Mendocino Complex firing operations increase acreage; Ranch fire surpasses 400,000 acres
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More firing operations once again raised the acreage total on the Mendocino Complex on Sunday, with the Ranch fire portion surpassing the 400,000-acre mark.
On Sunday night, the complex reached 450,985 acres with containment up to 83 percent, Cal Fire said. That’s a grow of more than 23,000 acres since Saturday night.
The Ranch fire reached 402,065 acres, with containment remaining at 67 percent, Cal Fire said. The River fire has been fully contained for nearly two weeks at 48,920 acres.
Mapping shows that the footprint of the Ranch fire continues to grow toward the northern Lake County border into western Glenn County, several miles southwest of Elk Creek.
Cal Fire, which is managing the eastern zone of the Ranch fire, said firefighters continue to make good progress on the Ranch fire, where increased acreage was due to firing operations in the northeastern areas of the fire.
Firing operations are expected to continue on interior portions of the burned area focusing on reinforcing containment in the northeastern areas of the fire as weather conditions permit, officials said.
Crews continue to build and reinforce containment lines and mop up throughout the north and northeastern portions of the fire area, while firefighters continue with fire suppression repair efforts in the northwestern portions of the fire, Cal Fire said.
The U.S. Forest Service, which holds unified command on the complex with Cal Fire and is managing the Ranch fire’s western zone, said the northern perimeter of the fire is divided between the east and west zones at Happy Camp Ridge.
The agency said the incident command post for the western zone is located in Ukiah, while the incident command post for the eastern zone is at the fairgrounds in Orland. The base camp at Stonyford will continue operating to reduce travel times for crews working the northern portion of the fire.
The Forest Service report said large interior stands of fuel exist between and are expected to produce smoke as they burn off.
On the west side of the fire, crews are conducting suppression repair efforts and mop up. Heavy equipment operators are constructing water bars in an effort to prevent erosion, while firehose is being pulled out of the area as hot spots are extinguished, the Forest Service said.
Resources have been rolled back on the incident. Officials said 3,061 personnel, 171 engines, 73 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 90 hand crews and 35 dozers were assigned as of Sunday evening.
Forest officials said that on Saturday, Lt. General Jeff Buchanan, commander of United States Army North, visited soldiers of the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion based out of Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington. Two hundred and 33 soldiers from the brigade are assigned to the Mendocino Complex.
Lt. General Buchanan received an operational briefing from California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 commanders prior to visiting the line, the Forest Service said.
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