Firefighters make more progress on LNU Lightning Complex; fire burns into sixth county
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The effort to contain the massive LNU Lightning Complex that stretches across six counties gained more ground on Friday, as firefighters kept the incident to a small amount of growth and more evacuees in Lake’s neighboring counties were allowed to go home.
The complex’s size increased by 1,095 acres during the day on Friday to a total of 372,344 acres by nightfall, with containment remaining unchanged at 35 percent, according to Cal Fire’s Friday evening report.
The fire, burning since Aug. 17, is now the third-largest incident in California history, with the SCU Lightning Complex – still burning on the Central Coast – edging into second place at 374,471 acres and 40-percent containment, Cal Fire said.
The 2018 Mendocino Complex, at more than 459,000 acres, remains the state’s largest wildland fire incident.
More than 500 additional firefighters have been added to the LNU Lightning Complex’s firefighting force since Thursday evening, with other resources assigned including 308 engines, 67 water tenders, 17 helicopters, 40 hand crews and 77 dozers, Cal Fire reported.
The Hennessey fire burning in Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties reached 314,631 acres and 37-percent containment, Cal Fire said.
Mapping on Friday showed the northernmost tip of the Hennessey fire has now burned just inside the southwest corner of Colusa, the sixth county to be impacted by the complex.
In Sonoma County, the complex’s fires continue to be unchanged in size, with containment edging up. Cal Fire said the Walbridge Fire west of Healdsburg stands at 55,353 acres and 28-percent containment, while the Meyers Fire north of Jenner remains at 2,360 acres with containment up to 99 percent.
The improving situation allowed officials to lift some evacuation orders and warnings in Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties on Friday.
On Thursday evening, officials lifted mandatory evacuation orders for Hidden Valley Lake and a portion of Lower Lake, but other existing evacuation orders and warnings for south Lake County remained in place on Friday night.
Cal Fire said 30,500 structures are still threatened by the complex.
The number of structures destroyed remained at 1,080 and those damaged at 272 on Friday evening. However, Cal Fire said damage assessment teams assigned to the complex are still working through its vast footprint.
Cal Fire mapping so far shows no confirmed damaged or destroyed structures in Lake County, but that could change based on the continuing assessment work.
The National Weather Service is predicting several more days of patchy smoke and warm conditions because of the LNU Lighting Complex as well as the August Complex burning in the Mendocino National Forest.
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