$1.5 million fire at Lake County retreat center

<p>An early morning fire at a vacant retreat center in the rugged hills above Clearlake Oaks in Lake County caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage Friday, fire officials said.</p><p>The blaze destroyed three bunkhouses, each accommodating 30 to 40 people; a laundry building; and half of the original ranch house on what once was High Valley Ranch, North Shore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown said.</p><p>No one was staying at the High Valley Road ranch, which serves as headquarters for PSI World, a personal development organization built around self-empowerment seminars offered around the world.</p><p>The fire, reported shortly after 3 a.m., likely had burned for some time before fire personnel were called, Brown said.</p><p>Three buildings already were engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived, Brown said.</p><p>Firefighters are unsure what started the blaze, but hope to access surveillance footage for clues, he said.</p><p>There was nothing to suggest anything other than an accidental cause, Brown said.</p><p>Brown said several newer buildings, including a theater and brand new auditorium, were untouched by the fire.</p>