Hopkins Fire burns structures in Mendocino County, California

Multiple homes destroyed in Calpella

8:54 a.m. PDT Sept. 13, 2021

Hopkins Fire map
Hopkins Fire map. The icons represent heat detected by satellites as late as 4:53 a.m. PDT Sept. 13, 2021.

Multiple homes burned Sunday in the Mendocino County community of Capella Sunday afternoon in Northern California. Capella is on the Redwood Highway between Redwood Valley and Ukiah west of Lake Mendocino.

The fire was reported on the west side of Eastside Cappella Road off Hopkins Street at 2:01 p.m. Sunday. It was pushed by a 20 mph wind while the relative humidity was in the low 20s and ran east to the shore of Lake Mendocino, a distance of about a mile.

Hopkins Fire
Hopkins Fire, looking southeast from Ridgewood Grade at 3:39 p.m. PDT Sept. 12, 2021.

Matt LaFever, a reporter for Redheaded Blackbelt, said he saw at least 20 structures in flames. Photographer Kent Porter with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat recorded video of a neighborhood that was destroyed on Eastside Calpella Road.

Firefighters were able to start getting containment of the fire after it got to Lake Mendocino. The photo below taken Monday at 7:57 a.m. shows a small amount of smoke that had settled near the ground. CAL FIRE reported that the Hopkins Fire burned 257 acres.

Smoke from the Hopkins Fire
Smoke from the Hopkins Fire settles near the ground, as seen from the Redwood Valley camera, looking south at 7:57 a.m. Sept. 13, 2021.

Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Please read the commenting rules before you post a comment.

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.