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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – There was minor growth on the Ranch fire portion of the Mendocino Complex on Wednesday, as some mandatory evacuations in neighboring Mendocino County were lifted.
The Mendocino Complex rose to 410,482 acres by Wednesday night, with containment unchanged over the past 24 hours at 74 percent, Cal Fire reported.
The Ranch fire, the active portion of the complex, reached 361,562 acres Wednesday night. Containment remains at 67 percent, according to Cal Fire’s report. The River fire was fully contained last week at 48,920 acres.
Damage assessment numbers on the complex rose slightly on Wednesday. Cal Fire said the number of structures destroyed is now 280 – 157 homes and 123 other buildings. Damaged structures now total 38, including 13 residences and 25 other buildings.
Resources assigned include 3,439 personnel, 210 engines, 86 water tenders, 21 helicopters, 82 hand crews and 68 dozers, according to Cal Fire.
The Forest Service reported that a new incident command post for the eastern zone of the fire has been set up at the Glenn County Fairgrounds in Orland. The base camp at Stonyford will continue to operate, reducing travel times for crews working on the northern portion of the Ranch Fire.
Cal Fire said there was minimal fire activity on the Ranch Fire; the complex has grown just under 4,000 acres in the past day.
Officials said constructed fireline is holding on the northwestern edge as crews continue
working to improve it.
Crews are continuing to conduct firing operations to build and improve existing containment lines. Cal Fire also is anticipating more favorable weather conditions – lower temperatures and humidity – overnight.
The southern portion of the Ranch fire, like the River fire, remains in patrol status, with suppression repairs taking place, Cal Fire said.
The conditions on Wednesday led to the cancellation of a mandatory evacuation for the Eel River Road area in Mendocino County, including all areas west of the Mendocino-Lake County line, south and east of Eel River Road and north of the 16000 block of Mid Mountain Road.
An advisory evacuation also was canceled for the Potter Valley area, also in Mendocino County.
In Glenn County, officials said Wednesday that while mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for the area south of County Road 308 to the Colusa County Line and west of County Road 306 to the Lake County line, a number of roads had been reopened to allow access to critical transportation routes in this area.
Those roads include County Road 306, which is open to north and south bound traffic; all roads running west of County Road 306 to the Lake County line remain closed. County Road 308 is open to east and west bound traffic from County Road 306 to the Forest Boundary also has been reopened, but County Road 308 remains closed at the Forest Boundary west to its termination.
Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service said they will be hosting a Thursday evening community meeting in Elk Creek in Glenn County to discuss the current situation of the Mendocino Complex. Officials will give an operational overview, highlighting the current actions firefighters are taking on the fires.
The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Elk Creek High School, 3430 County Road 309.
Mandatory evacuations remain in effect in the following areas:
• Lake County: East of the Lake-Mendocino County line, south of the Lake-Mendocino-Glenn County line, west of the Lake-Colusa County line, north of the fire perimeter and the Mendocino National Forest boundary.
• Colusa County: Areas south of the Colusa-Glenn County line, east of the Colusa-Lake County line, north of Goat Mountain Road extending to Sullivan Ridge and west of the Mendocino National Forest boundary including Fouts Springs Road (Forest Road M10).
• Glenn County: North of the Glenn-Colusa County line, east of the Glenn-Lake County line, south of County Road 308 and Forest Route 24N02, and west of County Road 306.
• The Bureau of Land Management closure of the Cow Mountain Recreation Area remains in effect.
Evacuation advisories are still in effect in two areas in Colusa County: All areas east of the Mendocino National Forest boundary and west of the East Park reservoir between the Glenn County line and Lodoga; and areas South of Goat Mountain Road extending to Sullivan Ridge east of the Colusa-Lake County line and West of the Mendocino National Forest boundary.
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