MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Firefighters working on Mendocino National Forest lands are continuing to find new fires sparked by lightning storms that began on Thursday and continued early Saturday.
So far more than 13 fires have been identified, with most of them either contained or declared out, said forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.
Schmidt said the majority of the lightning fires are on the west side of the forest.
They include the Blue fire on the Upper Lake Ranger District, which was contained at two acres on Friday, she said.
The Etsel fire, located in the Yuki Wilderness on the Upper Lake Ranger District, reached 37 acres and was 60-percent contained on Saturday. Schmidt said it is burning in heavy timber and brush.
Saturday morning’s lighting event resulted in two new fires, the Boardman and Deer fires, both on the Upper Lake Ranger District, Schmidt said.
The Boardman fire is approximately five acres, with a moderate rate of spread, Schmidt said. The fire is near an old fire scar and there is currently an engine and helicopter working towards containment.
The Deer fire, burning southeast of Lake Pillsbury, was estimated to be 50 to 75 acres on Saturday, Schmidt said.
That fire is burning in mixed conifer with moderate to light fire behavior, and is a threat to three structures, according to Schmidt.
She said two engine crews and one Type 1 hand crew arrived on the fire Saturday afternoon. Air resources worked on the fire Saturday, but were limited by smoke on the east side of the fire.
As dry conditions and hot temperatures continue in the coming days, firefighters anticipate discovering more lightning fires, Schmidt said. There are additional thunderstorms in the forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
Forest visitors are asked to be aware of their surroundings and be prepared for changing conditions. This includes reporting visible smoke that could be from a wildfire. To report a fire, please call 911.
The Mendocino National Forest is currently under fire restrictions. Visitors are asked to follow regulations and be careful with anything with a flame or that can throw a spark in the forest.
For more information about fire prevention, visit www.preventwildfireca.org/OneLessSpark/ ; for more information about the forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino or follow the forest on Twitter, @MendocinoNF.
More new lightning fires found on Mendocino National Forest
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