Under a smoky haze, Larry Wiedey idled Tuesday in a parking lot outside a makeshift shelter at Mountain Vista Middle School in Lake County, where several fire refugees had set up cots and parked their cars. He’s been camping there for three nights, displaced by what is now the largest fire on record on California. The Mendocino Complex — made up of the Ranch and River fires — continued to burn on both sides of Clear Lake. By Tuesday night, the complex had consumed more than 292,000 acres in 12 days and was 34% contained. Firefighters took advantage of cooler-than-expected temperatures to strengthen containment lines, slowing fire growth significantly. “No matter where you live, there’s always some form of catastrophe,” said Wiedey, who was camping at the shelter with his wife and their three dogs, Thang, Lucky and Mulderoy. “It is what it is.” A few parking spaces down, Rick Travis was more restless. He said he has made several attempts to skirt past authorities to pick up his van stocked with his necessities: diabetes and allergy medication, food stamps, photos and important papers. He never managed to get through. Advertisement In other areas of Lake County Tuesday, residents were allowed to return home as firefighters gained the upper hand on the River fire, which was 78% contained by Tuesday night. They still had a ways to go on the Ranch fire, which was only 20% contained. Flames were still active along its northern flank, pushing toward Snow Mountain Wilderness. “We’re seeing fire behavior that firefighters have never seen in their careers,” said Steve Kaufman, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “They move faster, they’re more erratic, more unpredictable, we have more wind on our fires.” California fire coverage: 18 blazes scorch 600,000 acres across the state » In the wilderness, firefighters have to adhere to forest protection rules that could slow down containment. For example, they need permission to use bulldozers and other heavy equipment, said Paul Gibbs, a spokesman for the multi-agency fire response. Despite its massive size, the Mendocino Complex has been far less destructive than other recent California fires. Less than 100 structures have been lost and no one has been killed. That’s in marked contrast to last fall’s firestorms to the south and west in wine country, which consumed thousands of homes and killed more than 40 people. Travis said he knows how much worse things could have been in Lake County. “I know it’s going to be over and I’m glad nobody has been hurt,” he said. “It’s just frustrating.” President Trump said Tuesday that he was keeping a close eye on the California wildfires, more than a dozen of which have scorched more than 619,000 acres and destroyed more than 2,000 structures across the state. Almost 36,000 residents are still displaced from their homes. Advertisement “We’re going to have some meetings about it, because there are reasons and there are things you can do to mitigate what’s happening,” Trump said, offering thoughts and prayers to the families who have lost loved ones and praising firefighters. “I’ve been watching them go into areas where very few people would go. And some of them don’t come out alive. They’re risking their lives … so they can save our lives. My administration will do everything in our power to protect those in harm’s way.” Resident Arnold Lasker looks over the burned out remains of his girlfriend’s house in Spring Valley, near Clearlake Oaks. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP/Getty Images) In Redding, firefighters were hoping favorable weather conditions would help them beat back the deadly Carr fire, which has claimed seven lives. The blaze has slowed in recent days, but continues to challenge firefighters with unpredictable wind shifts and spot fires that jump defensive lines, incident commanders said. The Carr fire has so far scorched 172,055 acres since a vehicle malfunction sparked it on July 23 on Highway 299 near Whiskeytown Lake. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in the fire, which was 47% contained Tuesday night. Advertisement While firefighters have gained ground, the fire’s push to the southwest has some officials concerned. Winds could still blow embers that might reignite brush and other fuel sources, and the northern portion of the blaze has continued to burn in rugged terrain where firefighters cannot attack the flames directly. A high-pressure system has kept Redding broiling in the triple-digits in recent days, but it is also keeping a lid on the fire by trapping the smoke in the Sacramento Valley, meteorologists said. The stew of heat and low air quality might be unhealthy for residents and firefighters, but the conditions are also keeping the flames at bay, officials said. Even as firefighters are making progress on one end of the state, problems continue to spring up in Central and Southern California. A sudden ignition in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County quickly grew to 3,399 acres Monday, and the fire was visible from as far away as Catalina Island, producing a towering plume of thick smoke. Authorities had initially estimated the Holy fire’s size to be 4,000 acres. By Tuesday night, it was 5% contained. A fire that broke out in the Stanislaus National Forest had burned 11,344 acres as of Tuesday morning. The fire has been burning since Aug. 1, but grew significantly over the weekend. Advertisement Meanwhile, near Yosemite National Park, weather conditions over the last few days have helped firefighters increase containment of the Ferguson fire, which has been burning for 26 days and caused the indefinite closure of Yosemite Valley. As of Tuesday, the deadly wildfire had scorched 94,992 acres and was 43% contained. “The last couple of days have been good for us,” Incident Commander Mark Von Tillow told reporters Tuesday. Firefighters are working desperately to prevent a stubborn finger of the fire from moving northeast and into Yosemite National Park, where it can burn through dead trees and dry vegetation, essentially extending the life of the fire and producing a new set of problems for fire officials. Advertisement “It’s a critical piece,” said Kelly Martin, chief of fire and aviation management at Yosemite National Park. “There’s potential for long-term impact.” Reyes-Velarde reported from Ukiah, Tchekmedyian from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Joseph Serna, Ruben Vives, James Queally and Eli Stokols contributed to this report.<doc-sep>A tenacious heat wave and relentless winds Tuesday plagued California crews battling the Mendocino Complex Fire, which has grown to more than 450 square miles and become the largest in state history. The Complex Fire is actually two fires, the Ranch and River fires, burning a short distance apart that have destroyed 75 homes, along with 68 other buildings. The Complex Fire, listed as 34 percent contained, is among more than a dozen roaring across the state. More than 14,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. In Mendocino and Lake counties, crews worked "aggressively" to hold containment lines for the Complex Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. "The Ranch Fire remained active overnight, expanding further north and east, continuing to challenge fire crews due to limited access, heavy fuel loads, low fuel moisture, and high temperatures," Cal Fire said. "Today resources continue to be deployed to all areas of the Ranch Fire perimeter." More:Mendocino Complex fire becomes California's largest ever Also:What Trump is getting wrong about California's wildfires and water The fire, 150 miles northwest of San Francisco, has set ablaze an area almost half the size of Rhode Island. The state's previous largest fire tore through sections of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in December. Smoke damage from the fire has forced one Lake County school district to delay the start of classes, scheduled for Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. The Lakeport Unified School District, which has about 1,500 students in grades K-12, has classrooms that need to be cleared of smoke before students can return to classes, superintendent secretary Tami Carley said. It's likely that the school year will be delayed for at least two weeks, she said. Among the other blazes in California is the Carr Fire, the 12th-largest in state history. The fire in and around Redding has burned more than 260 square miles and destroyed 1,077 homes, which makes it the state's sixth most destructive. It was 47 percent contained Tuesday. Another fire forced closure of Yosemite National Park's crown jewel, the Yosemite Valley, for almost two weeks. Park officials had to scrap plans to reopen last weekend, saying the Ferguson Fire damaged access roads and made the area unsafe. "Fire managers are continuously assessing conditions in the area and will work directly with and will immediately advise park managers as conditions change and it becomes safe to reopen," park officials said in a statement. President Donald Trump addressed the fires in a tweet Monday and said they were "being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean." Cal Fire said in a statement that it has plenty of water to fight the fires, adding that "the current (hot, dry, windy) weather is causing more severe and destructive fires."<doc-sep>The Mendocino Complex Fire is the largest fire in California’s history, and it includes the Ranch and River Fires, which are totaling more than 300,000 acres as of August 8. Here are updated details with interactive maps of the fires’ current locations. Firefighters Gained 26 Percent on Containing the Ranch Fire on August 8 The Ranch Fire is currently 251,166 acres and 46 percent contained. This is actually good news. Although the fire has grown some, yesterday it was only 20 percent contained. A 26 percent containment in one day is a sign that firefighters may be getting control of this fire, as long as the weather cooperates. High, gusty winds can sometimes cause complications with fire suppression. The River Fire, which is also part of the Mendocino Complex fire, is holding at 48,920 acres, and an increase in containment of 3 percent for a total of 81 percent of the fire contained. The total acreage for the Mendocino Complex fire is 300,086 acres and 47 percent contained. Officials are hopeful that they will have full containment by September 1. So far, there have been no fatalities from these fires. However, 116 residences have been destroyed and more than 10,000 structures are currently threatened, according to CAL FIRE. Here Are Interactive Maps of the Mendocino Complex Fire Here is a map of the two fires, as released by CAL FIRE on August 8: You can see a full PDF of the map here. Below is an interactive map of the River and Ranch Fires, part of the greater Mendocino Complex Fire. Click on the box on the upper right to see a full-sized map. This includes advisory evacuations, mandatory evacuations, and emergency shelter information. It’s an unofficial map, not provided by an official source. You can also view the following interactive maps to get a better idea of the Mendocino Complex Fire’s location. Just zoom in to the individual Ranch or River fires to get a better idea of where they are located near you. This map below is an official interactive map of some of the bigger fires in California, constantly being updated, provided by CAL FIRE and Google. Fires in red are active and fires in black are contained. Zoom in to the Ranch and River fires for more details. Next is the California Governor’s office’s fire map for comparison, which is embedded below. Zoom into the Ranch Fire or click on the Ranch Fire’s name for more details. This map sometimes requires a login and sometimes it doesn’t. So if it’s not available for you, just move on to the next map. Next is another active fire map from Google’s Crisis Map. Zoom in to areas of interest. If you click on the map below, you’ll see another interactive map provided by Mapping Support: Evacuation Details for the Mendocino Complex Fires The Mendocino Complex fire is burning around Clear Lake and in several northern California counties, CNN reported. It’s now the largest fire in California’s history. Exhausted firefighters have been working nonstop and no deaths have resulted from the fire. But resources are also being spent on the Holy Fire in Orange County, which has grown to more than 4,000 acres. So far, 75 residences have been destroyed from the Ranch Fire, and more than 11,000 structures are threatened. The fire remained active overnight, spreading north and east. The following mandatory evacuations are in place for the Ranch and River fires as of August 8 at 7 a.m. Mendocino County: South of Eel River, west of the MendocinoLake county line, east of 10500 block of Mid Mountain Road, and north of Pine Ave. Lake County: East of the Lake-Mendocino County Line, south of the Lake-Mendocino-Glenn County Line, west of the Lake-Colusa County Line, north of SR 20 and the Mendocino National Forest boundary. Colusa County: South of the Glenn/Colusa county line, east of the Lake/Colusa County Line, north of Highway SR-20, and west of Bear Valley/Leesville Ladoga Road/Sites Ladoga Road/County Road 401. The following evacuation advisories/warnings are in place: Mendocino County Mendocino County north of Mid Mountain Road, south of the Eel River, west of the 10500 Block of Mid Mountain Road, and east of East Potters Valley/Eel River Roads. remains in a mandatory evacuation warning. The Bureau of Land Management closure of the Cow Mountain Recreation Area remains in effect. Glenn County: North of the Glenn County/Colusa County Line, west of County Road 306, south of County Road 308, east of the Mendocino National Forest Boundary. Here is a list of evacuation centers: Mendocino College, Dance Room at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah Lower Lake High School, 9430 Lake Street, Lower Lake Twin Pine Casino, 22223 CA-29, Middletown Middletown High School, 20932 Big Canyon Road, Middletown (AT CAPACITY) Middletown Middle School, 15846 Wardlaw St. Middletown, CA 95461 Mountain Vista Middle School, 5081 Konocti Rd. Kelseyville, CA 95451 Colusa County Veterans Hall,108 E. Main Street Colusa, CA Animal evacuation centers: Redwood Riders Arena, 8300 East Road, Redwood Valley is accepting horses Animal Care, 298 Plant Road, Ukiah is accepting small animals For updated details, call 707-574-8261 in Mendocino County. You can also stay updated on the latest evacuation orders and advisories, along with the latest updates, at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Facebook page , Colusa County Facebook page, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Facebook page.<doc-sep>
The Mendocino Complex Fire rapidly became the largest wildfire in California history. And it’s still burning. The fast-moving inferno, sparked Friday, July 27 in Northern California, has now scorched 290,692 acres and is just 34% contained, according to California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The Mendocino Complex Fire is comprised of two neighboring fires that have scorched through thousands of acres each day and destroyed 75 homes. It continues to threaten 9,300 homes and structures in Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties as nearly 4,000 firefighters work to take hold of the aggressive flames. At more than 290,692 acres, the fire spans more than 454.2 square miles. That’s almost the size of Los Angeles, nearly double the size of Chicago, and more than triple the size of cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas. Here’s what to know about California’s largest ever wildfire. Where is the Mendocino Complex Fire? Wind swept flames from the Ranch fire threaten the town of Nice near Upper Lake, California, on August 3, 2018. MARK RALSTON—AFP/Getty Images The Mendocino Complex fire is burning in Colusa, Lake and Mendocino counties, just north of wine country in Northern California. The fire surrounds Clear Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in the state, a vital habitat for fish and other wildfire and a spot for water sports enthusiasts. The fire itself has burned through the southern portion of the Mendocino National Forest and continues to threaten surrounding towns. Is there one fire, or are there two? The Mendocino Complex Fire is comprised of two twin fires: the River Fire and the Ranch Fire. Fire officials use the term “complex” fire to describe two or more fire incidents in the same area that are under the same operational control. It doesn’t mean that the fires have necessarily joined — and in the case of the Mendocino Complex Fire, the River Fire and the Ranch Fire have yet to meet. The Ranch Fire is the bigger of the two, scorching 241,772 acres at just 20% containment. The expansive fire is burning north of Clear Lake and through the Mendocino National Forest. The River Fire is smaller, scorching 48,920 acres so far, and burning to the west of Clear Lake. Firefighters have achieved 78% containment on it as of Tuesday morning, making significant progress over Monday night. A number of complex fires fill the list of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history, including the 192,038-acre Klamath Theater Complex Fire near the Oregon state line in June 2008. How many homes have been destroyed by the Mendocino Complex Fire? A residence on New Long Valley Rd burns as the Ranch Fire burns near Clearlake Oaks, California, on Saturday, August 4, 2018. NOAH BERGER—AFP/Getty Images Seventy-five homes and 68 other structures have been destroyed by the fire so far. Another 12 homes and 14 structures have been damaged, too, and 9,300 homes and other buildings are still threatened by the inferno, officials say. Has anyone died? There have been no fatalities reported as a result of the Mendocino Complex Fire so far. One firefighter has been injured, according to Cal Fire, but the severity of the injury is unclear. Nine people have died as a result of other fires in the state since July, however. That includes a great-grandmother and her two great-grandchildren, all of whom died in their Redding, Calif., home as a result of the Carr Fire. How did the Mendocino Complex Fire get so big? The Mendocino Complex Fire grew under conditions ripe for an aggressive, fast-moving wildfire. Bone-dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and afternoon winds fueled the fire as it rapidly spread tens of thousands of more acres with each day since it first sparked. Blazing temperatures during the day have exacerbated the wildfire. California is also coming off of a years-long drought and a notably dry winter, making officials anticipate this season could grow far worse. It’s unclear how the Mendocino Complex fire began, as its cause is still under investigation. Many of the largest fires in state history were caused by humans. That can range from anything from a spark from a vehicle that catches fire in dry brush nearby, to, in extreme cases, arson. Sparks from power lines have also been known to spur massive infernos, as well as lightening. What are firefighters doing to stop the Mendocino Complex Fire?