4 firefighters injured battling latest Lake County fire
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (KTVU) -- Four firefighters were transported to a burn center Saturday afternoon after suffering injuries while fighting the growing Valley Fire in Lake County, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant says the injured firefighters were members of a helicopter crew based in Lake County. They were airlifted to a hospital burn unit for treatment but their conditions have not been released.
The firefighters were on the scene of the Valley Fire, the latest in a string of fires that has erupted in Lake County during recent weeks. The fire was first reported at about 1:24 p.m. Saturday.
The Valley Fire is located off High Valley Road and Bottle Rock Road in the town of Cobb and has grown to 400 acres over just a few hours. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents in that area of Cobb Mountain as well as residents on Harbor Hot Springs and Big Canyon Road.
The fire is threatening structures in the area and has forced the closure of Hwy 29 from in Cobb as well as near Kelseyville and Middletown at the junction with Hwy 175. The highway is also closed where it crosses Red Hills and Loch Lomond.
A total of 139 fire personnel are currently working the Valley Fire with Cal Fire getting assistance from the South Lake County Fire Protection District, CHP and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
The cause of the fire is under investigation