KUKI News

A structure was destroyed yesterday in the Oil Fire. Cal Fire crews battled the fire that started on Oil Well Hill just north of Willits around 3:30 p.m. as multiple small fires. Highway 101 was briefly closed. Forward progrss was stopped within 3 hours. Firefighters were extinguishing hot spots last night. Water tenders from Hopland Fire and Ukiah Valley Fire Authority were used to supply water to the engines to fight the oil fire.

The latest on the SawMill fire, east of Cloverdale, is 1,609 acres burned and 90-percent contained.

Close to 25,000 marijuana plants have been eradicated from the Middletown area. The Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit located and eradicated 7,569 mature marijuana plants from a clandestine marijuana cultivation site within the rural mountains of Butts Canyon, near the Napa County Line. The grow was discovered by a hunter who alerted authorities. During a recon flight in the area, Detectives located a second large grow site a few miles from the original reported garden. in 2016, the Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit has located and eradicated a total of 41,883 marijuana plants from several different locations within the Butts Canyon area. The total number of marijuana plants which have been located and eradicated in Lake County this year is 310,000.

Senator Mike McGuire’s bill to to support Lake County pear growers and packers has been signed by the Governor. The bill allows pear packing plants in rural Lake County to employ 16- and 17-year-olds for up to 10 hours per day during the short peak harvest season. The bill extends the exemption for Lake County until January 2022, and maintains all the existing requirements for employers to receive the exemption.

The name of the suspect involved in the “Mitchell Creek Incident” in Fort Bragg has been released. Thomas Charles Anderson is facing three felony charges. Anderson was armed, and had fired shots. The Mendocino County SWAT Team arrived at the residence and Anderson was taken into custody without incident.

The Lakeport Police Department will be staffing a full time School Resource Police Officer on the campuses of the Lakeport Unified School District starting the first week of October. This program has been made possible by a funding partnership between the LUSD School Board and the City Council of the City of Lakeport. All involved officials believe that placement of a police officer on the school grounds will greatly enhance the safety of all students, staff and visitors on the campuses, in addition to having a positive impact on the students.

Cal Fire reports the SawMill fire, burning east of Cloverdale, is now 75-percent contained. The fire, which started on Sunday and is still at 1500 acres. Two “minor” injuries were reported and no structures have been lost. Firefighters continue to mop up and patrol the fire perimeter.

A couple of traffic notifications. Pool Street in Lakeport will be closed again today.

Also Caltrans will begin emergency repairs of the U.S. Highway 101 Perkins Street overcrossing in Ukiah on Thursday, September 29, at 4 p.m. The overpass was damaged on September 14th when it was struck by an over-height load on a truck. Southbound traffic on U.S. Highway 101 will be restricted to one lane, and motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns. The southbound onramp from Perkins to 101 will also be closed, and motorists will be directed to use the southbound Gobbi Street onramp. [Go-be]

A Redwood Valley home was damaged by fire yesterday. The fire at the home near Eagle Peak Middle School began in the rear of the structure, and the cause is still under investigation. No one was home when the fire broke out.

A suspect involved in the possible hostage situation in Fort Bragg was taken into custody last night. The incident happend in the Simpson Lane & Mitchell Creek Road area and the MSCO SWAT team was on the scene. More details are expected to be released from the sheriff’s office in the coming days.

A man who entered the closed disaster area of the Clayton Fire will serve some time in jail.
Bradley Michael Thorstenson was on active felony probation for a burglary charge from 2014 when he was arrested recently. Thorstenson’s been ordered to serve 10 days in jail with no credit for time served.