Hwy 20 Closed as Ranch Fire Runs Out of Control

The Ranch Fire taken from Hwy 20 about 2.5 miles west of SR 29 late yesterday afternoon.

This photo of the Ranch Fire was taken from Hwy 20 about 2.5 miles west of SR 29 late yesterday afternoon. [Photo from Caltrans District 1]

Hwy 20 is closed as the Ranch Fire which started south of Potter Valley continues to take new territory. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office posted at 4 p.m., “State Route 20 has been closed as a result of the Ranch Fire.  The Highway is closed between the intersection of Hwy 20 and Potter Valley Road and the intersection of Hwy 29 & Hwy 20.”

There is no estimated time of reopening, according to Caltrans.

The town of Lakeport and the surrounding areas are under mandatory evacuation.

UPDATE: The Two Fiery Claws of the Mendocino Complex Squeeze Clear Lake and Its Communities (Maps, Photos)

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

19 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
clearlake fool
Guest
clearlake fool
5 years ago

was visiting mom in the hospital in fortuna . saw auto rama and came home this morn . went by the fire area at 10 am . only saw some smoke near the road but saw firefighters walking just off hwy 20 west of blue lakes and saw lots of firetrucks .
guess i just made it cause i leave early .
stay safe everyone
need breathing mask here in clearlake

Kima
Guest
Kima
5 years ago
Reply to  clearlake fool

Is your picture a dead bear? And did you kill it?

Elric of Melniboné
Guest
Elric of Melniboné
5 years ago

Holy Shit.

Taurusballzhoff
Guest
Taurusballzhoff
5 years ago

A vision of apocalypse was outside our Kelseyville home this morning, thick smoke, no wind. Yesterday passed while I watched Arc GIS to see the edge of the River Fire as it aimed at Lakeport. Lakeport west of Hiway 29 was evacuated, as was Scotts Valley and Northern parts of Upper Lake. Last night the power went off for a few hours, but was restored this morning…

Since I am working in Modoc, I had to drive down to I-5 this morning, and I was gratified to see a large number of CalFire assets, lines of tanker/pumpers and rigs hauling bulldozers, personnel trucks and buses, and fire trucks, from many, many towns, which are streaming into Lake County.

As I drove from Williams to Redding, the smoke got worse, but the freeway was packed with boom trucks, PG&E rigs, and emergency response and incident response teams moving North to relieve the situation caused by the Carr Fire.

I stopped in Anderson for a coffee, and encountered a parking lot being used for regrouping firepersons, who were catching a break of sorts!

Redding itself, seemed half-full, and hot and smoky, but I was travelling West so I headed out 299 towards Alturas. The smoke did not clear even out past Adin Pass, and finally I arrived in still smoky Cedarville. Fires are happening at Eagle Lake and in many other California locations.

I see that hiway 20 is closed from the intersection of 20 and 29, to the Potter Valley turnoff, and that Lakeport, Upper Lake, and Finley have Mandatory Evacuation orders, and it looks to me like Kelseyville and everything else around Mount Konocti will soon be evacuated as well.

Big thanks to Redheaded Blackbelt, Kym Kemp, Calfire, PG&E and all the brave folks on the ground and in the air who are combatting these fires.

RHBB is the leading edge of reporting these incidents, and doing a fantastic job of digesting the reports and getting the info out to the folks who need it.

Lake County Nixle, and ArcGIS are well worth using at times like these.

Be safe, drive carefully.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago

Holy cow! You just answered at least 5 of my questions. Thanks

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago

Oh dang,Do you mean Redwood Valley?
Scotts Valley would be too much to add to this

Della Gollenbusch
Guest
Della Gollenbusch
5 years ago

Great info. Thank you so much.

clearlake fool
Guest
clearlake fool
5 years ago

Nice just received evac order

Hmmmmm!
Guest
Hmmmmm!
5 years ago
Reply to  clearlake fool

Good luck to you!

Big louie
Guest
Big louie
5 years ago

Prayers for all

The worn out trucker
Guest
The worn out trucker
5 years ago

Live in Chico area, left in the smoke, Portland bound via 5,97,58,5. Up to Chemult, Or, still in the smoke. Supposed to be in Ukiah on Tues and another if our drivers is supposed to be in Cloverdale, it’s looking like a long detour right now.

Anon
Guest
Anon
5 years ago

Depressing

Frank
Guest
Frank
5 years ago

This is Frank, Hunkered down in Nice Ca. just off Ca. Hwy #20. Our town is under a evacuation order . However as a former first res ponder, ( of 27 years ) I spoke with the Officers on Station and duty here in and about Nice. Explained that My Lady, ( Redrock ) and i were going to stand bye our and our neighbors Homes and property till the bitter end, if need be, ( Heaven Forbid ) .
We are ready to fly at a seconds notice, the fire is appx, 4 to six miles West and Northwest of Nice. The wind is against us, but has somewhat calmed in the last few hours, ( Thank God ). smoke and ash is thick in the air, so anyone, with breathing problems should avoid coming anywhere near our location. We are in hospital face masks, if we go outside, and have our own heavy duty respirators and Gas Masks if needed. if things get any hairier.
There is a good and capable Police Presence in the area, ( I’ve spoken with several of the Units ), so residents who have evacuated should feel more at ease as far as the safety of their Homes and personal property goes, it is not unguarded. Our Police and Sheriffs, are in the area, and on constant patrol for looters. In This Area!
A mutual assistance call was sent out and we have supplemental Officers here on patrol, in Uniform in Marked Vehicles ready and able to Keep the peace and enforce our Laws.
THANK YOU, Lake County Sheriffs Officers, California Highway Patrol Officers,
Lake Port, Ca. Police Officers, SANTA ROSA Ca. Police Officers, Sonoma County Sheriffs Officers . I’m sure there are other sworn Law Enforcement Officers who have responded to our County’s , call for mutual assistance, here and in the neighboring County’s, and area’s under evacuation orders , who I have not personally seen To all of you, THANK YOU!!! Please Be SAFE !!! and, GOD Bless you!

To Our Brave Fire Fighters, On the front line, who are as I write this, putting their lives in Harms way, to protect, Our lives, and Our Homes and Property’s. May GOD keep you Safe, Strong, in Both Body and Spirit as You Battle these Blazes. We appreciate & Love You for what you do. I ask any and all who may read these words, to also, say and keep in your Prayers, The Brave Men and Women who are right now, out there, On the Ground, In
The AIR, Straddling a Dozier, Doing their Duty, Risking Their Lives , For Us. Thank You.
I also will not leave out, the unknown, individuals, who have volunteered to help these above mentioned First Respondent’s who were up till today and yesterday, sitting safe in a cell somewhere, serving, a sentence for some, crime or transgression against society, who have decided to fore go the safety of their incarceration, an put their bodies and added strength into fighting these fires. Thank You , for your selfless decision, we appreciate, and Honor you also. May God Bless you for this, and We Pray for your safety also.
It is a strange calm Here in Nice, Sadly their are few , of the “Night Birds, singing Here which is common at this time of the year. But we do Hear a few Chirps, from them on and off. It is encouraging to know that they havn’t all decided to flee. Whether it is just that some have refused to abandon their nests or they Know that the Fires are not going to come this way, we don’t know. But I take it as a good sign and will continue to listen, and watch, and keep vigilance over this our tiny neighborhood, and town. Should it come to pass, ( Heaven Forbid ) , that My Lady Redrock, and I have to abandon Our Home and Neighborhood, the last hing I will do Is post that here, Before i head out the door. Pray with me that , this is Not to be Gods Will, but either way, that is what will be, and we shall except it as that. Fire Fighters,,, Stay Strong ,,, Stay Safe, We Love You.

Frank, in Nice

Frank
Guest
Frank
5 years ago

This is Frank, in Nice California, writing to my friends and neighbors who themselves can not personally be here, this day, Monday July 30th. 2018. @ 07:22 Hrs. Whether it be by, The order of Evacuation or other cause beyond their control. This is, and these are the facts of the situation. This; As personally observed and gathered by me, to the best of my ability, at this time.
Dawn has broken here in the little town of Nice California. Not that there’s any sign’s of the sun coming out. The Smoke and Ash is so thick in the air, that walking around outside, without proper respiratory protection, at best, is not a good Idea. At worse, foolish. So please don’t think of coming here or returning to your Home or residence, save you have that inconvenient , yet very real Health Hazard seen to and provided for. This for yourself and any other persons who may be with you. Don’t forget pets and or service animals need to breath healthy air to. The outside air is not anything like what you are used to. Disregarding my and any official warnings, which I’m sure are being posted would be extremely lacking in any common sense.

The “Ranch Fire” of the Mendocino Complex of Fire’s continues to slowly encroach and bear down towards Our little Township of Nice, California. This wildfire ( according to the best and most current information I can gather ), is now appx. 3 1/2 miles to the North/ Northwest at it’s closest proximity, to Nice. That as estimated and measured from the Nice & Lucerne, “Cutoff”, Round a bout , & The Sentry Market.

We need to keep Our Prayers, in mind and heart, for the Brave Men and Women on the front line’s fighting these wildfire , ” Infernos “.

I will continue to post on this site, as long as I am able to provide accurate and first hand observations of the status of Our little town.

Frank

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago
Reply to  Frank

Thanks for the updates Frank!

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
5 years ago

Frank
I have the greatest admiration of your willingness to keep people informed and their property guarded. You are obviously of great character and have qualities much to be admired, Thank you.

I was also a first responder of some tenure myself and I can assure you that you need to take your sweet lady and get out of the evacuation area. Your presence is a distraction from the very real effort to save your town and keep the people in it safe.

You seem to believe in God. God just sent you a big message to get out of town, please heed it. I Say this in gentlelest possible terms because you seem to be a great person. The world needs more people like you. Get out and let the first responders do their job!

Martinman
Guest
Martinman
5 years ago

Frank from Nice: Thanks for your informative narrative. It is appreciated very much. This is just so tragic & sad for all. I sit in my comfy home unthreatened by this horrible act of nature – I don’t know what to do so I send loving thoughts for strength. I hope & pray you all & the scared helpless animals survive this ultimate nightmare.

Frank
Guest
Frank
5 years ago
Reply to  Martinman

Your welcome Martinman. We are doing what we can Here despite some thoughts that we may be a distraction to authorities, ( We are not, an are actually better prepared than the poor LEO’s sent from other County’s to work here without even any respiratory protection ) Nor are we interfering with any of the work being done by either the Firefighters or Law Enforcement Officers. Thank you for the Prayers. They are important. Red Rock and I have been doing what we can for our animals and the other little critters suffering in this area. Lg bowls and cisterns of fresh protected ( from falling ash ) WATER. Some food were we can. yet we still remain. We have our Plan, ( actually 3 plans, all with multiple contingencies ,) , to bug out if we have to, down to counted seconds. We will be safe, and continue to pray for The Brave Men and Women fighting these Hellish Blazes on the front line as well as the Brave Officers here and round about protecting our Homes and property’s from looters.

Frank
Guest
Frank
5 years ago

Frank in Nice,

Good news for the residents of Finley & Kelseyville, Evacuation orders have been lifted for there as well as the Big Valley Rancheria.
More Equipment and Brave Fire Fighters continue to pour into our County, They are being EFFECTIVE. Pray for them. For their Safety, & Effectiveness.
Residents of the above mentioned Area’s please do not think to repopulate or return to your Homes and property’s without providing for yourself and those with you some basic respiratory & Lung protection. Smoke and Ash is Thick in the Air.