Lake County Wildfire Prompts Evacuations
TWIN LAKES / Lake County (CBS SF) -- A 300+ acre wildfire burning Thursday off Highway 29 south of Lower Lake prompted evacuations for the Mercy Spring and Twin Lakes subdivisions, where authorities estimated at least 60 homes were threatened.
CalFire officials said more than 200 firefighters were brought in to battle the blaze, which was about 20 percent contained by nightfall. Crews were attacking the flames from the ground and air and said they had managed to halt the fire's forward progress.
The blaze, named the 29 Fire because of it's proximity to the highway, broke out around 2:45 p.m. and prompted Highway 29's closure south of Highway 53.
Firefighters reported that the fire, being aided by wind gusts of 20 miles-per-hour, quickly spread in grass and brush. The flames had burned at least one home, a barn and outbuildings, along with 10 cars by day's end.
The cause of the fire was unknown and no injuries were immediately reported.
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