AUGUST 19, 2015
Investigators Determine Cause of Destructive Rocky Fire
Lake County, California
CAL FIRE Law Enforcement officers have determined that the cause of one of the two fires, which grew together to become known as the Rocky Fire, was the result of the failure of a gas water heater in an outbuilding that contained flammable liquids. The outbuilding fire then caught the nearby vegetation on fire and quickly spread to the surrounding area. While the cause has been determined, the circumstances surrounding the fire starting remain under investigation. The cause of the second fire is also still under investigation.
The Rocky Fire started on July 29, 2015 at 3:29 p.m. off of Morgan Valley Road west of the community of Lower Lake. The fire burned nearly 70,000 acres over the next 16 days, destroying 43 homes and 53 outbuildings. At the peak of the fire, more than 13,000 residents were impacted by evacuations and 7,500 homes were threatened. The fire was fully contained on August 14, 2015.
On August 9, 2015, the Jerusalem Fire began in Jerusalem Valley, just south of the Rocky Fire. While the Jerusalem Fire burned very close to the Rocky Fire, the cause is unrelated and remains under investigation.
California’s extreme drought continues to lead to fire prone conditions. CAL FIRE continues to urge residents to take all precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire. One Less Spark means One
Less Wildfire. Learn more at www.ReadyForWildfire.org