Mendocino Complex fires surpass 100,000 acres; 39 percent contained

The two wildfires that have threatened Lake County shoreline communities for nearly a week have surpassed the 100,000-acre mark, even as containment of the blazes has reached 39 percent.

Cal Fire officials reported Thursday morning that the River and Ranch fires, which began Friday afternoon, had grown more than 15,000 acres to a combined 110,168 overnight.

During that period, containment for the Ranch fire, which is burning north of Upper Lake into the Mendocino National Forest and forced the evacuation of communities on the north shore of Clear Lake, more than doubled from 15 percent to 33 percent. That fire, which started in Mendocino County northeast of Ukiah, has scorched 74,890 acres.

The River fire, which forced the evacuation of Lakeport and nearby shoreline communities, has burned a total of 35,278 acres and is now 50 percent contained. That’s a significant increase from the 38 percent containment figure reported by Cal Fire at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Cal Fire Division Chief Mike Wilson said the Ranch fire continues to push north and east and is some distance from populated shorelines. The recent addition of “ground resources” have helped increase containment of both fires, he said.

“They’re looking for ridge lines to build dozer lines, and they’re also looking for roads and natural fire breaks,” he said.

Cal Fire said the fires remained active in upper elevations for most of the night.

The fire was far less active in lower elevation valleys and drainages, as well as unexposed areas. Officials said the significant progress made on containment was also due to successful backfire operations.

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12:00 p.m.

Cal Fire officials said the following areas have been reduced to mandatory evacuation to evacuation warning: Mid Mountain Road and Pine Avenue area of Potter Valley, north of Burris Lane, east of Eastside Potter Valley Road, west of the edge of the Ranch fire.

Mid Mountain Road is closed to eastbound traffic at the Mendocino-Lake

County Line/Forest Boundary.

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11:20 a.m. update

The National Weather Service is issuing a red flag weather warning, in effect beginning Friday at 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Weather Service officials warned of very dry and gusty winds along ridge-tops in the Mendocino Complex fire zone

Gusts of up to 30 miles an hour are expected Saturday, with humidity in the afternoon between 15 to 20 percent. The highest fire threat will be near the Mendocino Complex fires, the Weather Service said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Drew Peterson said the hot, dry weather has been is the result of a “dome of high pressure” over the North Coast for the past seven days. That high pressure system is expected to weaken this weekend.

“But as it does, that looks like the wind is going to pick up,” he said. “Inland, there will be gusty and dry winds.”

Peterson the weakening of the pressure system will bring slightly cooler temperatures. But he warned that the high pressure system is likely to return beginning early next week.

“We’re going to be right back where we are now probably by Tuesday,” he said.

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8:30 a.m update

The main fight is currently being waged in the Mendocino National Forest, where crews are scouting for opportunities to slow the fire at point ahead of the active fire’s edge. While fire crews are fighting aggressively, steep terrain and intense fire on the “fire front make it difficult to insert crews in certain areas of the fire,” Cal Fire said in its latest incident update.

The fire’s toll remained the same since Wednesday night. The fires have destroyed 14 homes and 24 other structures. There are currently 12,200 structures threatened.

Meanwhile, a fire that erupted Wednesday, at about 4 p.m., off Highway 101 south of Hopland, dubbed the Western fire, appears to be under control. Cal Fire reported the fire had scorched 106 acres but was 95 percent contained.

Fire officials initially feared it could grow to 1,000 acres, but an aggressive attack from nearby aircraft and crews slowed the fire’s forward momentum by 6:30 p.m.

Battalion Chief Ron Roysum of the Hopland Fire Protection District said the rapid response of air and ground crews was crucial in keeping the Western fire in check. He said the fire was only minutes from his home, where he said he keeps a fire engine parked.

Emergency dispatchers first reported the incident as a motorcycle accident.

“I was at the scene within two minutes of the dispatch,” he said, adding that the motorcycle had slid off the highway on onto grass, where it started the fire. “When I got there and saw the smoke column I reported there was a fire. It was probably a quarter acre already.”

The response from Cal Fire aircraft, which were already in the air, was immediate, he said.

“The reason we were able to get it so fast is because there were resources available and thats the key to getting a fire out quickly,” he said.

In contrast, last Friday when the River fire ignited at 1:01 p.m. - an hour after the Ranch fire was reported - fire crews were already committed to the first blaze.

“We didn’t have dozers, helicopters, airplanes and crews available so quickly,” Roysum said. “The Ranch fire was already an hour underway so a lot of resources were headed there on Highway 20.”

Roysum said that by the time fire crews responded to the River fire, “it was already pushing pretty hard with the wind and terrain. It takes a while to get a dozer pulled off another fire if they’re committed.”

Calfire and Lake County sheriff’s officials continue to remind Lake County residents that numerous areas are under a mandatory evacuation due to the River and Ranch fires. The areas include: the area is west of Lucerne at Bartlett Springs Road and Highway 20; south of the Ranch fire, east of the Ranch fire; areas north of Clear Lake including the communities of Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Nice, Witter Springs, Bachelor Valley; Lakeport, Scotts Valley and Saratoga Springs.

Check back for more details.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.