Homeowner's faulty hot tub wiring sparked massive Valley fire in Lake County

MIDDLETOWN - A homeowner's faulty outdoor wiring for a hot tub sparked the massive Valley fire last year that burned more than 76,000 acres in southern Lake County, killing at least four residents, burning four firefighters and destroying 1,280 homes, Cal Fire investigators have determined.

The wiring, which was not up to code, had been installed by the Cobb Mountain homeowner and was touching dry grass and leaves, investigators found. The debris caught fire on the hot afternoon of Sept. 12 and flames quickly spread, growing to 400 acres within 90 minutes, overrunning a team of firefighters and torching homes.

The investigative report unveiled Wednesday by Cal Fire officials marks the state's first official verdict on the cause of the blaze, which at its height, displaced roughly 20,000 residents and drew a huge response of up to 4,000 firefighters. When it was fully contained Oct. 15, the Valley fire had become the third-most destructive wildfire in California history, with estimated insured losses and damage to government infrastructure alone totaling $1.5 billion. Firefighting costs totaled $57 million.

It was “a tragedy that's affected everyone in Lake County,” said Sheriff Brian Martin, one of several officials who spoke during a press conference at Cal Fire's Middletown station, where officials announced their findings.

Investigators within two days had pinpointed the suspected origin of the fire - at a property in the 8000 block of High Valley Road near the town of Cobb - but the cause remained undetermined. The months-long investigation included interviews with neighbors who saw the flames spread, firefighters in the initial attack and experts in fire forensics.

The inquiry found the outdoor wiring installed by the Cobb-area homeowner, John Pinch, was the only plausible cause of the blaze, according to Cal Fire. The poor electrical connection resulted in extreme overheating of the wire, with temperatures reaching at least 1,981 degrees, melting the copper and igniting the vegetation, the 56-page report stated.

Pinch, whose tool shed and wood shed were damaged by flames but whose residence was not burned in the fire, could be subject to civil action or criminal charges. Those decisions now rest with the Lake County District Attorney Office and state Attorney General's Office.

Pinch, a retired commercial painter from Sebastopol, was out of town with his wife the day of the fire, according to the report. He admitted to installing the wiring that caused the fire, the report stated. The conduit carrying the wire was not buried to the required depth - 18 inches -and the connection was loose and arced, investigators found. The work was also done without a permit, according to officials.

Pinch could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He was described as the primary occupant of the property, which is also partially owned by Charles Parker Mills, according to Cal Fire.

Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson said Wednesday he had yet to read the full report and was unable to discuss what types of charges, if any, his office may pursue. He said he has a little over a month to file any misdemeanor charges and about two years to file any felony charges.

At the press conference, Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said state investigators were at the scene a day after the start of the blaze. The state routinely investigates human-caused wildfires to determine possible negligence and inform the state's process for recovering firefighting costs.

Pimlott did not offer details on whether or how the agency would seek reimbursement for its operations on the Valley fire.

Drought-ravaged Lake County had already experienced two large wildfires last summer when the Valley fire broke out on northern flank of Cobb Mountain. The temperature at the time, 1:21 p.m., was 89 degrees, with winds gusting to 27 mph, the report noted.

It detailed investigators' efforts to detect the fire's origin, including various leads they dismissed, among them a neighbor's suspicion about a sparking lawnmower and others who saw the fire as the work of arsonists.

Ultimately they honed in on the poorly configured connection at an electrical panel on the northeast corner of the Pinch family home on High Valley Road.

“The copper wire at the splice was melted and had evidence of arcing,” the report stated, and the path of the flames fanned out from there, Cal Fire determined.

Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown said the report's findings should not serve to single out the Pinch family as lone bad actors skirting the permit process.

“If there were 50 people here, I guarantee 45 have done something without a permit,” said Brown. He added, however, that the incident was a vivid reminder to people why such building safeguards and codes are justified.

“We'll definitely use this as a classic example of what can happen,” Brown said.

The report indicates that a fifth victim is now suspected to have been killed in the fire. Robert Edward Litchman, 61, was at his Lower Lake home prior to its destruction in the blaze. He has not been seen or heard from since, though no human remains have been found at the site.

The other victims include Barbara McWilliams, 72, of Anderson Springs; Leonard Neft, of Anderson Springs; Bruce Beven Berns, 65, of Hidden Valley Lake; and Robert Taylor Fletcher, 66 of Cobb Mountain.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MendoReporter