Growing wildfire in Lake County prompts mandatory evacuations

Aircraft were attacking the Jerusalem fire, which was reported at 3:42 p.m.in Jerusalem Valley southeast of Lower Lake, Cal Fire’s Suzie Blankenship said.

Authorities in Lake County issued a mandatory evacuation order for an unknown number of residents of the Jerusalem Valley area. Jerusalem Valley Road is closed to all traffic at Spruce Grove.

Officials say the Jerusalem Fire is burning about seven miles southwest of the Rocky Fire, which has burned almost 70,000 acres since it started on July 29. An evacuation center for pets and animals is located at the old water park at 6885 Old Highway 53 in Clearlake.

Containment for the Rocky Fire, which originated in Lake County and destroyed 43 homes, increased to 85 percent on Sunday, officials said.

A new fire is slowly growing near Lake County, just as the Rocky Fire is being extinguished.

This is a developing story check back for more information.