On Valley fire’s western front, on Sonoma-Lake county border, damage ‘unprecedented’

THE GEYSERS - The western front of the Valley fire that has torn through southern Lake County is here on the northeastern border of Sonoma County, where small and unattended fires burned within large stands of dead trees Wednesday, the smoke wafting across a rugged landscape of valleys and mountainsides charred by flames.

Looking north from atop Pine Flat Road, hundreds of acres along one mountain were completely singed, the blackness intersected by an Etch-a-Sketch of pipes owned by Calpine Corp., the electricity supplier that operates most of the area’s geothermal facilities.

Some of the pipes showed extensive superficial damage from the flames.

On closer inspection, what appeared to be insulation covering the geothermal pipes was chewed up by flames in numerous places.

The flames that hit the area over the weekend after the Valley fire ignited Saturday damaged cooling towers on five of Calpine’s 14 plants, while also destroying a number of structures.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville, who led about 200 firefighters from across California and several other states in defending the territory, called the level of damage in the fire-prone area “unprecedented.”

“Overall, this fire is on the magnitude of 10 times worse than anything I’ve ever seen,” Turbeville said.

Fire engines and vans bearing work crews coursed along the narrow and winding mountain roads that were cloaked Wednesday in thick clouds that gave way to rain, dousing hot spots but bringing new concerns about mud slides and falling trees.

Turbeville directed fire operations from his Cal Fire pick-up, which he parked atop a mountain at the center of Calpine’s sprawling facility to improve his ability to communicate with crews via handheld radio.

Longer-term, Turbeville said, firefighters will have to keep on top of things in coming days with the weather forecast calling for a return of hot and dry conditions.

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You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek