How to resolve AdBlock issue? Cal Fire said it has concluded that the Ranch fire was caused by a spark or hot metal fragment landing in a receptive fuel bed.
The spark or hot metal fragment came from a hammer driving a metal stake into the ground at an address in Potter Valley. No charges have been filed.
The Ranch fire started July 27, 2018, in Mendocino County and burned a total of 410,203 acres.
It destroyed 280 structures and resulted in one firefighter fatality and three firefighter injuries.
The Ranch fire is currently the largest wildland fire as measured by acres burned, in California history.
Cal Fire investigators were immediately dispatched to the Ranch fire and began working to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
After a meticulous and thorough investigation, Cal Fire reached the conclusion that it was caused by a spark or hot metal fragment.
The fire started early afternoon north of the community of Upper Lake in Mendocino County. The tinder dry vegetation and red flag conditions consisting of strong winds, low humidity and hot temperatures caused extreme rates of spread which caused the fire to grow very rapidly.
The Ranch fire was one of the two fires that made up the Mendocino Complex. The other fire in the Mendocino Complex was the River fire. Total acreage burned by the two combined fires of the Mendocino Complex was 459,123 acres.
During 2018 there were more than 7,570 wildfires that burned over 1.8 million acres within the state of California.
A copy of Cal Fire’s redacted investigative report can be seen below.
060619 Cal Fire Ranch fire investigative report by LakeCoNews on Scribd
