The fire at the Ukiah Transfer Station owned by C & S Waste Solutions started the morning of July 2nd. Officials said it’s likely the fire was started accidentally by a lithium ion battery that ended up in one of the bales of mixed recyclables. A spokesperson from C & S Waste said it’s a common problem, and that people often mistakenly put the batteries in with their regular recyclables. Lithium Ion batteries are used to power cell phones, computers, and some e-cigarettes. Officials said the batteries can spark fires when they get damaged by being crushed in the equipment at the dump. They remind people to dispose of batteries properly, by keeping them separate. All kinds of batteries can be disposed of at area transfer stations and at the household hazardous waste facility on Taylor Drive.
A man has been arrested after robbing multiple businesses in Ukiah. According to Ukiah Police, Justin Hawkins tried to leave a restaurant on South Orchard Avenue Wednesday without paying his check. When confronted, Hawkins reportedly punched an employee in the face, then swung a pallet at them and ran. While police were looking for Hawkins, they got a call about a robbery at a Gas station on North State Street. Again, Hawkins was accused of punching an employee who confronted him about not paying for a beverage he walked out of the store with. UPD officers finally caught up with Hawkins nearby and arrested him without incident. He was booked into the Mendocino County jail on suspicion of two counts of robbery and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
