LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake Transit reported that it continues to support Valley fire recovery efforts, with most of its operations restored.

Lake Transit also is offering free service through the remainder of September.

Effective on the morning of Monday, Sept. 21, Lake Transit will operate the following schedules:

Regular schedules:

– Routes 4, 4A, 7, 10, and 11.

Regular schedules, but some evening service suspended:

– Route 1 Westbound – Clearlake to Lakeport via Highway 20 operates regular schedules until 6:43 p.m.

– Route 1 Eastbound – Lakeport to Clearlake via Highway 20 operates regular schedules until 6:50 p.m.

– Route 5 Clearlake extended hours service operates until 9:07 p.m.

– Route 8 Lakeport operates regular schedules until 5:46 p.m.

– Route 12 Clearlake/Lower Lake South Loop operates regular schedules until 7:21 p.m.

No service:

– Route 2 – Kit’s Corner to Middletown via Loch Lomond and Cobb.

– Route 3 – Clearlake to Deer Park via Hidden Valley, Middletown, Calistoga.

Lake Transit is monitoring conditions in the fire area and will resume service as soon as possible. 

Call Lake Transit at 707-994-3334 if you have questions about service in your area.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – To help residents who have been impacted by the Valley fires, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), in partnership with Lake County, has opened a local assistance center.
 
Representatives from various agencies and nonprofit organizations participating include, but not limited to, Cal OES, county organizations, the Contractors State License Board, Department of Insurance, Franchise Tax Board, Department of Motor Vehicles, Employment Development Department - Job Services, Board of Equalization, Department Of Public Health - Office Of Vital Records, and the American Red Cross will offer assistance to local residents.
 
Residents will be able to receive assistance with immediate needs such as counseling, food/lodging vouchers, insurance information and replacing vital documents lost in the fire, such as certificates of birth, death, marriage, dissolution of marriage records, identification cards, etc.
 
The local assistance center is located at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Residents of Middletown who are being allowed to return to their homes are being directed to immediately dispose of damaged food, with garbage collection set for Sunday.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Services said most residents have been without electricity for more than a week. Disposal of food is the No. 1 priority.

Officials are asking that Middletown residents returning to their homes use all three waste bins – trash, recycled and green/compost – to dispose of all food products.

Those residents without service or who have destroyed bins should use the dumpsters provided in the neighborhoods.

Dumpsters will be strategically placed in the repopulated neighborhoods for the disposal of food items. Dumpsters will be attended by volunteers to ensure that only appropriate items are disposed in these dumpsters.

Garbage pick up for all food waste will be on Sunday, September 20 in the Middletown area.

Residents without bins should contact South Lake Refuse at 707-994-8613 to schedule replacement bins.

For more information about disposal of household goods, please contact the Lake County Office of Public Services at 707-262-1760.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Salvation Army has added Twin Pine Casino’s parking lot as a third meal service site for evacuees of the Valley fire.  

The casino’s event center – located at 22223 Highway in Middletown – is currently being utilized as a temporary shelter.   

In addition to Twin Pine Casino, the Salvation Army continues to offer meals at Grace Church, 6716 Live Oak Drive, Kelseyville; and the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake, 3245 Bowers Ave.

In the past week, more than 5,000 meals have been served by Salvation Army staff and volunteers in Lake County. 

The Salvation Army also is one of the multiple agencies stationed at the Lake Local Assistance Center (LAC) at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

The LAC opened up on Saturday, and the Salvation Army will have case workers on hand the entire week to assist local residents with inquiries about food, clothing, utilities and basic housing essentials. 

The hours of service will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and staff will continue to take inquiries at least through Sept. 26. 

The Salvation Army said monetary donations only are needed at this time. The organization uses 100-percent of disaster donations in support of local disaster relief operations.

To give, visit www.gosalarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate “Northern California Fires.”

Donations by mail may be designated “Northern California Fires” and sent to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 348000, Sacramento, CA 95834.

In-kind donations are not currently being accepted outside the disaster area. However, these gifts are vitally important to your local Salvation Army. To give items locally, visit www.SATruck.com or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK. 

COBB, Calif. – A meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, to discuss conditions at Boggs Mountain State Forest has been canceled.

Forest officials had planned to discuss work that was about to begin to create shaded fuel breaks and fire safe clearance. However, now they are looking at a massive rehabilitation effort.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission has adjourned its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Officials said the cancellation is due to the Valley fire.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will take place on Thursday, Oct. 8.