River Fire: Blaze Burns 4 Homes In Mendocino County

MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA -- Four homes and one outbuilding were destroyed this weekend in the River Fire in Mendocino County. The blaze, which ignited at 1 p.m. Friday at Old River Rd near Mile Marker Post 7.9, was one of two that scorched through the county, burning tens of thousands of acres.

By Sunday afternoon, the River Fire burned more than 11,000 acres and was 5 percent contained.

Elsewhere in the county, crews were also battling the Ranch Fire, which sparked off of Highway 20 near Potter Valley around noon Friday. That blaze burned more than 13,000 acres and was 5 percent contained Sunday.

The fires were just one of several blazes to burn through California this weekend as President Trump declared a federal emergency.

Elsewhere in the state, crews were battling the Carr Fire in Shasta County, which took the lives of six people and burned hundreds of structures. Crews were also still battling the Ferguson Fire, which prompted the temporary closure of parts of Yosemite National Forest. The Cranston Fire in San Bernardino National Forest had forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, and the Rock Fire threatened more than 100 homes after igniting in San Diego County on Saturday afternoon.

Cal Fire said crews from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado were assisting in the wildfires, while crews from Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico and Oregon were en route. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)

--Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone