NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County officials on Tuesday issued evacuation orders for areas near the community of Covelo, where two wildland fires are burning.

The North Pass Fires – previously called the Pass Complex – reached 10,000 acres on Tuesday, with 10 percent containment, according to Cal Fire.

The lightning-caused fires have been burning since early last Saturday morning in the Williams Valley near Mendocino Pass Road, 10 miles northeast of Covelo.

The fires have so far claimed one outbuilding and are threatening 45 residences, according to Cal Fire.

There were 869 personnel on scene Tuesday, along with 63 engines, 26 fire crews, three helicopters, 29 dozers and 21 water tenders, Cal Fire reported.

With the complex moving into the Mendocino National Forest, Cal Fire and the US Forest Service have a unified command of the incident.

Mendocino National Forest spokesperson Tamara Schmidt said the Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the fire on Tuesday morning, with the incident command post located at the Round Valley Airport.

Schmidt reported that the fires were actively burning in heavy timber and moving northeast into the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness. Extreme fire behavior – including crowning, torching and long range spotting – have been observed in the afternoons.

She said firefighters both on the ground and in the air are actively fighting the fire.

The fires prompted the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office to issue a mandatory evacuation order for all residents of Indian Dick Road (USFS Road M1), east of Covelo; all residents on Indian Dick Road from the intersection of Mendocino Pass Road (USFS Road FH7) north to the Trinity County line and east to the Tehama County line.

The order included all residences and USFS campsites at Howard Lake Campground, Little Doe Campground and Hammerhorn Lake Campground.

Also evacuated was Blands Cove Road, east of Covelo, from the start of the Traveler's Home Wilderness Trail Head, north to the Trinity County line.

Blands Cove Road and Indian Dick Road (USFS Road M1) will be closed to all non-emergency traffic in the evacuation areas. The road closures remain in effect until the mandatory evacuation order is rescinded.

Schmidt said the fire closure area boundary begins at the intersection of the Middle Fork of the Eel River and the forest boundary, then continues north along the Middle Fork of the Eel River to a point half a mile south of Henthorne Lake, then continues due west to its intersection with the forest boundary, then continues south along the forest boundary back to the starting point.

Anyone displaced by this evacuation order can contact the American Red Cross for housing assistance at 707-463-0112 or 855-891-7325.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .