NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Burning operations on the Mill Fire in the Mendocino National Forest contributed not only to an increase in acreage on Sunday but also to continued smoky skies over Lake County.
The firing operations are meant to reduce fuel, and help slow and ultimately stop the fire, which by Sunday morning had burned 27,122 acres of brush and timber in the rugged terrain of the Colusa County side of the forest, 10 miles west of Stonyford.
Firefighters had contained 60 percent of the fire by Sunday morning. Forest officials expect it to take until next Friday, July 20, to fully contain the incident.
Resources committed to the fire on Sunday included 1,699 personnel, 30 Type 1 crews, 16 Type 2 crews, nine helicopters, 105 engines, 19 dozers and 13 water tenders.
With that huge resource commitment comes a growing price tag that on Sunday was estimated at $9.75 million.
Firing operations are expected to be completed on Sunday, according to an incident team report.
Deb Schweizer, an incident team spokesperson, confirmed that the firing operations were sending more smoke into Lake County.
County residents on Sunday were reporting thick smoke and, in some areas, ashes from the fire.
Additionally, an incident team weather update had anticipated north winds would send smoke to the south for at least another day.
Cooler temperatures and higher humidity are predicted for early in the coming week, as a low pressure weather system arrives in the region. The incident team report said area winds are expected to change direction and increase along ridge tops with the arrival on the new system.
Altogether, five outbuildings have been destroyed in the fire, some on private property, some on U.S. Forest Service land, said Schweizer.
No damage has been done to the Mill Valley, Mill Creek and Letts Lake Campgrounds, which were evacuated shortly after the fire began. “The campgrounds are fine,” Schweizer said.
Lake County News received a report of problems with personnel working security at the fire’s base camp at the Stonyford Rodeo grounds, where they were reportedly harassing fire officials and contractors alike as they came into the camp.
Schweizer said she couldn’t comment on the matter, as it was a personnel issue.
The Sunday incident team report noted that of the 27,122 acres burned so far, 23,891 acres were U.S. Forest Service land, 1,574 acres belonged to Bureau of Land Management and 1,659 acres were privately owned.
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