President Obama declares Valley fire a federal disaster

Firefighters made further progress Tuesday on the Valley fire as President Barack Obama declared the nearly 2-week-old blaze a major disaster.

The fire has charred 76,067 acres since it erupted Sept. 12 near Cobb. It was 79 percent contained Tuesday evening, according to Cal Fire.

Obama declared a major disaster in areas across Lake, Sonoma and Napa counties affected by the Valley fire, making federal funding available to people who have suffered losses in the blaze ranked among the three worst in California’s history.

Residents of areas affected by the fire, including Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake, can apply for grants for temporary housing and home repairs. The declaration also makes available low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, the White House said.

The Valley fire, which consumed more than 40,000 acres within 12 hours, has destroyed at least 1,910 structures, with 1,238 of them believed to be ?single-family homes.

The fire, which spread to Sonoma and Napa counties, destroyed 23 multifamily homes, 46 commercial structures and 585 sheds or smaller outbuildings, Cal Fire said. It has killed at least three people, according to Cal Fire.

On Tuesday, Lake County sheriff’s officials said they are continuing to search for two missing people: Robert T. Fletcher, 66, of Cobb, and Robert E. Litchman, 61, of Lower Lake.

Relatives last heard from Fletcher on Sept. 10, Lt. Steve Brooks said in a news release. A deputy was asked to check on Fletcher on Sept. 16 but couldn’t find him when he arrived at the property. The home was gone, Brooks said.

Litchman was reported missing by a friend on Sept. 17. The man feared Litchman had left his home because of a lack of transportation and said that Litchman refused to leave when authorities told him to, Brooks said.

“During the evacuation he was seen standing in the driveway, waving vehicles by, as others were evacuating,” Brooks said in the statement.

Like Fletcher’s home, Litchman’s home was gone, Brooks added.

Cadaver dogs searched the area for the two men but were unable to find their remains, the lieutenant said. The search for them will continue, he said.

Cal Fire’s damage estimates inched up overnight as inspection teams nearly completed surveys of the fire area.

Firefighters said the losses may rise as additional surveys are completed and mop-up continues. Four firefighters suffered second-degree burns in the fire’s first hour on Sept. 12.

As of Tuesday morning, about 3,800 firefighters were deployed, working to secure more of the fire perimeter, Cal Fire said.

Residents were returning to some neighborhoods as mandatory evacuation orders were lifted in certain areas.

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You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne. You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.