- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Mill Fire balloons to 10,000 acres
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The largest wildland fire in California continued to grow on Monday, burning through brush and timber in a remote area of the Mendocino National Forest.
The Mill Fire has been burning since Saturday afternoon in steep terrain to the north and east of Upper Letts Lake in the Colusa County side of the forest.
On Monday morning the fire’s acreage was put at 2,500 acres; by nightfall the acreage had jumped to 10,000 acres, with 10 percent containment, according to a report from the Mendocino National Forest.
The acreage increase was reported to have occurred over Sunday and Monday, with an accurate size estimate via aircraft not possible until Monday, forest officials reported.
The cost to fight the fire was estimated at $1 million, according to a forest report.
On Monday forest officials said firefighters were able to slow fire growth on the north and east flanks near Fouts Springs, however the fire grew on its southern flank.
There has been active torching and spotting ahead of the main fire, with afternoon winds that firefighting officials said are unique to the area driving fire growth.
Northern California Team 2 (NorCal2), a Type 2 Interagency Incident Management Team is in command of the fire, based at Stonyford.
Resources on scene included 10 Type 1 crews, four Type 2 crews, seven helicopters, 59 engines, 19 dozers, two water tenders and 700 personnel, according to the Monday night update.
The fire – which has sent up a column of smoke that has dominated the hilltops separating Lake County from Colusa – has led to evacuations at the Mill Valley, Mill Creek and Letts Lake campgrounds, the Board Camp summer home tract, Fouts Springs and Bonnie View.
Under voluntary evacuation are portions of Stonyford, the Lake View Loop Road to the Goat Mountain Road, with residents west of the Stonyford Lodoga Road between Stonyford and Goat Mountain Road advised they should be prepared for a possible evacuation, the forest reported.
Fouts Spring Road – the M10 Road – is closed at Stonyford, Goat Mountain Road is closed at the Stonyford Lodoga Road. In addition, forest officials said an area closure is in effect for the Mendocino National Forest for all roads, trails, recreational facilities for the Stonyford Recreation Area within the Grindstone Ranger District.
More high temperatures and low humidity – along with erratic and gusty afternoon winds “influenced by coastal marine influences mixing with the dry valley air” – are expected to complicate the firefighting effort this week, officials reported.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
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