Crews continue working to contain Hull fire; evacuation warning issued
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A lightning-caused fire in the Mendocino National Forest has led to an evacuation warning for residents near Lake Pillsbury.
The Hull fire, located five miles north of Lake Pillsbury on the Upper Lake District of the Mendocino National Forest, is 2,500 acres and zero-percent contained, forest officials said Sunday.
The fire was detected on Wednesday after several rounds of thunderstorms occurred across the forest last week.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday issued an evacuation warning for Pillsbury Ranch due to the Hull fire.
The evacuation warning includes areas north of M-1, south of the Lake County line, west of Bloody Rock and east of the Lake County Line.
There are 49 personnel committed to the incident including seven engine crews, one hand crew and operations managers, the Forest Service said.
Officials said crews are challenged by steep, rugged terrain where the fire is rolling out and making uphill runs. On Saturday, air tankers assisted crews in containing a slopover on Road 38.
The fire is burning in timber on the north and east aspects of Hull Mountain and is active in Hull Creek, backing down into Rattlesnake Creek and spreading north along Panther Ridge, according to the Forest Service’s Sunday report.
The Forest Service said the fire is threatening cabins to the south and other private property may become threatened as the fire progresses northward.
Officials said smoke in the community of Potter Valley and the Pillsbury Subdivision has degraded air quality. A known sensitive air quality area is located east of the fire in the Snow Mountain Wilderness.
A red flag warning is in effect from 11 p.m. Sunday to 11 p.m. Monday in the fire area, where winds could gust as high as 40 miles per hour.
There is a road closure in effect on Forest Road M1 to Forest Road M6 on Road 18N016. In addition, the forest has an area closure in place due to the August Complex.
Closure information is available here.