Pawnee fire burns 13,700 acres in Lake County; Spring Valley evacuees return

Firefighters made gains Wednesday on the Pawnee fire burning in Lake County, extending containment lines around 30 percent of the blaze near the most populated area and lifting evacuation orders to allow more than ?1,000 Spring Valley residents back into their homes.

The fire, burning east of Clear Lake, has grown by 700 acres since Tuesday night, and has charred a total of 13,700 acres, destroying 22 structures, including 12 homes in greater Clearlake Oaks, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire.

Though the blaze’s spread had slowed since Monday, flames still threaten 600 structures, with hot, dry and windy weather predicted to set in Friday and remain through the weekend.

“We made good progress (Tuesday) and today, again, we’re making really good progress,” Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli said.

The blaze, which started Saturday evening, has drawn more than 3,000 firefighters from multiple agencies around the state. The response included 234 engines, 33 water tenders, 15 helicopters and 79 hand crews and 71 bulldozers, with additional resources on the way as they’re released from other fires burning around the state.

Winds threatened to push the fire further east, and crews were working to solidify and extend containment lines protecting the Spring Valley area, Bertelli said.

“We’re far from out of the woods right now,” he said. “The No. 1 priority is increasing the defense around the communities of Spring Valley and Double Eagle.”

The 500 acres that burned late Tuesday and early Wednesday were mostly at the fire’s northern front, along the west shore of Indian Valley Reservoir. About 600 acres burned in the Mendocino National Forest, which sits to the west of the reservoir.

Containment lines were being established along many of the same fronts used in past fires, officials said.

“They’re just looking back at the history and saying, ‘Hey, this is where we stopped it, let’s go back out to those points and hit the same lines,’ and it makes it a lot easier,” said Chief Jeff Gilbert, of the Williams Fire Department in Colusa County, who was overseeing work Wednesday afternoon near a communication tower for the Indian Valley Reservoir.

Bertelli said the fire was moving away from the communities of Spring Valley and Double Eagle and toward more rural areas.

That was welcome news for Anthony Trapp, 60, an 8-year resident of Spring Valley Road, who chose to ride out the fire and not evacuate. He said he didn’t regret the decision, but acknowledged the severity of this fire compared to past ones in the area.

“It was worse than the other fires,” he said. “It was all the way around. It was bad. I had the hose and was just trying to keep the house wet. But I had a Harley in the garage with keys, ready to go.”

Trapp added that he was thankful to again see activity and a line of cars into the neighborhood once the evacuation order was lifted for the community at 4 p.m. Wednesday, allowing about 1,300 residents to return home.

“It’s a relief. This is my relief beer here,” he said before taking a slug from a can of Steel Reserve. “It feels good to be alive.”

Shirley Conley, 76, returned from her grandson’s home in Clearlake Oaks to her Spring Valley home of 23 years off Golden Rod Way. It’s the third time she’s evacuated because of a wildfire, and she’s become accustomed each year to the plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Still, the Pawnee fire came closer to her home than any of those in the past.

“I’ve never seen that part burnt,” she said, pointing to the hillside that backs up to her home, with Cache Creek running between. “The back part, yes, but I’ve never seen the front part. It’s strange. It’s just- hopefully we’re through the worst.”

The fire began off Quail Trail toward the north end of Spring Valley. The cause is still under investigation.

Hand crews were hiking in to the remote areas of the fire’s northern front, and helicopters were dousing flames with water from Indian Valley Reservoir.

Mandatory evacuations were still in place for Double Eagle Ranch, leaving an estimated 200 people displaced, said Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin. It wasn’t clear when those orders might be lifted.

“People are happy to get home,” Martin said. “They’re tired, stressed and worn out. For many people, this is not their first time, they’ve had to go through this before and it wears on them.”

A one-stop assistance center for residents affected by the fire was scheduled to open today at the Spring Valley Community Center. It will offer a range of aid and services, with plans to remain open at least through Saturday.

Containers for perishable food for noncustomers will be in place at the community center on Wolf Creek Road and the Spring Valley’s Pantry on New Long Valley for as long as they’re needed, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office authorized the removal of roadblocks at Highway 20 and Bear Valley Road, Bear Valley and Brim roads and at Leesville and Bear Valley roads, Cal ?Fire said.

The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for the region beginning Friday and lasting until Sunday evening, forecasting daytime humidity levels as low as 20 percent with gusting winds up to 35 mph.

“When we have a fire weather watch out and ongoing over an area that has an ongoing fire, we expect the possibility of erratic fire conditions,” said Jim Mathews, a Sacramento-based forecaster with the National Weather Service. “It’ll be getting hotter and drier. It’s not good for fighting fires. That kind of speaks for itself.”

Bertelli said crews would be keeping a close eye on changing conditions.

“We’re going to be really aggressive like we always are for the next few days …, we’re keeping resources close at hand,” he said. “We’re well aware of what’s coming. We don’t want to get surprised.”

You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com.