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As California experiences the largest wildfires in the state’s history, Cal Fire’s aviation program is responding to the challenge.

Cal Fire has the largest department-owned fleet of firefighting aircraft, including air tankers and helicopters.

These aircraft are strategically located throughout the state, operating from 13 air attack and 10 helitack bases, which provide quick access to fires within 20 minutes.

“Our aircraft and firefighters are continually being tested, as they fight some of the largest and most destructive wildfires in the State’s history, often in steep and difficult terrain.” said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “Our experienced pilots, with their skilled ground crews, are able to get a quick jump on these fast-moving fires to help protect lives and property.”

Records seem to be shattering in 2018, as McClellan Reload Base, near Sacramento, has already set an all-time record for retardant delivered at 5 million gallons, with four months remaining in the year.

Statewide, Cal Fire has delivered more than 11 million gallons of retardant to date, compared to only 7.7 million as of this time in 2017.

Another record broken is the number of flight hours on Cal Fire’s S-2T air tankers. The S-2T is a versatile airtanker that Cal Fire uses to provide fast initial attack delivery of fire retardant on wildfires.

This year, the S-2T flight hours for Jan. 1 through Aug. 31, is 3,299 compared with last year at this date of 3,091, an increase of 208 hours.

“I am extremely proud of all the men and women of Cal Fire, including the staff and contractors in our aviation program,” said Chief Pimlott. “I recognize the increasing demands placed upon our aviation program. We continue to build upon a program that will meet the challenges related to wildland fire in California into the future.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Stand Down committee is busy making preparations for the fifth Annual Lake/Mendocino County Veterans Resource Fair/Homeless Veterans Stand Down.

Chairman Frank Parker urges all veterans to attend this event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, and Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

This year the confirmed participants for the resource fair are various VA departments, such as member services and the Million Vet Program, Employment Development Department, Department of Social Services, Lake County Mental Health and representatives from both Lake and Mendocino County Veteran Service Offices in addition to other federal, state, county and community organizations offering programs and avenues of assistance.

Lake County Transit is offering courtesy transportation to veteran to attend the resource fair/stand down event. Veterans may use their Veteran ID card or DD-214 form as bus fare to and from the fairgrounds.

Legal assistance will also be provided by the One Justice Team each day from noon to 4 p.m.

Veterans can get assistance with estate planning on Sept. 19 and expungement assistance on Sept. 20.

Space is limited and veterans must be prescreened for an appointment, please call 415-534-5878 to register.

Organizers are again seeking volunteers to assist with the event. Volunteers will assist in capacities including helping to set up and tear down the venue, staging and issuing materials and supplies to Veterans, and preparing food.

United Veterans Council of Lake County is still seeking financial assistance for the purchase of additional material and supplies.

If you would like to donate financial assistance or volunteer to assist with this event, please contact Frank Parker, Lake County Vet Connect Committee Chairman, at 707-274-9512.
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SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and South Lake County Fire Protection District will be conducting a communications test on Wednesday afternoon.

The purpose of the test is to confirm connectivity between Sheriff’s Dispatch and the four sirens installed in southern Lake County to advise residents of an imminent hazard.

Should there be an active response to local fires in progress, the test will be rescheduled.

The four siren sites are in Middletown, Anderson Springs, Cobb and Loch Lomond.

At about 4 p.m. Wednesday, an activation signal will be sent to each site, where personnel will confirm the unit has been activated. The unit will then be immediately shut off. A failure to activate will be noted for investigation and repair.

The sirens have been installed as one of the tools used to warn residents of the need to take further actions in the face of an emergency.

The sheriff’s office also encourages residents to sign up for LakeCoAlerts and Nixle for telephone, text and email alerts issued by the Sheriff’s Office at www.lakesheriff.com.

Questions about the sirens may be directed to the South Lake County Fire Protection District at 707-987-3089.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Thursday announced that insured residential and commercial losses from the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires top $845 million and are now counted among the most destructive wildfires in the state's history.

The insurance commissioner also provided an update on the insured losses from the 2017 wildfires and 2018 Montecito mudslides and announced a new report that details how climate change contributes to wildfire losses.

"Our wildfire history tells the story of how our fire season has changed over the years from a four-month season to a year-round threat," said Commissioner Jones. "Over the past two decades, the frequency and severity of wildfires has increased and caused significant property damage and the tragic loss of life in the wildland-urban interface areas of the state. Even more troubling is that areas once considered not to be high risk are now being scorched by wildfires."

Data collected by the department shows that the widespread destruction from the Carr and Mendocino Complex fires resulted in damaging or destroying more than 8,800 homes, 329 businesses, and more than 800 private autos, commercials vehicles, and other types of property. More than 10,000 claims have been filed, totaling $845 million in insured losses.

According to Cal Fire, of the Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires, in terms of structures destroyed, 17 occurred after Sept. 1. Fire officials and experts warn that potentially the worst is yet to come.

"The Carr and Mendocino Complex fires not only caused staggering losses to thousands of Californians, they devastated entire communities and tragically cost many people their lives, and were among the most destructive fires in our state's history," added Commissioner Jones. "We should remember that the vast majority of California's most destructive fires occurred after September 1st, and fire experts tell us that the worst fires for 2018 may still be ahead of us."

The commissioner also released a new report, “Trial by Fire: Managing Climate Risks Facing Insurers in the Golden State,” which examines the challenges and opportunities associated with climate risk, climate change, and insurance.

The report further shows how climate change is a contributor to wildfire losses in California and discusses Commissioner Jones' efforts to get insurers to consider climate risk and the role insurance can play in addressing the three types of climate risks facing insurance companies: physical, transition and litigation risks.

"Our Trial by Fire report is an important contribution to a better understanding of how climate risk and climate change impact the insurance industry and Californians," said Jones. "As Insurance Commissioner, one of my responsibilities is making sure insurance companies take into account and address climate-related physical, transition and liability risks, which can have consequences for insurers' underwriting and the investing of their reserves. I'd like to thank our partners who joined us to author this report, which provides critical information about the climate-related risks for the insurance sector and Californians and what is and should be done to address those risks."

The report was authored by Dr. Evan Mills, Principal of Energy Associates, a California-based energy and environmental consultancy, the climate policy experts at UC Berkeley School of Law's Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, and the California Department of Insurance.

"The Trial by Fire report is unique in its simultaneous focus on insurance and climate change in the California context, and it is the first of its kind to emanate from the offices of a forward-looking state insurance regulator," said Dr. Evan Mills. "Regulators are the natural entities to look into this, as their role is to safeguard the financial viability of insurers while maintaining availability, affordability, and adequacy of insurance for consumers. As we see in the wildfire data released today, regulators are also important compilers and distributors of raw data on loss costs."

Co-authors from UC Berkeley School of Law, Ted Lamm and Ethan Elkind, along with climate change experts Alice Hill of Stanford University Hoover Institution and Dr. Ben Caldecott of the University of Oxford have provided statements supporting the Trial by Fire report.

Trial by Fire: Managing Climate Risks Facing Insurers in the Golden State by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is planning a special meeting to deal with projects and contracts.

The council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On the agenda is consideration of amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the city and the Southshore Little League for the use of Haverty Field and Redbud Park baseball fields.

Councilmembers are being asked to consider a letter of support for the Lake Transit Authority’s transit hub project.

The hub would be located at 7175 S. Center Drive, on property owned by the county of Lake, according to the report from City Manager Greg Folsom.

The council also will look at assessing penalties totaling $37,000 in penalties on a number of properties for failure to abate public nuisances, and consider awarding a contract to Piazza Construction for $98,765 for aggregate crushing services.

The only consent agenda is consideration of continuing a local emergency declaration issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Fresh flowers and vegetables offered for purchase at the August 2018 First Friday Art Walk in Middletown, Calif. Courtesy photo.


MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The monthly “First Friday Art Walk” event that debuted this summer in Middletown is about to hold its grand finale for the season, with a full evening of entertainment this Friday.

The year’s final art walk will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, in downtown Middletown.

It's a free event for everyone to come out and celebrate with friends, families and the greater community. Note that Farmer’s Market and kid events start at 5 p.m.

Get dinner out that night – Ethiopian, Filipino, vegan pizza, and other food delights will be hosted at various Middletown area businesses.

Multiple live bands and artists will be stationed around town.

Follow a treasure hunt map to find answers to questions and then enter your completed map in the drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the participating business of your choice. Children, teens and adults are all welcome to play.

Pick up a map at the MAMA booth at the corner of Highways 29 and 175 or find a complete listing of artists and locations online at the First Fridays Art Walk in Middletown Facebook page.

The theme this Friday is “Lake County Fashion Show.” The fashion show will showcase local Lake County designers and retailers and will run at the Middletown Art Center at 6:30 p.m. with an encore at 8 p.m.

Children can get in the act with their own “Trashion Show” that evening. Volunteers will be on hand to help children design, construct, and then model their own fashions using repurposed items.

Parents should bring participating children to the Farmer's Market at the Middletown Art Center (on the corner of Highways 75 and 29) at 5 p.m. to sign them up and get started creating. It’s free to participate.

Though materials will be provided, children are also welcome to bring items from home that they’d like to add to their creation.

The children’s "Trashion Show" happens at 7:15 p.m. when childrens will parade through town wearing their newly created fashions.

Visit the First Fridays Art Walk in Middletown CA Facebook page for all the details. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Children enjoy activities at the August 2018 First Friday Art Walk in Middletown, Calif. Courtesy photo.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two drivers were seriously injured in a head-on crash near Lakeport on Thursday morning.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said Scott Womble, 31, of Kelseyville, and Mandy Robbins, 43, of Upper Lake were injured in the wreck, which occurred at 7:55 a.m. Thursday.

The CHP said Womble was driving a 1999 Mazda B3 pickup northbound on Highway 29 north of Ackley Road at approximately 50 to 55 miles per hour, while Robbins was driving a 2007 GMC Yukon southbound on Highway 29 south of Highway 175/Hopland at approximately 55 miles per hour.

Womble, according to the CHP report, failed to notice he was rapidly approaching a long line of stopped traffic in the northbound lane.

When he realized a rear end collision was imminent, the CHP said Womble abruptly turned his pickup to the left and traveled directly into Robbins’ path.

The CHP said the two vehicles subsequently collided head-on.

Both drivers suffered major injuries, sustaining multiple blunt force trauma, according to the CHP.

Air ambulances flew Womble and Robbins out-of-county to a major trauma center, the CHP said.

The CHP said both drivers were using their seat belts.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Ever wonder why flat earthers, birthers, climate change and Holocaust deniers stick to their beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?

New findings from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that feedback, rather than hard evidence, boosts people’s sense of certainty when learning new things or trying to tell right from wrong.

Developmental psychologists have found that people’s beliefs are more likely to be reinforced by the positive or negative reactions they receive in response to an opinion, task or interaction, than by logic, reasoning and scientific data.

Their findings, published in the online issue of the journal Open Mind, shed new light on how people handle information that challenges their worldview, and how certain learning habits can limit one’s intellectual horizons.

“If you think you know a lot about something, even though you don’t, you’re less likely to be curious enough to explore the topic further, and will fail to learn how little you know,” said study lead author Louis Marti, a Ph.D. student in psychology at UC Berkeley.

This cognitive dynamic can play out in all walks of actual and virtual life, including social media and cable-news echo chambers, and may explain why some people are easily duped by charlatans.

“If you use a crazy theory to make a correct prediction a couple of times, you can get stuck in that belief and may not be as interested in gathering more information,” said study senior author Celeste Kidd, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.

Specifically, the study examined what influences people’s certainty while learning. It found that study participants' confidence was based on their most recent performance rather than long-term cumulative results. The experiments were conducted at the University of Rochester.

For the study, more than 500 adults, recruited online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform, looked at different combinations of colored shapes on their computer screens.

They were asked to identify which colored shapes qualified as a “Daxxy,” a make-believe object invented by the researchers for the purpose of the experiment.

With no clues about the defining characteristics of a Daxxy, study participants had to guess blindly which items constituted a Daxxy as they viewed 24 different colored shapes and received feedback on whether they had guessed right or wrong. After each guess, they reported on whether or not they were certain of their answer.

The final results showed that participants consistently based their certainty on whether they had correctly identified a Daxxy during the last four or five guesses instead of all the information they had gathered throughout.

“What we found interesting is that they could get the first 19 guesses in a row wrong, but if they got the last five right, they felt very confident,” Marti said. “It’s not that they weren’t paying attention, they were learning what a Daxxy was, but they weren’t using most of what they learned to inform their certainty.”

An ideal learner’s certainty would be based on the observations amassed over time as well as the feedback, Marti said.

“If your goal is to arrive at the truth, the strategy of using your most recent feedback, rather than all of the data you’ve accumulated, is not a great tactic,” he said.

Yasmin Anwar writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
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Bundle of Joy Nature Preschool owner Jean Goulart helps her students water their summer garden in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Bundle of Joy Nature Preschool in Hidden Valley Lake received a Tier 5 rating on the Quality Counts California matrix, which measures the quality of child care programs in California.

A Tier 5 rating is the highest achievable.

Bundle of Joy is the first family childcare preschool to receive a Tier 5 rating in Lake County. In December 2017, eight Lake County Office of Education State Preschools each earned a Tier 4 rating. Pine Summit Seedlings Preschool, a family child care in Cobb, also received a Tier 4 rating this spring.

The Quality Counts California matrix measures the effects of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), a voluntary statewide program introduced into Lake County in 2015 through the Lake County Office of Education, or LCOE.

The primary focus of QRIS is to enhance program quality for all children involved in participating child care programs, and focuses on providing coaching, resources, and support to early care and education programs, in a consistent, statewide manner.

Child Care Planning Council and QRIS Coordinator, Angela Cuellar-Marroquin and her team performed the rating.

Cuellar-Marroquin explained, “When a child care site chooses to participate, they go through a process of coaching, goal setting, and rating.”

Each program participating in the QRIS program is rated on child development and school readiness, social and emotional development, effective teacher-child interactions, classroom environments, professional development, and family engagement.

Jean Goulart opened Bundle of Joy Nature Preschool Childcare in 2000, and has since perfected her approach that fosters a sense of order, concentration, coordination, independence, creativity and self-esteem for a young child’s developing brain.

April Strait, QRIS Coach said, “Jean is such a dedicated teacher and childcare provider. It has been a pleasure to work with her.”

Goulart earned her Bachelors of Sciences at Pacific Union College, Angwin, and her Master’s Degree from the Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena.

Strait added, “Jean’s commitment to providing a high quality experience for the children is evident in everything she does, from her outdoor classroom environment, her advocacy efforts, and the warm, caring atmosphere she creates every day at her center.”

Lake County Superintendents of Schools Brock Falkenberg says, “I am pleased that our QRIS program under the strong direction of Cuellar-Marroquin is being introduced to so many early childhood educators (ECE) in Lake County. Research shows that quality ECE is associated with higher measures of early language and math development, preparing our youngest members of Lake County for kindergarten.”

If you would like more information about the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) or about joining the Child Care Planning Council, please contact Angela Cuellar-Marroquin, LPC/QRIS coordinator at 707-262-4162 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Find out more about the Bundles of Joy Preschool at www.bundleofjoychildcare.com (License #173002363.)
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Starting next week, a number of county offices primarily based in Lakeport will embark on a pilot program in which public office hours are reduced in order to allow staff to catch up on work backlogs.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the proposal, brought forward in the form of a resolution by County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson, at its Aug. 28 meeting.

Huchingson’s proposal is for temporary public hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and excluding holidays, for all county offices in the Lake County Courthouse building in Lakeport, where the board meets, and select surrounding and satellite offices of the county of Lake.

She proposed it as a pilot project, to run from Sept. 11 to March 10.

In asking the board to take the action, Huchingson pointed out that the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport implemented Friday office closures in the face of fiscal challenges.

Huchingson cited the county’s inability to get new revenue streams and diminishing returns on the current ones, upcoming minimum wage issues, challenges with hiring and the “serious assault” on county property tax from the loss of nearly 2,000 homes over the past three years as reasons to pursue the plan.

The county’s agriculture department may propose a seasonal Friday closure, and the social services and health departments also are looking at adopting a similar schedule, she said.

Huchingson said she had conferred with all of the department heads about the plan, and while District Attorney Don Anderson expressed concern to Huchingson about it, she said all of the other department heads gave it strong support.

Supervisor Tina Scott said the plan would make office hours consistent among departments, some of which already have scaled back their public hours. She emphasized that they are not cutting back on hours for employees, but just giving them a chance to catch up.

During the discussion, Sheriff Brian Martin said he wanted to address the matter in order to let the public know what is going on, “Because we in government are in the business of delivering services.”

He said the 20 percent vacancy in county offices creates challenges in delivering services. His agency’s vacancy rate is higher – 27.8 percent across the board.

“The reality is, I don’t have people,” he said.

Martin said he can’t shut down the dispatch center, but he’s considering reducing office hours during the week.

He said his vacancies include 16 deputies, 18 correctional officers, seven dispatchers and six civilian positions. Deputies are helping cover correctional positions and correctional officers are working in dispatch.

Martin said his department will need to work with the District Attorney’s Office and auditor-controller to make sure the closures don’t impact operations.

Huchingson said the sheriff’s office wasn’t included in the initial pilot program. She also said library and jail hours will remain unchanged.

Martin said that at some point, he may need to shut down a portion of the jail, as with 18 of 49 correctional officer positions unfilled, it’s not sustainable.

Supervisor Rob Brown pointed out that, after October 2019, individuals arrested on misdemeanor charges won’t go to jail at all based on a newly signed state law.

Martin said he believes that new legislation will do what other legislation related to the criminal justice system has done – cause a short-term reduction in the jail population with long-term increases.

Board Chair Jim Steele asked if salary savings from empty positions help. Huchingson said they do in a “perverse sort of way.” While the savings carry over, it doesn’t help county operations in a practical manner, she said.

Special Districts Administrator Jan Coppinger said her department has a lot of funding opportunities for projects but they have a challenge meeting funding deadlines.

She said the county has taken a beating for backlogs, and while she knows what’s behind backlogs Coppinger said she also understands the public’s concern.

Coppinger offered her support for the schedule change, as she said the county departments need to get back up to speed.

Supervisor Jeff Smith questioned if Friday is the best day of the week to close or if it’s Monday.

Brown said he and Huchingson and discussed it, and since Mondays are typically holidays and board meetings are on Tuesdays, it wouldn’t give staff the chance to prepare.

Huchingson added that the public is used to coming into the offices on Mondays, which are the busiest days for her office.

Gail Woodworth, director of Child Support Services, asked that her department – headquartered in Kelseyville – also be included, noting that she’s 30-percent short on case workers and Friday is their slowest day. She said they would leave the lobby open so people can pay at the kiosks.

Brown moved to approve the plan, which the board supported 5-0.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night honored an outgoing Lakeport Fire Protection District Board member for his service and presented a proclamation honoring the entire district for its efforts to protect the city and the surrounding communities from the Mendocino Complex.

As a room filled with firefighters and other community members looked on, Mayor Mireya Turner presented a proclamation to Lakeport Fire Protection District Board member Gerry Mills, who is retiring after 20 years of service.

Mills was a California Highway Patrol captain who served as commander of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office as well as the Eureka office before he retired.

He also is a past member of Rotary International and a current member of the Elks Club, and serves on the Lake Local Area Formation Commission, according to the proclamation Turner read.

“It’s been very nice working with the city over these years,” Mills said, noting the experience has been “very positive.”

He said it’s been a distinct honor to work with the fire department, where the main job is to do good things for the community. He said Lakeport Fire has a great group of firefighters and directors.

Mills said former County Supervisor Karan Mackay had appointed him, but it was his predecessor on the board, Ray Benavides – also a former Lake County sheriff – who talked him into serving.

“I’m sorry,” Benevides said from the audience.

The council then had a brief presentation on the Mendocino Complex that included a time lapse of the complex’s growth that was created by Community Development Director Kevin Ingram.

Turner then called up Lakeport Fire personnel, about a dozen of them gathering in front of the dais as she read a proclamation honoring them for their efforts to keep the community safe.

The proclamation recounted how that the Mendocino Complex, which includes the Ranch and River fires, began on July 27, triggering mass evacuations throughout the county, including the entire city of Lakeport, which was in the path of the River fire.

While their own families were evacuated and homes were unprotected, Turner said Lakeport Fire Protection District’s staff of professional and volunteer firefighters were called upon to stay to fight the River fire.

The district’s firefighters “battled tirelessly in the field to hold the River fire west of Highway
29, ultimately preventing any loss of homes or businesses in the city limits,” Turner said.

The proclamation recognized the district’s personnel “for their unwavering courage and professionalism in the face of a deadly threat to both the city and county residents,” which drew a standing ovation.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison thanked the council on behalf of the district for the proclamation.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the folks that we have, how they responded to this incident. I think it was of a magnitude that we haven’t really seen here before, and everybody stepped up to a level that we really couldn’t even imagine that we were able to do,” Hutchison said.

Pointing to the firefighters with him, Hutchison said they were a small number of people who were part of the response. He said 31 of the district’s 37 staffers out around the clock, seven days a week, for an extended time.

“Everybody just pitched in, did what had to be done, didn’t need a lot of leadership because everybody just did their job,” he said.

He added, “I’m very proud of these folks,” before the audience gave them another standing ovation.

In other business on Tuesday evening, the council met new employees Kris Perkins and Jonathan Ohlen and approved a resolution supporting opposition to Proposition 6, “Repeal of the Road Repair and Accountability Act,” which will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot,

At the request of Public Works Director Doug Grider, the council approved the purchase of a John Deere 210L Skip Loader at a cost of $88,427.75.

The council also adopted a grievance procedure under the American Disabilities Act and designated the Administrative Services director as the ADA coordinator, and directed the city’s voting delegate to the League of California Cities Annual Conference to support the two resolutions provided in the annual conference resolutions packet.

A presentation by Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Dan Peterson was postponed to a future meeting.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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The Mendocino Complex as mapped on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. Image courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday containment inched up further on the Mendocino Complex, which is now under the management of a new firefighting team.

The Mendocino Complex’s acreage has remained at 459,123 acres since Aug. 27.

As of Tuesday morning, the complex’s containment was up to 98 percent. It’s expected to be fully contained on Sept. 9.

The complex includes the still-active Ranch fire, at 410,203 acres and 98 percent containment, and the River fire, fully contained last month at 48,920 acres.

The Mendocino Complex is being managed by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 3 under Incident Commander Mike Wakoski.

The team assumed command of the incident Tuesday at 7 a.m. from California Incident Management Team 3 after it fulfilled its 14-day assignment on the incident.

With full containment nearing, resources continues to be scaled back. There are now 736 firefighting personnel dedicated to the complex, with 22 engines, 13 hand crews, one helicopter and 14 dozers.

The Forest Service reported that the last section of uncontained fireline on the Ranch fire is west of Stonyford near Bonnie View and Happy Camp.

Firefighters continue to monitor interior burning and patrol fire lines in this area. Contractors with additional heavy equipment arrived Sunday and are positioned along firelines to continue suppression repair, officials said.

The suppression repair crews are repairing firelines by removing dirt berms, spreading cut vegetation and building water bars to reduce soil erosion. Officials said suppression repair is complete on the River fire.

Although smoke from the Mendocino Complex has decreased, Forest Service officials said it is mixing with that from other fires around Northern California, so smoke and haze will continue to fill the skies for several days.

Light winds will keep smoke in the area through Tuesday and likely on Wednesday, officials said.

Communities such as Stonyford and Elk Creek should have continued heavy smoke impacts. Elsewhere in areas such as Laytonville, Potter Valley, Lake County and the Sacramento Valley, moderate smoke impacts are expected with the potential for spikes of heavier smoke midday.

For a smoke forecast visit https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/MendocinoNationalForest-SacramentoValleyArea.

Mendocino Complex Progression Map for September 4, 2018 by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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