- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Firefighters work to keep Mendocino Complex south of Lake Pillsbury, protect structures
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Mendocino Complex pushed closer to Lake Pillsbury and nearby homes on Sunday, leading to Lake County officials reiterating the need for residents to evacuate.
The complex by Sunday night had increased by 5,000 acres to 336,395 acres during the course of the day, with containment up to 70 percent, Cal Fire said.
The Ranch fire’s activity accounted for all of the complex’s Sunday growth. Cal Fire said it is now up to 287,479 acres and 62-percent containment, while the River fire remained at 48,920 acres and 93 percent containment.
Cal Fire said that, throughout the course of Sunday, the Ranch fire was very active on its northwest corner, near Lake Pillsbury. Fire crews constructed dozer lines in Potter Valley to tie into the road system in an effort to stop the fire from progressing west.
Very active fire below and to the east of Lake Pillsbury produced the majority of the smoke seen from the fire on Sunday, Cal Fire said.
When the winds shifted and smoke clear, Cal Fire said air attack was able to fly and support the firefighting effort.
During the afternoon and into the evening, radio reports indicated firefighters were protection structures around Lake Pillsbury, with the fire moving close to the summer homes around Rice Fork.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Lake Pillsbury area on Aug. 4. Just before 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday the sheriff’s office two alerts reminding residents of the area of that evacuation order and encouraging them to leave immediately.
As of Sunday evening, there was no structure loss in Rice Fork, as firefighters continued to try to hold the fire south of Lake Pillsbury and the Eel River, according to reports from the scene.
On the northeast portion of the Ranch fire, in the northeastern portion of Colusa County, fire crews are continuing to tie in dozer lines as well as constructing contingency dozer lines along the ridge tops far ahead of the fire, according to the report and fire mapping.
The Snow Mountain Wilderness is still proving difficult for personnel on the ground to traverse in order to implement a direct attack, officials said.
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