NORTH COAST, Calif. – Containment was rolled back slightly on Wednesday on a two-fire complex burning in northern Mendocino County.
The North Pass Fires – burning 10 miles northeast of Covelo since Saturday, Aug. 18 – have so far burned 34,119 acres, officials reported.
Containment was at 28 percent Wednesday night, down from the 35 percent estimate given by fire officials earlier in the day.
The fires have burned four residences and seven outbuildings, and evacuations remain in place for dozens of homes and structures in the fires’ path, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, which have unified command of the incident.
There were 1,908 fire personnel on scene Wednesday, according to Cal Fire and forest officials. Assigned resources included 156 engines, 28 fire crews, two airtankers, 13 helicopters, 26 bulldozers and 29 water tenders.
The fire is burning in the Mendocino National Forest, and a closure order remains in effect for two-thirds of the Covelo Ranger District, the US Forest Service reported.
Lake County residents saw an increase in smoke from the fires on Wednesday evening, with satellite imagery also showing smoke near the coast.
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