Valley Fire Wipes Out Homes in Middletown

Saturday afternoon the Valley Fire sparked in Lake County approximately 100 miles north of San Francisco and has since burned 40,000 acres according to Cal Fire. 

There have been an unconfirmed number of structures destroyed and over 5,000 residents left without power, Cal Fire says. Additionally, four firefighters suffered burn injuries and were transported for care. They suffered second-degree burns but their condition is stable at the UC Davis Medical Center.

Cal Fire's Public Information Officer Daniel Berlant spoke with our Sacramento affiliate and described how hard they are working to trim the brush and build a line around the fire. He emphasized maintaining a defensible space in your own yard but to avoid using electric gardening equipment because they are often responsible for sparking fires. 

While speaking with Berlant, the local affiliate reported that 80% of the homes in the city of Middletown have burned to the ground including an elementary school. 

Berlant took to Periscope to give the public an update on several fires currently burning in California Sunday. He said that both the Valley Fire and Butte Fire are burning similarly to a fire that we would see during the Santa Ana winds. Now he says winds are only about 20 to 30 miles per hour, not as strong as the Santa Ana winds, but the dry conditions are helping the fires spread. 

One woman told CBS News in Lake County, CA that she's heard that her brothers house had burned and she had heard that "a lot of buildings are gone, school is gone, store's gone, and a lot of people have dogs stuck up there."

Another evacuee told CBS News that they had to leave man of their animals at their home and had to drive through the fire on both sides of them as they evacuated. But she said, "we're here, we're safe, I'm just praying the animals escaped. They're smart." 

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Lake and Napa Counties on Sunday. The proclamation also incorporates provisions from an executive order issued in August to expedite the debris removal process and waive fees to replace important documents burned in the fire. 

Cal Fire reports there are mandatory evacuations in the following areas: 

Mandatory evacuations –Hwy 29 (Kelseyville) at Hwy 175 south on Hwy 175 towards Cobb, Red Hills Road to Hwy 29, Hwy 29 X Hwy 175 south to Seigler Canyon Road (south side of Hwy 29), Hwy 29 Tubbs Lane (Calistoga, Napa County) to Hwy 29/Hwy 53 (Lower Lake, Lake County) Butts Canyon Road to Napa County Line, including Berreyssa Estates, Butts Canyon Road to Pope Valley. Communities of Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lakes.