Clayton fire leaves wake of destruction in once-charming Lake County town

LOWER LAKE - The downtown area of Lower Lake, like that of Middletown, is surrounded by forested hills, which adds both to their charm and the risks when tinder-dry vegetation is sparked by flame. A number of fire officials have remarked how stunned they were at how quickly flames from the Clayton fire appeared to supercharge and explode – similar to the Valley Fire farther south a year earlier - sending firefighters scrambling to try and save another community directly in harm’s way.

Tuesday, with the fire about 20 percent contained, firefighters recalled how they thought the blaze was corralled to the east of the town’s commercial district. But a few hours later, the wind suddenly shifted, sending a new spur of flames advancing west along the hillsides and valleys running south of Main Street.

Firefighters rushed to head off the advancing flames, while air tankers dropped retardant on homes and businesses. Despite those efforts, flames damaged or destroyed a number of businesses fronting Main Street between Highway 29 and Mill Street, including a Habitat for Humanity office, the Tuscany Village Winery, a deli, a bar, a firehouse and an auto repair shop.

Tuesday morning, Lower Lake’s downtown remained desolate. The fire’s capriciousness was evident. Both the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum - built in 1877 - and the Eel River Fuels petroleum plant appeared untouched, despite flames advancing all around the structures. A fire official said the museum likely was saved because it’s built of stucco with a composite roof, instead of wood.

Entire neighborhood blocks were leveled by the flames. Across a wide swath of the Lower Lake area, hundreds of hot spots continue to smolder, each capable of generating larger fires.

“My husband is thinking to move somewhere else,” Alma Andrade said as she stood with her family outside their Lower Lake home, which was spared from the flames. A next door neighbor’s home, however, was leveled.

Staff Writer Derek Moore can be reached at 707-521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.