Cal Fire: Water Heater ‘Failure’ Cause of Rocky Fire

Authorities revealed Wednesday that the destructive Rocky Fire was caused by a faulty gas water heater.

Cal Fire says while the water heater is the cause, the circumstances surrounding the fire are still under investigation.

They say the outbuilding fire then caught nearby vegetation on fire, and quickly spread to the surrounding area, eventually growing to almost 70,000 acres.

The Rocky Fire started on July 29, at 3:29 p.m. off Morgan Valley Road west of the community of Lower Lake.

More than 13,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to the Rocky Fire.

The agency put at least five highly-trained, expert investigators on the case, Cal Fire information officer Mike Mohler said. The fire was fully contained on August 14, 2015.

The Jerusalem fire began on August 9 and burned in the same area as the Rocky fire, but officials said the cause is unrelated.

No structures are threatened but the Jerusalem fire at this point, Cal Fire said, though nine residences and 18 other buildings have been lost. That fire was estimated at 25,118 acres with 95 percent containment as of Tuesday.

California’s extreme four-year drought continues to be a threat, leading to fire prone conditions, Cal Fire reminds residents, and urges them to take all precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire.