NORTH COAST, Calif. – Two wildland fires sparked by lightning two weeks ago in northern Mendocino County continued to burn aggressively on Friday, increasing in size by more than 5,100 acres, causing more injuries and destroying another structure.
The North Pass Fires – two fires burning in the Williams Valley area 10 miles northeast of Covelo since Saturday, Aug. 18 – had burned 39,493 acres by Friday night, up from the morning size estimate given by Cal Fire and the US Forest Service by approximately 5,185 acres. Containment was reported to have increased by 48 percent.
Two more injuries occurred, bringing the total to seven, and another residence was burned, with the fires having destroyed five homes and seven outbuildings so far, officials reported.
More than 60 structures remain threatened, but officials have lifted evacuations for the majority of the Bauer Ranch Subdivision.
Evacuations are still in effect for all areas of Indian Dick Road (Forest Road M-1) north of the Forest Service gate at Boardman Ridge Campground, and Mendocino Pass Road (Forest Highway 7) in all areas east of Benchmark 2444 to Forest Road M-4.
The Mendocino National Forest has issued a closure order that continues to cover all areas of the Covelo Ranger District north of Mendocino Pass Road to the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forest boundaries.
Cal Fire and the Forest Service’s Friday evening report said the fires are continuing to spread north within the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness toward the Middle Eel River, Hammerhorn Lake, Foster Glade and Asa Bean.
Fire personnel assigned to the incident had decreased by about 300 to 1,832 by Friday night, with 154 engines, 23 fire crews, two air tankers, 11 helicopters, 18 bulldozers and 31 water tenders working the fires.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported that a Cal Fire firefighter was threatened by a Santa Rosa man in the fire area on Thursday afternoon.
Veda Bennett-Swank, 21, was arrested for brandishing a firearm in a rude, angry or threatening manner; interfering with emergency personnel or a firefighter at a fire; and criminal threats, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said the firefighter had been working on a vacant lot in the Blands Cove area – which has remained under mandatory evacuation – when he came across a small marijuana garden. A vehicle pulled up to him and Bennett-Swank allegedly told the firefighter he needed to leave the area.
When the firefighter attempted to explain to the Bennett-Swank that he was involved in fighting the fires, Bennett-Swank again told him that he needed to leave immediately and then looked down at an object that was between his legs on the floor board of the vehicle, according to Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said that as the firefighter looked into the vehicle he could see that a shotgun was between Bennett-Swank’s legs, and that the barrel was pointed directly at him. In fear for his life, the firefighter left the area immediately.
Responding Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies located a residence and the vehicle, Smallcomb said, and when they contacted Bennett-Swank he allegedly admitted to confronting the firefighter, growing marijuana and remaining in an mandatory fire evacuation area.
Smallcomb said Bennett-Swank was booked at the Mendocino County Jail, with bail set at $20,000.
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