NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Officials said the hard work of firefighters is paying on the South Zone of the vast August Complex, as additional burning operations are conducted and containment continues to increase.
The US Forest Service said Monday that the August Complex as a whole had reached 846,752 acres.
The complex was sparked by lightning storms in mid-August. It is burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests and has been divided into three zones – the South, which includes Lake County – as well as the North and West zones.
Officials said the east side of the South Zone is fully contained, and the containment of the entire complex is now 34 percent.
To put this into perspective, officials said the perimeter of the August Complex is more than 568 miles, a greater distance than the drive from Boise, Idaho, to Red Bluff, California.
On Sunday, smoke prevented the use of aircraft to assist in the firing operations around Pillsbury Ranch, but firefighters continued to utilize hand ignition where possible to remove vegetation and increase protection of structures, officials said.
While hand ignition by ground crews is slower than aerial ignition, the Forest Service said it allows for continued progress when smoky conditions make it unsafe to fly.
Dozers and crews continue structure protection and strengthening the control lines west and northwest of Lake Pillsbury. Officials said these lines will be used as both primary and alternate locations for containment of the fire.
Fire crews are widening lines and installing pumps and hose to prepare for future firing and holding operations, the Forest Service said.
The number of structures the complex has destroyed remained at 35 on Monday. Also unchanged is the number threatened – 1,595.
Full containment is still expected on Nov. 15, the Forest Service said.
Evacuations in the complex’s south zone remain in effect for Mendocino and Lake counties.
In Mendocino County, evacuation orders have been reduced to evacuation warnings for zone A, zone C, and a part of zone E, while Pillsbury Ranch and the Lake Pillsbury basin in Lake County are still under mandatory orders. Evacuation information can also be found here.
Forest Order No. 08-20-13 remains in effect for the August Complex. Residents and property owners may return to their properties within the Mendocino National Forest in Glenn County, but access to the Forest Service closure area for other purposes, including hunting and recreation, is prohibited.
Properties accessed via a Forest System road may require a permit from the US Forest Service. Contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316 for more information.
Smoky conditions continue to challenge August Complex firefighting efforts
- LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
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