Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, left, during a training session for crews to learn how to use remote hydrants at Clearlake Oaks on Aug. 27, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters
As the Lucas Fire tore through Mendocino and Lake Counties, two portable fire hydrants sprouted from Lake County’s Keeling Park, pumping water directly from Clear Lake.
It was the first test of a homegrown solution to a problem the state is only beginning to reckon with: water systems never built to fight climate-fueled wildfire, with no specific guidance, mandate or funding to adapt.
Wildfires have burned roughly two-thirds of rugged, remote Lake County in less than 15 years — straining already overburdened water systems. So, when lightning struck and the Lucas Fire sparked, Chief Shannon Banks of the Northshore Fire Protection District called local water companies to set up the new hydrants.
“We always in the past have looked for alternative water sources,” Banks said. “These pumps just make it a lot easier.”
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