New Wildfire Explodes in Lake County

Smoke and flames from the new Jerusalem Fire envelope a mountainside in Lake County, north of San Francisco. Photos by Al Francis of NapaSonomaPhotos.com

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Firefighters are battling a monster fire in Lake County that sparked Sunday afternoon. It was first reported as 100 acres at 3:42 p.m., according to Calfire. By 9:30 it had grown to 3,000 acres with zero containment. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents in the path of the fast-moving wildfire. The exact number of people ordered from their homes is not known at this hour.

There have been no reports of injuries, and no reports of homes damaged or lost.

This new fire is burning about seven miles southwest of the Rocky Fire, which has consumed almost 70,000 acres. The Rocky Fire is now 85 percent contained. It burned 43 homes, 53 outbuildings, and damaged another eight structures. Resources are being pulled off the Rocky Fire and sent directly to the Jerusalem Fire.

Residents of Jerusalem Valley ordered from their homes Sunday can take shelter at an evacuation center set up at Middletown High School.

Jerusalem Valley road is closed to all traffic except firefighting equipment and personnel.