Clearlake official: 56 homes destroyed in Cache fire

A wildfire whipped up by menacing afternoon wind gusts on Wednesday destroyed 56 homes and 81 outbuildings in Clearlake, authorities said Thursday night during a press conference. There have been no reported fatalities.

The majority of the homes destroyed in the Cache fire were at two mobile home parks on the south side of Dam Road, according to Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora.

Another 10 to 15 homes on the north side of the road were also reduced to ashes, Flora said.

The city has asked that evacuees from Creekside and Cache Creek mobile homes contact the city at 707-994-8201 ext. 107 to ensure residents were able to safely leave. Those who leave voicemails should provide their space numbers.

Clearlake has declared a state of emergency, requesting help from both state and federal agencies.

Officials are concerned about environment damage, including dust particulates, downed trees, damaged power and telephone poles and wiring that needs to be replaced.

Because of that, repopulation will take some time, Lake County Fire Protection Chief William Sapeta said during the news conference.

"There's a significant amount of dust particles that are contaminants that we don't want our folks to be in ... So, there are a lot of steps to repopulation of any community, and the No. 1 issue is the safety of those folks getting in and out," he said.

"We're going to have resources there for the next few days -- fire equipment coming in and out and so we will keep you posted. We will do (repopulation) incrementally as those areas become safe. We will do our best to get those areas reestablished and repopulated," Sapeta added.

Five schools that serve Clearlake and Lower Lake families were affected by the blaze, which forced the evacuation of 1,500 students and 200 teachers and staffers. All five will be closed Friday and are expected to reopen Monday when deep cleanings of the interiors are completed.

Still surveying damage

About 137 buildings total were destroyed Wednesday during the blaze. By Thursday night, the city of Clearlake had notified the owners of 51 of the homes that were destroyed.

"These are stark numbers for what was a relatively short fire in a small area. It was quite damaging," Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin.

Officials believe all of the destruction was contained within city limits, but inspectors are still surveying the damage, Flora said. The tally of homes and other structures that were destroyed in the blaze could change as the assessment continues

The fire scorched 83 acres and is between 35 and 40 percent contained as of Thursday night.

The blaze continued to smolder and spot fires ignited throughout the day on Thursday, keeping firefighters on alert as they worked to strengthen containment lines.

‘A rapid, extreme rate of spread’

Breezy conditions picked up around the fire area Thursday afternoon after a mostly calm morning. Gusts were expected to reach 25 mph “at the very high end,” said Alex Dodd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

He said the Clearlake area is one of the windier spots in the region, but conditions are nowhere near as bad as Wednesday, when a red flag warning was issued for much of Northern California.

Breezy afternoons will continue into the weekend, but wind speeds are expected to drop while humidity levels rise, Dodd said.

About 800 people remained under an evacuation order in Clearlake and Lower Lake, authorities said.

The Cache fire was first reported around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Cache Street and Sixth Avenue in southeast Clearlake.

When firefighters arrived, the fire had burned about 2 acres and “it was a rapid, extreme rate of spread,” Sapeta said.

The blaze raced west and south as authorities focused on evacuating neighborhoods in its path.

Wind ‘a key factor’ in fire’s growth

Wind gusts up to 32 mph “played a key factor” in the fire’s growth, Sapeta said. The flames tore through crispy vegetation that had been baked by record-setting heat this summer after two winters in a row with scant rainfall.

With several major wildfires burning across Northern California — including the 678,369-acre Dixie fire, the largest single blaze in the state’s recorded history — firefighting crews and equipment are “stripped down,” Sapeta said.

But that didn’t hamper the response at the Cache fire, he said.

As the fire raged on Wednesday afternoon, about 1,600 people were evacuated, including students at two schools.

By 8 p.m., authorities lifted evacuation orders and warnings in several neighborhoods.

On Thursday morning, an evacuation order remained in place for areas east of Highway 53 and west of Bonham Road. The evacuation zone was bordered by Morgan Valley Road to the south and it stretched north to 12th Avenue.

Authorities set up an evacuation shelter at Kelseyville High School on Wednesday and moved it to the Twin Pines Casino and Hotel in Middletown on Thursday, where 72 evacuees were being cared for.

Several road closures were lifted, but Lake, Adams and Mill streets remained closed on Thursday at Main Street. Quarterhouse Road was closed at Bonham Road and Jessie Street was closed at Highway 53.

Smoky but calm

By Thursday morning, Clearlake was still covered in a layer of smoke, but calmness had set in at the scene of the fire.

Officials began tallying the number of homes and other buildings destroyed in the blaze.

About 40 units at the Creekside Mobile Home Park on Dam Road appear to have been destroyed, according to aerial photos and videos.

Down the street at the Cache Creek Mobile Home Park, at least three units were torched by the flames.

Downed power lines snaked across the stretch of Dam Road that had been ground zero for the fire as utility crews on Thursday worked to repair the damaged equipment. The majority of activity took place in and around Creekside Mobile Home Park.

The park’s driveway dips down from Dam Road, and the slope provides a clear view of the destruction from the road. The driveway splits in two directions, and on both sides there are swaths of destroyed homes, vehicles and other property with charred trees and downed power lines in between.

‘Totally devastating’

Steve Tagle has lived in a mobile home at the Cache Creek park, two lots over from Creekside, for about 20 years. He said the area has never experienced what happened Wednesday, calling it “totally devastating.”

He was away from home when a friend notified him about the fire and fled with his two chihuahuas. Tagle made his way home Wednesday night along backroads and found his place intact.

“Oh yeah, God saved it. I was so happy,” the 67-year-old said.

In addition to the mobile homes that burned, the fire also destroyed water pumps that serve the community.

“It’ll be awhile before you get water in this park,” Tagle said. “It’s completely gone.”

Evacuees waiting to return home

Smoldering spots were still scattered along Dam Road Thursday morning and smoky conditions showed no signs of dissipating.

Access to the area was closed at Lake Street, which was an improvement from the previous day when the roadblock was further west. On Thursday morning, a number of residents were parked there in hopes of being allowed in.

Among them were Neal and Sheila Alley, who lived just south of Dam and Lake. From the roadblock, they could see their neighborhood was fine and fears that kept them up all night were alleviated, said Neal Alley, 78.

More concerning was Sheila Alley’s asthma. Equipped with a single inhaler, she left behind all her other medical equipment when the couple was evacuated Wednesday.

“We left in such a hurry yesterday, we didn’t think to grab it,” said Sheila, 74.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.