NORTH COAST, Calif. – A fire burning since last month in northern Mendocino County was fully contained as of Monday morning.

The North Pass Fire – which actually was two fires sparked by lightning early on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 18 – burned a total of 41,983 acres, according to the US Forest Service, which had shared unified command with Cal Fire on the incident.

The fire began near Williams Valley, 10 miles north east of Covelo, and moved to the north and east spreading into the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness, officials said. Seventy-five percent of the fire was on federal lands, and 25 percent in the State Responsibility Area.

Evacuations in areas near Covelo were in place for weeks as firefighters struggled with the area’s terrain, including steep canyons and slopes, with the fire moving through closed stands of long needle pine and, on the lower elevations, oak savanna, according to the US Forest Service report.

Forest officials said 26 structures were destroyed and four sustained damage in the fire, and a total of 11 injuries were reported.

The Forest Service said the fire area remains under a forest closure area, which may remain in effect for an extended period of time.

Officials said roads near and around the fire have remained closed and will remain so until hazards are removed and crews complete fire-related repairs, including installing water bars to stop soil erosion, brush pile chipping, drainage and road repair, and removing hazardous trees. The forest also remains under fire restrictions.

While the fire is fully contained, forest officials said some burning material will remain inside the interior of the fire, and firefighters will continue patroling the area.

Resources remaining on scene Monday included 165 personnel, three engines, one dozer, three water tenders, one aircraft and one handcrew, according to the Forest Service.

All forest orders can be found on the Mendocino National Forest Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino; see “Alerts and Warnings.”

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