Feature Article from the August 2016 Magazine Issue
Lake County Devastated by Another Fire
A winery building among 175 structures destroyed while vineyards seem safe
by Paul Franson
The new Clayton Fire broke out in the space between the Valley, Rocky and Jerusalem fires that burned in 2015.
Lower Lake, Calif.—Just one year after it was devastated by wildfires in 2015, Lake County is ablaze once again.
The Clayton Fire off Highway 29 and Clayton Creek, south of the town of Lower Lake, started on the evening of Aug. 13, and by this morning it had burned 4,000 acres, more than 175 structures and yet was only 5% contained.
More than a 1,0oo people from 24 crews, 122 fire engines, 22 water tenders and 22 bulldozers are fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
At this point, the fire doesn’t appear to have damaged any vineyards (most county vineyards are west of the fire, and the wind is blowing east), but the owners of Terrill Cellars Winery, located in the Tuscan Village in Lower Lake, confirmed through their Facebook page that the fire destroyed the structure. “The Tuscan Village is gone,” the post stated. “We made it out. We'll let you know what's going on with the winery once the smoke clears. Thank you all for your support.”
Cal Fire reports, “The fire continued burning aggressively through the night. The communities impacted were Lower Lake and Clearlake. Additional resources arrived throughout the night. The fire behavior remains intense. Structures are threatened, and currently mandatory evacuations are in place. Structure defense continues. Terrain is grassy oak woodland, heavy brush with difficult access.”
Reports from local wineries and vineyards
Clay Shannon has a large ranch, Vigilance Vineyards, at the southeast corner of Clear Lake between Mount Konocti and the town of Clearlake. “It was really bad yesterday with heavy smoke, but the wind is blowing it east from the sea now. It’s still pretty bad, however.
Many planes and helicopters are flying over after getting water from Clear Lake to drop on the fire.”
Six air tankers and seven helicopters are involved.
Fortunately for Shannon, the fire is mostly northeast and southeast of the town of Lower Lake and moving east into rugged terrain. “We don’t feel threatened, but some of our employees have homes there, and they can’t get home to check on them.”
Shannon said that the fire is mostly moving through areas that burned last year. “We had great spring rains, and the grass grew well. Our humidity is very low, and the fire is now sweeping through the dried grass.”
He said that a number of buildings in Lower Lake burned including the tourist village that housed Terrill Cellars/Tuscan Village Winery, a pizza parlor and other commercial structures and homes; the local historical museum appears to have survived the blaze.
Greg Graham has a winery near Lower Lake, but he says that all the fires are east of him and burning away. “It’s had no impact on us.”
Six Sigma Winery has seen a lot of threats, but it looks like it’s now out of danger. The winery was threatened last year, and some 200 acres of cattle-grazing land on its property were burned when the Rocky Fire and Jerusalem Fire merged there. However, founder Christian Ahlmann said that it looks like they’re OK now. “It came within a few hundred yards of our property, but that’s burned out and it’s moving north into the area that burned in the Rocky Fire last year. Fortunately, there’s not a lot of fuel left to burn after last year.”
Langtry Estates in the Guenoc AVA was close to ground zero for the Valley Fire last year, but a staff member in the tasting room reports that the fire is far away at present. “We have no issues. We have power, phone, and there’s no smoke. The fire is about 25 minutes north,” they said.
Beckstoffer Vineyards owns 1,300 acres in the Red Hills area of Lake County. President David Beckstoffer said, “The fire is not threatening our vineyards. It is centered near Lower Lake, southeast of our vineyards, which are in the Kelseyville area. Currently, the winds are blowing the smoke away from us so we are not impacted.
Fults Family Vineyards on Highway 29 north on Clayton Creek closed its tasting room Sunday because the power went out. The fire started only a quarter-mile from there but went east, away from this property.
Evacuation areas
The area from Clayton Creek Road, including all of Morgan Valley Road, North Spruce Grove Road to Jerusalem Grade Road, Highway 53 at the Highway 29 junction north to Highway 20, was evacuated, and residents of Jerusalem Grade Road have been advised to be ready to leave.
Evacuation centers have been established at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Lakeport, at Kelseyville High School and Twin Pines Casino in Middletown.
Cooperating agencies fighting the fire include Cal Fire, multiple local fire departments, the U.S. Fire Service, the Department of Fish & Game, California State Parks, Lake County Sheriff Department, California Highway Patrol and Pacific Gas & Electric.
The Lake County sheriff and fire officals later announced on Monday they had arrested an arson suspect, Damin Pashilk, 40, of Clearlake, Calif. According to numerous news reports, investigators were led to Pashilk after investigating several smaller fires in the area this summer.
Authorities recently reported that last’s year’s massive Valley Fire started from an illegal hot tub installation.
Road Closures include Clayton Creek Road at Highway 29, all of Morgan Valley Road to the Napa County line, North Spruce Grove Road and the junction of Spruce Grove Road and Jerusalem Grade South and Spruce Grove Road off Highway 29. Highway 53 is closed at the Highway 29 junction at Lower Lake to Olympic.
To donate to residents affected by the Clayton Fire, visit lakecountyrising.org.
415.453.9700 | Fax: 415.453.2517
info@winesandvines.com
