Jerusalem, Rocky fires merge in Lake County

Firefighters on Friday extended containment lines around the Jerusalem fire southeast of Clearlake, but four residences were destroyed by the 25,000-acre blaze.

The homes, along with 13 outbuildings, were the first structures claimed by the fire since it began Sunday east of Hidden Valley Lake. It brings to 47 the number of residences destroyed by two fires that together have consumed nearly 150 square miles of drought-stricken pasture and wildlands in southeastern Lake County and along the fringes of Napa and Yolo counties.

The locations of the four destroyed residences weren’t immediately available, a Cal Fire spokesman said Friday night.

The Jerusalem fire has advanced far enough north that it has merged with the larger Rocky fire, a convergence that actually aided crews battling to maintain an upper hand on the pair of blazes.

By Friday evening, officials estimated the Jerusalem fire was 71 percent contained, compared to 50 percent Thursday. The Rocky fire was reported fully contained.

With the northern edge of the Jerusalem fire “married” with the southern edge of the Rocky fire, the firefight focused on expanding firebreaks protecting about 50 homes still threatened near Jerusalem Valley east of Hidden Valley Lake, Cal Fire spokesman Steve Swindle said. About 150 people remained under evacuation orders.

Active flames still burned in dense vegetation near the edges of the Jerusalem fire, causing significant smoke and heat and threatening to jump firebreaks, according to Cal Fire’s daily report. Fire crews continued to defend structures, with a focus on the southern and eastern flanks of the fire.

“We’re still on an offensive posture because there are still fires burning,” Swindle said. “We are still busting our humps on this thing.”

The 69,438-acre Rocky fire’s most ferocious flames had mostly flickered out by Friday, leaving behind pockets of smoldering fuel deep within the interior of the sprawling burn area and minimal fire activity near the perimeter, according to Cal Fire.

More than 2,400 fire personnel remained assigned to the Jerusalem fire, where the focus Friday was to hold the perimeter of the fire where it had crept into Napa County, posing a potential threat to the remote Berryessa Estates, a community evacuated during the Butts wildfire last year.

Triple-digit temperatures forecast for the weekend have the potential to revive parts of the blaze.

“We’re not out of the clear yet,” Swindle said. “It’s starting to heat up with swirling winds. We are working hard.”

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for the Jerusalem Valley area east of Spruce Grove.

The Middletown High School evacuation center has closed. An evacuation center remained open at Kelseyville High at 5480 Main St.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem. You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rdigit.