Mendocino Complex Fire 60 percent contained as crews focus on national forest

Firefighters made further progress against the Mendocino Complex Fire overnight, reaching 60 percent containment of the record-setting blaze, Cal Fire said Friday morning.

The complex, which consists of two fires in mainly mountainous terrain near Clear Lake, reached 307,447 acres as of 7 a.m. Friday, a Cal Fire incident update said.

The larger Ranch Fire’s northwest flank continued to spread at a moderate rate overnight, and crews will continue to work on controlling the fire line within Mendocino National Forest, Cal Fire said. Efforts will include attempts to bring containment lines across Snow Mountain Wilderness and suppress the fire south of Lake Pillsbury, both in the national forest, the agency said.

Full air attack strategies will be used when improved visibility from smoke conditions allow it, Cal Fire said.

The smaller River Fire’s total footprint remains controlled at 48,920 acres and has now reached 90 percent containment.

Cal Fire still anticipates full containment of the complex by Sept. 1

Evacuation orders and advisories as well as road closures remain in place throughout Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties. Parts of Glen County are also included in the zone under evacuation warning. The latest updates are available on the Cal Fire incident information page at www.fire.ca.gov.

This story was originally published August 10, 2018 at 7:48 AM with the headline "Mendocino Complex Fire 60 percent contained as crews focus on national forest."