LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County was ringed by wildland fires on Tuesday as firefighters in neighboring Glenn, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties continued efforts to contain new and ongoing incidents, one of which led to a call for evacuations in a remote portion of southern Lake County.
Since early Monday morning, local and state firefighters in Napa County have been fighting the LNU Lightning Complex, which is composed of more than 60 fires, some less than an acre.
However, the size of the complex’s largest fires ballooned on Tuesday, reaching 32,025 acres by nightfall and threatening 1,900 structures, according to a Cal Fire report.
The complex’s biggest fires in Napa County include the 10,000-acre Hennessey fire on Hennessey Ridge Road and Chiles Pope Valley Road, east of St. Helena, which has burned one structure and two outbuildings; the 10,000-acre Gamble on Berryessa Knoxville Road, west of Brooks; the 8,000-acre 15-10 fire near Putah Creek Bridge and Berryessa Knoxville Road; the 1,000-acre Spanish fire near Spanish flat; and the 2,500-acre Markley fire near Monticello dam.
Two more fires included in the complex are in Sonoma County: the 13-4 fire west of Healdsburg, which has burned 500 acres, and the 11-16 fire north of Jenner, which is 25 acres.
As of Tuesday night, no containment had been achieved on any of those seven major fires, Cal Fire said.
Due to the approach of one of the LNU Lightning Complex’s smaller fires to the Lake County line, on Tuesday afternoon the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area of Reiff Road and Morgan Valley Road, south to the Lake/Napa County line.
Authorities said they set up a temporary evacuation point at the former airport property off of Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Sheriff Brian Martin told Lake County News on Tuesday evening that a fire in the LNU Complex called the Gold Mine fire was responsible for the evacuation order impacting southeast Lake County.
Martin said the fire was at the Napa-Lake County line and had been spotting.
“The good thing is, for Lake County, it’s threatening areas that are very sparsely inhabited,” he said.
Martin said his department was able to contact everyone in the evacuation area. Many expressed their desire to stay put although some did opt to leave.
If the weather holds up, the fire should have minimal impact on Lake County, Martin said.
He said he expected his agency and Cal Fire will reevaluate the situation on Wednesday morning and decide if the evacuation order should be lifted or remain in place.
In Mendocino County, Cal Fire said the Creek fire began along Highway 162 and Short Creek Road near Covelo shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday. As of early evening, it had burned one structure and was threatening eight others, with 200 acres burned and 5-percent containment.
Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit said it’s also working on the 62-acre 3-19 fire east of Potter Valley. It is 30-percent contained and is not threatening any structures.
At the same time, efforts are continuing to contain the August Complex, which includes at least 20 lightning-caused fires throughout the Mendocino National Forest in the Grindstone Ranger District in Glenn County.
US Forest Service officials said Tuesday night that the August Complex has burned 3,000 acres and has resulted in a closure on the M9 Road from the forest boundary west to the junction with the M4 Road for firefighter and public safety.
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Major wildland fires burning around the region; portion of Lake County under evacuation order due to LNU Lightning Complex
- Elizabeth Larson
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