The fires have burned from Mendocino County into Lake County in northern California.
The two fires that make up the Mendocino Complex of Fires were extremely active Saturday, growing from 9,500 to 28,000 acres, almost tripling in size according to very conservative figures released Sunday morning by CAL FIRE.
Both fires started in Mendocino County around noon on July 27 but have burned into Lake County.
(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Mendocino Complex of Fire, click HERE.)
The Ranch Fire is 8 miles northwest of Ukiah, California and as of Saturday night had remained east of Highway 20. The River Fire is farther south and Saturday night spread to a point three miles west of Lakeport, a community on the west shore of Clear Lake.
The red line was the perimeter of the fires in the Mendocino Complex, as detected by infrared sensors at 12:32 a.m. PDT July 29, 2018. The red shaded areas represent intense heat at that time.
A number of areas in Mendocino and Lake County are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Four homes have burned in the River Fire, but another 4,600 are threatened.
Above: The red line on the map shows the perimeter of the southeast side of the Carr Fire near Igo as determined by heat sensors on an aircraft at 10:21 p.m. PDT July 28, 2019. The red shaded areas indicate intense heat. The yellow line was the perimeter about 20 hours before.
(Originally published at 5:36 a.m. PDT July 29, 2018)
Firefighters on the Carr Fire are getting a handle on the portion of the blaze that burned into the west side of Redding, California, but it is still spreading away from the city to the south, west, and north.
The red line shows the perimeter of the Carr Fire as determined by heat sensors on an aircraft at 10:21 p.m. PDT July 28, 2019. The red shaded areas indicate intense heat. The yellow line was the perimeter about 20 hours before.
Saturday’s additional growth added another 15,000 acres to bring the total size to about 95,000 acres. Southwest of Redding it burned through the Igo area, crossing Placer Road. At 10:21 PDT Saturday it remained east of Cloverdale Road and had progressed south to Clear Creek Road. North of Igo the fire spread about a mile to the southwest on Saturday.
To see all of the articles about the Carr Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
On the northwest side, by Saturday night the fire had come to within five air miles of Lewiston and Trinity Lake and moved about three miles further west along Highway 299, burning on both sides.
The red line shows the perimeter of the east side of the Carr Fire near Redding as determined by heat sensors on an aircraft at 10:21 p.m. PDT July 28, 2019. The red shaded areas indicate intense heat. The yellow line was the perimeter about 20 hours before.
The number of fatalities on the Carr Fire rose to five Saturday when officials confirmed that two young children and their great-grandmother were found dead. James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, were stranded with Melody Bledsoe, 70, when the fire ran through the family’s property July 26 outside Redding, California.
That same day two firefighters were also killed at approximately 6:40 pm when a dramatic increase in fire behavior occurred on the east side of the Carr Fire. Entrapped in a burn over were a call when needed contract dozer operator, Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines and Redding fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke who had been with the Fire Department since 2004.
CAL FIRE reports that 536 structures have burned, but has not broken the number down by residences and outbuildings.
Resources assigned to the fire include 334 fire engines, 59 hand crews, 17 helicopters, 68 dozers, 65 water tenders, for a total of 3,388 personnel.
The area is under a Red Flag Warning again Sunday. The National Weather Service warns that strong winds up to 30 mph are possible in canyons in the late afternoon and overnight, but the forecast for the southeast part of the fire indicates the winds generally will be variable at 3 to 7 mph. Humidity in some areas could reach into the single digits while the temperature will be over 100 degrees. This hot, dry, trend will most likely last into mid-week.
The number of fatalities on the Carr Fire rose to five Saturday July 28 when officials confirmed that two young children and their great-grandmother were found dead. James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4, were stranded with Melody Bledsoe, 70, when the fire ran through the family’s property July 26 outside Redding, California.
To see all of the articles about the Carr Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
That same day two firefighters were also killed at approximately 6:40 pm when a dramatic increase in fire behavior occurred on the east side of the Carr Fire. Entrapped in a burn over were a call when needed contract dozer operator, Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines and Redding fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke who had been with the Fire Department since 2004.
Also on July 26 three firefighters from Marin County were injured on the fire. They were treated at a hospital in Redding for burns to the ears, face, and hands, the department’s release said. One is receiving additional evaluation at the UC Davis Burn Center.
Our sincere condolences go out to the families, friends, and co-workers of these eight victims.
CAL FIRE reports 500 structures have been destroyed
(Originally published at 9:10 a.m. PDT July 28, 2018)
The Carr Fire, posted July 28 by the Igo Ono Fire Department.
Firefighters on Friday were able to minimize any additional growth of the Carr Fire into Redding but the fire spread significantly on the north and sides. Thursday night CAL FIRE reported the fire had burned 28,000 acres. A 1:45 a.m. mapping flight on Saturday showed it had expanded to over 80,000 acres.
To see all articles about the Carr Fire on Wildfire today including the most current, click here.
Early Saturday morning the fire was very active two to five miles south of Highway 299 burning toward Placer Road near Igo, and on the north side of 299 it had grown five miles north of French Gulch.
Map showing the perimeter of the Carr Fire at 1:45 a.m. PDT July 28, 2018. The yellow line was the perimeter 25 hours before. Click to enlarge.
Mandatory evacuations affecting 37,000 people and road closures are in effect for numerous locations around Redding.
Two firefighters were killed in the fire. Friday afternoon the Redding Fire Department confirmed that Inspector Jeremy Stoke perished. A bulldozer operator has not yet been identified.
A spokesperson for Mercy Medical Center in Redding, Mike Mangas, said eight people, including three firefighters, were treated for injuries. All were expected to survive.
Map showing the east side of the Carr Fire near Redding at 1:45 a.m. PDT July 28, 2018. The yellow line was the perimeter 25 hours before. Click to enlarge.
CAL FIRE reports that 500 structures have been destroyed, but has not broken them down by residences and outbuildings. On Friday an Associated Press reporter counted at least 125 burned homes. Typically on fires like this about 60 to 80 percent of “structures” destroyed are sheds, detached garages, or similar outbuildings.
Below is an excerpt from an AP article:
Located on the western side of Redding, KRCR-TV was forced to go off the air and evacuate their studio in the middle of a Thursday night broadcast. As the fire advanced, a high school that was used to shelter evacuees was suddenly in danger of being in the path of the flames, and evacuees had to move again to Shasta College, according to NBC News.
“When it hit, people were really scrambling,” Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean told the AP. “There was not much of a warning.”
The fire also reportedly burned structures in Shasta, located 10 miles west of Redding, and in Keswick. Early Friday morning, the entire town of Shasta Lake, population 10,000 was ordered to evacuate, the Redding Record Searchlight reported.
The weather forecast for the south part of the Carr Fire near Igo for Saturday calls for a high of 110 degrees, 11 percent relative humidity, and variable winds at 5 to 10 mph gusting up to 13. The conditions should remain about the same through Friday of next week, but with decreasing winds. High temperatures will be above 100 each day.
Red Flag Warning for the area around Redding, California.
The Red Flag Warning that was in effect for the Redding area on Friday is still in effect Saturday and is due to expire at 10 a.m. Monday.
Details of the Red Flag Warning for the Redding area, current at 6:45 a.m. PDT July 28, 2018.
