Ranch, River Fires Grow To 80,000 Acres In Mendocino County

MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA -- Two wildfires that erupted days ago in Mendocino County grew to 80,000 acres by Tuesday evening. The Ranch Fire, which was 10 percent contained, was more than 51,000 acres while the River Fire, which was 12 percent contained, stood at nearly 29,000 acres.

More than a dozen structures were destroyed but officials estimated that 12,000 remain threatened in both fires.

The fires erupted Friday afternoon in Ukiah and Hopland before burning through the region, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people, officials said.

Weather conditions were expected to challenge firefighters Tuesday as hot, dry and windy conditions persist, officials said.

The brush fires were among the several to erupt in California in recent days. The deadliest blaze was the Carr Fire in Shasta County that claimed the lives of six people, including two firefighters. Another two firefighters died while battling the Ferguson Fire.

The following areas were under mandatory evacuation orders:

• Potter Valley Community; All areas north of Highway CA-20,east of the fire edge, to the Mendocino-Lake County Line, South of Burris Lane to MeWhinney Creek and east ofEast Side Potter Valley Road, to include feeder roads utilizing Burris Lane east to the Mendocino-Lake County Line.
• • Highway CA-20 area from one mile south of Highway CA-20, east of Potter Valley Road, south of MeWhinney Creek, and west of Mendocino-Lake County Line.
• • Pine Avenue area of Potter Valley north of Burris Lane, east of Eastside Potter Valley Road, south of 10511 Eastside Potter Valley Road, and west of the Lake-Mendocino County Line.
• • Midmountain Road area, north of 10551 Eastside Potter Valley Road, east of Eastside Potter Valley Road, south of 11385 Eastside Potter Valley Road, west of Mendocino-Lake County Line
• • Hopland area north of Highway CA-175, east of mile marker 5.6 on Highway CA175, south of the fire, and west of the Mendocino-Lake County Line.
• Western Lake County, west of Lucerne at Bartlett Springs Road and Highway CA-20, south of the fire, east of the fire, and north of the Lake-Sonoma County Line to include the communities of Blue Lakes, Upper Lake, Nice, Lakeport, Witter Springs Bachelor Valley, Scotts Valley, and Saratoga Springs.
• Kelseyville, Finley, and Big Valley Rancheria

Evacuation Centers:

• Mendocino College, Dance Room at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah
• • Lower Lake High School, 9430 Lake Street, Lower Lake
• • Twin Pines Casino, 22223 CA-29, Middletown
• Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Avenue, Clearlake

--Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone