It’s been ten years since the devastating Valley fire tore through southern Lake County, and the community where the fire hit hardest will take time to remember the anniversary. A commemoration of the fire is planned for next Friday at the Mandala Springs Wellness Retreat Center on Bottle Rock Road in Cobb. The ceremony will begin at 1:24–the same time the fire started on the same date in 2015. Organizers say the event will honor the area’s solidarity and long-term recovery efforts; recognize the changes that have followed, and include dedication of a plaque to remember the four people who died, In addition to those deaths, by the time it was contained a month later it had had destroyed much of Cobb, Middletown, Whispering Pines, and parts in the south end of Hidden Valley Lake, totalling over 70,000 acres.
A fire that is currently burning about 15 miles south of where the Valley Fire took such a heavy toll, the Picket Fire near Calistoga is 93 percent contained. Crews spent the day patrolling control lines and working on hot spots inside the fire perimeter. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. It started two weeks ago Sunday.
Crews remain on the scene of another small fire in The Geyers, just over the Sonoma County line. The Hope fire burned a little over an acre and was contained in a couple of hours earlier today.
Some local firefighters are up north, helping with a fire in Siskiyou County. Lake County Fire Protection District Battalion 702 and Northshore Fire Battalion 803 are currently assigned to the Dillon Fire. They are part of Strike Team 2151C, made up of engines from Mendocino County. This is the first deployment for those local units. Last year, crews were sent to the Park Fire in Butte County. LCFPD says it is an example of how fire agencies across California work together to protect lives and property
Cal Fire is joining a compact with surrounding states and Canadian territories to help fight wildfires. California–along with Nevada- will become part of the Northwest Compact, which includes 5 other states and 5 Canadian provinces. Governor Newsom says the compact enables the exchange of resources with other members to improve wildfire response capacity in the face of increasing wildfire threats.
Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall says he isn’t giving up the fight to keep AT&T from pulling its remaining land lines. Kendall says a legislative bill allowing AT&T to get out of its duties as carrier of last resort has been held in committee–meaning it’s most likely going nowhere this year. He calls that good news and says he’ll continue to oppose any attempts to end landline service. The sheriff and others say those lines are crucial to emergency Communications in rural areas that lack cell service. AT&T says t few customers use landlines these days, making the service a money-loser.
