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UPDATE 8:45 a.m.
The Mendocino Complex Fire continues to grow in size, forcing even more mandatory evacuations in Mendocino and Lake counties.
The fire complex, made up of the Ranch and River fires, is over 153,738 acres and is 30 percent contained, fire officials said Friday morning.
It's one of more than a dozen fires burning across the state.
UPDATE 9 p.m.:
A new mandatory evacuation order has been issued for residents near the Mendocino Complex Fires.
The new order is for those residents in an area along the boundary of Mendocino National Forest and along portions of the border between Lake and Colusa counties.
Firefighters continue to make progress in their effort to douse the so-called Mendocino Complex Fire.
New numbers out from CAL FIRE show total containment of the blaze to be at 39 percent. The Mendocino Complex consists of two separate fires: The River Fire and the Ranch Fire.
In their latest update, CAL FIRE says the Ranch Fire is 33 percent contained and has burned approximately 83,890 acres of land. The River Fire is at 50 percent containment and has burned 41,278 acres of land.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported in this fire to firefighters or civilians. Sixteen homes have been destroyed and another eight have suffered damage from the fires. According to the latest update, 8,200 structures remain under threat.
Update 3:30 p.m.
A number of the mandatory evacuations issued for the Mendocino Complex fires have been reduced to warnings.
Update 1:30 p.m.
Latest map of the Mendocino Complex fires.
Update 9:30 a.m.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has upgraded a current advisory issued to a mandatory evacuation in Western Lake County.
The mandatory evacuation area is west of Lucerne at Bartlett Springs Road and Hwy. CA-20, south of the fire, east of the fire, and north of Clear Lake in the following communities: Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Nice, Lakeport, Wittler Springs, Bachelor Valley, Scotts Valley, and Saratoga Springs.
Update 7:30 a.m.
The Mendocino Complex Fire burning in the Mendocino and Lake Counties grew to over 110,00 acres overnight. The River Fire is now 50 percent contained, while the Ranch Fire is only 33 percent contained.
MENDOCINO COUNTY — The Mendocino Complex Fire burning in the Mendocino and Lake counties grew to nearly 94,000 acres overnight, according to CAL Fire officials.
The large wildfire, made up of the Ranch and River fires, is about 24 percent contained, but has only destroyed 10 homes in the area.
Broken down, the River Fire stands at 33 percent containment with nearly 34,000 acres burned. The Ranch Fire is at 15 percent containment with more than 61,500 acres burned.
Fire officials expect the Mendocino Complex Fire to be fully contained by August 7.
UPDATE: 7:30 p.m.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — Jessyca Lytle fled a fast-moving Northern California wildfire in 2015 that spared her property but destroyed her mother's memorabilia-filled home in rural and rugged Lake County.
Less than three years later, Lytle found herself listening to scanner traffic and fire-proofing her mother's new home Tuesday as another wildfire advanced and turned the sun into a tiny orange dot suspended in the smoke.
"Honestly, what I'm thinking right now is I just want this to end," Lytle said, adding that she was "exhausted in every way possible — physically, emotionally, all of that.
"But you can't stop doing what you have to do, and you can't stop facing what you have to face," she said.
Firefighters pressed their battle against a pair of fires that have burned 117 square miles (300 square kilometers) across Mendocino and Lake counties. In all, roughly 19,000 people have been warned to flee and 10,000 homes remain under threat.
Derek Hawthorne, a firefighter and spokesman for the fire crews, said the hot weather was not ideal but the wind where he was in the city of Upper Lake was on their side.
"It's blowing into the fire, and it's kind of blowing it back on itself," he said.
Officials estimate the Mendocino Complex Fire to be 12 percent contained. It has already burned more than 80,000 acres of land and has destroyed seven homes. No civilians or firefighters have been injured or killed.
Update: noon
LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters reported progress Tuesday in their battle against the wildfires that have ravaged some of Northern California's most scenic areas, including twin blazes that were tearing through vineyards and brush-covered hills and threatening some 10,000 homes.
The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned 10 homes along 116 square miles (300 square kilometers) of rural land. Fire crews were able to slow the spread of one of the blazes into populated areas and instead the flames pushed into the Mendocino National Forest.
"Just because you see a big column (of smoke) standing up every day does not mean we're not having some success in the fire line," Cal Fire Battalion Chief John Messina told a community meeting in Lake County.
He urged people to stay vigilant because fires can easily jump over containment lines.
Evacuation orders were in effect for the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport, along with some smaller communities and a section of the national forest. In all, some 19,000 people have been warned to flee, fire officials said.
Lakeport, north of San Francisco, is the county seat and a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. But by Monday night it was a ghost town, the main streets deserted.
A few miles away, embers, ash and smoke swirled through vineyards where at least one home had gone up in flames. Firefighters set blazes at the bottom of hills to burn up the tinder-dry brush before flames cresting the ridge tops could feed on it and surge downhill. A fleet of aircraft made continuous water and fire retardant drops, filling the air with the roar of their engines.
But not everyone heeded the orders to evacuate.
Derick Hughes II remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire.
The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"This is everything I bled for, and I've worked really hard to get to where I am, and I'm just not willing to give it up so easily," he said over the phone. "Some people may think that's selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, I'd rather not start over."
About 100 miles (160 kilometers) north, the Carr Fire has burned more than 880 homes and killed six people in and around Redding. The blaze has also destroyed another 348 outbuildings and damaged 165 homes.
It is now the seventh most destructive wildfire in California history, fire officials said.
Cal Fire incident commander Bret Gouvea said he was cautiously optimistic about progress made against the fire, the Record-Searchlight newspaper of Redding reported.
"We're turning the corner," he said, adding that he hates "saying those things (because) this thing has made me a liar so many times."
More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes, although another 10,000 were allowed to return Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the fire's western edge. The fire was 27 percent contained.
Those fires were among 15 large blazes burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit.
Firefighters from 10 other states are helping battle the blazes, with six more states expected to send firefighting resources to California this week.
In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.
Fire crews also have battled numerous small brush fires this summer, most charring only a few acres but still threatening homes in built-up areas along parched foothills. A 10-acre fire damaged 13 homes and apartments Monday in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, county fire officials said.
McLean said there was no guarantee of safety in a state that has been ravaged by years of drought, turning trees and brush to tinder.
"Anything could happen anywhere. That's the nature of the beast for all of these fires," he said. "The vegetation is so dry all it takes is a spark to get it going."
Update: 8 a.m. Tuesday
LAKEPORT, Calif. (AP) — Twin wildfires tearing through vineyards and brushy hills threatened some 10,000 homes in Northern California Tuesday — yet another front in the seemingly endless summer of wildfires that have ravaged some of the most scenic areas of the state.
The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned seven homes by Monday night along with some 107 square miles (277 square kilometers) of rural land.
About 100 miles (160 kilometers) north, the so-called Carr Fire that has burned more than 800 homes and killed six people has become the ninth most destructive wildfire in California history, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In Lake County, evacuation orders were in effect for the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport along with some smaller communities and a section of Mendocino National Forest. In all, some 10,000 people have been warned to flee, fire officials said.
Lakeport, north of San Francisco, is the county seat and a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. But by Monday night it was a ghost town, the main streets deserted.
A few miles away embers, ash and smoke swirled through vineyards where at least one home had gone up in flames. Firefighters set blazes at the bottom of hills in order to burn up the tinder-dry brush before flames cresting the ridge tops could feed on it and surge downhill. A fleet of aircraft made continuous water and fire retardant drops on the blaze, filling the air with the roar of their engines.
But not everyone heeded orders issued Sunday and Monday to evacuate.
Derick Hughes II remained behind at his property in Nice, California, where he ran sprinklers on his roof and removed yard plants that could catch fire.
The 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran sent his wife and two daughters to safety along with three carloads of belongings. But he said he had too much at stake to leave himself. He bought his three-bedroom house last year using a loan from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"This is everything I bled for, and I've worked really hard to get to where I am, and I'm just not willing to give it up so easily," he said over the phone. "Some people may think that's selfish of me, and I have insurance. But the way things go, I'd rather not start over."
Farther north, police said five people were arrested on suspicion of entering areas evacuated due to the explosive wildfire around Redding.
The blaze, which killed two firefighters and four civilians including two children, has now destroyed 818 homes and 311 outbuildings and damaged 165 homes, McLean said.
More than 27,000 people remained evacuated from their homes although another 10,000 were allowed to return Monday as fire crews reinforced lines on the western end of Carr Fire.
Some 12,000 firefighters were battling the blaze. Fire officials were hopeful that they could make progress containing the blaze, which was 23 percent contained.
The fire's northwestern corner continued to be active.
"It's still putting up a fight," McLean said.
Those fires were among 17 burning across the state, where fire crews were stretched to the limit.
Firefighters from 10 other U.S. states are helping to battle the blazes in California, with six more states expected to send firefighting resources to California this week
In Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, an arson fire that destroyed seven homes last week was 82 percent contained Monday.
Fire crews also have battled numerous small brushfires this summer, most charring only a few acres but still threatening homes in built-up areas along parched foothills. A 10-acre fire damaged 13 homes and apartments Monday in Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, county fire officials said.
McLean, the state fire spokesman, said there was no guarantee of safety in a state that has been ravaged by years of drought that has turned trees and brush to tinder.
"Anything could happen anywhere. That's the nature of the beast for all of these fires," he said. "The vegetation is so dry all it takes is a spark to get it going."
- River Fire: 27,069 acres and 8 percent containment
- Ranch Fire: 47,339 acres and 10 percent containment
Original story
Firefighters continue battling the River and Ranch Fire in Mendocino and Lake County. CAL FIRE officials are referring to both fires as the "Mendocino Complex".
As of Monday evening, the Mendocino Complex had burned more than 68,000 acres and was 5 percent contained. According to CAL FIRE, 10,200 structures were threatened. Officials say seven homes have been destroyed and another one was damaged.
Most of the nearly 5,000 residents in the City of Lakeport followed the mandatory evacuation orders issued Sunday.
“People are thinking this is serious business," said Lakeport's Police Chief, Brad Rasmussen. "Everybody saw what happened in Redding and we’re committed to make sure all their property is safe.”
Rasmussen told ABC10 four people had been arrested for looting in Lakeport and another person in Lake County.
"We absolutely will not tolerate any looting behavior or entering these areas. So, we’re going to be very aggressive about making those stops and checking people out,” added Rasmussen.
While most residents did heed evacuation orders, a few like Jake Reinke stayed behind to protect their homes.
"I'm just trying to take the steps that I can to mitigate any potential hazards," Reinke said.
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Also see | How to defend your home from wildfires
One more before you go: Devastating fires aren't just a rural problem anymore. As our climate and communities change, so does when and where wildfires will strike next. ABC10's Monica Woods shows why:
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