Massive Mendocino Complex Slows But Red Flag Warning Weather Begins This Afternoon [Maps]

Flame and smoke on the Mendocino Complex.

Flame and smoke on the Mendocino Complex. [Image from InciWeb]

The largest fire in modern California history grew about 4000 acres yesterday to 304,402 acres–much slower than at times in its past. Firefighters now have containment around 51% of the Mendocino Complex’s perimeter. However, today’s hot, dry, and breezy weather conditions favor the fire. And, those conditions are expected to last through Saturday.

But for now, firefighters are managing to tighten the noose around the massive inferno.

For more on evacuations and road closures, click here.

The Plan:

Backburning on the Mendocino Complex August 8. [Video from InciWeb]

The Ranch Fire grew relatively slowly to the but only to the north yesterday which is where the fire is expected to grow again today. Again, to the east, thick smoke will keep temperatures lower early in the day but by evening expect an increase in fire activity. To the Southeast, near the Clear Lake communities, expect the fire to be quiet until mid-afternoon when the winds shift. Then firefighters will be watching for slop overs.

For another day in a row, firefighters kept the River Fire from growing. Containment is now at 84%. Unless the dangerous weather conditions over the next few days are able to feed the fire, crews will continue to increase containment.

The Weather: 

The National Weather Service predicts that it will be hot, dry, and breezy. Expect smokey conditions on the fire area but those will reduce later today as the winds pick up and fire danger increases.

The Roads:

Hwy 20 is smokey but the roadway is clear from 101 to I-5.

Hwy 20 is smokey but the roadway is clear from 101 to I-5. [Photo from Caltrans Traffic cam]

Yesterday, Hwy 20 reopened. That was the last major road to be closed due to the Mendocino Complex.  However, many smaller roads are closed, though so check Cal Fire for the latest.

The MAPS:

  • Mendocino Complex Operations Map –to see details either zoom or click on the map and download a pdf.
    Mendocino Complex Operations Map

    Mendocino Complex Operations Map

  • KMZ Map–Zoom for detail or for 3D imagery, click on the map and download a file that connects with your Google Earth program.
    Mendocino Complex Heat Map

    Mendocino Complex Heat Map

DONATIONS:

Redwoods Rural Health Center in Redway is a Pay It Forward donation center. Call and ask first what they are accepting.

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19 Comments
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CB
Guest
CB
5 years ago

Is there an overlay type map available anywhere that shows all of the fires in that area in the last few years? There can not be much that hasn’t burned.

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago
Reply to  CB
Bob
Guest
Bob
5 years ago
Reply to  CB
John
Guest
John
5 years ago
Reply to  CB
LuckyPunk
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  CB

Click on the “Operations Map”. It’s a PDF wjth a lot of details. It even has the previous dozer lines from a few fires.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Soon, it will be not just the biggest in California’s “modern history” but the biggest period.

J
Guest
J
5 years ago

This won’t stop being the new norm unless people stop overpopulating. It’s not cute to have a big family when your leaving your kids to just suffer out the end of humanity as overpopulation is pushing us quickly to the end. You are in no way entitled to put your desire for 3 or more kids above the future of the planet. It’s so gross that people still do not care.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  J

Does this mean you are also anti immigrant? That’s how population pressures get relieved when the home resources are gone- immigrate or conquer. In some cases, it’s the same thing.

Do I get to vote on who exactly is to be prevented from grossing you out? I’ve got a little list.

ok
Guest
ok
5 years ago
Reply to  J

Sorry overpopulation is a myth. Overconsumption maybe but even then after WW2 they had to open shopping malls to keep their war factories going, they encouraged unrealistic unsustainable consumption, so to tell the general public to stop having children is just another ploy by the Masters of the Universe to get you to give up and hand it all over to them and their twisted inbreaded bloodlines.

LuckyPunk
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  ok

Yeah,folks having more kids than they can support is “overconsumption”.

This Is My Name
Guest
This Is My Name
5 years ago
Reply to  ok

LOL, overpopulation is a myth?!? It’s called carrying-capacity; limiting factors. Many species over time have exceeded their carrying capacity in areas, only to see drastic and often rapid declines in the immediate population. This is one of the simplest concepts.

Geeeeez.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago

lemmings are the only ones that gets this.

Malcolm
Guest
Malcolm
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

Just shows to go ya, Lemmings are smarter than humans . they can tell what’s coming and leave early.

brad
Guest
brad
5 years ago
Reply to  J

Actually most of our drought conditions are related to commercial farming, spraying poisons (how much does your county spend on Roundup to put on your road shoulders?) which drift and kill soil life. Soil bacteria are the nucleus of water vapor, which in nature keeps attracting other droplets until heavy enough to precipitate. GMOs especially, but chemical farming and tilling destroys this bacteria option.

Secondly the geoengineering sprays literally tons of charged particles (including aluminum nanoparticles from coal fly ash that are taken up by trees and make them burn hotter) which REPEL EACH OTHER. This means that water vapor will NOT be attracted to each other to form droplets that can precipitate.

In the 40s Harvard did a study showing an earth capable of supporting FORTY BILLION HUMANS but it CANNOT be done with the rich parasites running the show. They only care about their own incomes because money is the medium of exchange for power – and they are addicted to that. They literally cause every single problem of planetary significance that can be remediated. War, poverty, hunger/starvation, and ALL of the ecological problems that are now literally killing the planet and all on it.

We need to totally dump current farm practices of tillage (wherever possible) poison, and monocropping. We must invest in permaculture as best, sustainable as good, and organic as tolerable farming practices – and keep the growing as local as possible.

rudolph's mom
Guest
rudolph's mom
5 years ago
Reply to  brad

In the 40s Harvard did a study showing an earth capable of supporting FORTY BILLION HUMANS

….right. And I just did a study that says your house is capable of holding 75 people. How comfortable will you be? It’s called denial.

Rolo
Guest
Rolo
5 years ago

I want to thank every single fire fighter for their extremely hot and exhausting job. Nice to see you are slowly getting a handle on these nasty fires. Please continue to be safe.

yesmeagain
Guest
yesmeagain
5 years ago

Returned home to Lucerne last night. Smoky here and very dirty from ash fall, but everything is actually really fine, compared to what might have happened, and still could, of course. On the edge of town I stopped to watch the big tanker helicopter draw water from the lake. A couple of tankers thundered overhead until sunset dropping water on fire areas behind the ridge. It seemed like they were right over our house and we were happy to hear them. Yes, they are essentially to stopping spot fires and flare-ups. In both 2016 and 2017 fires started right in town — one was two blocks from our house — and in addition to quick and skilled work by local firefighters on the ground, air attack stopped what could have been major disaster; within a couple of hours.
All over the state we’ve seen those “thank you, firefighters” signs. I discovered t’s not a cliche when the fire’s in your neighborhood. Firefighters are amazing! They should get the same honor we give veterans. How about National Firefighters Day? Yeah!

LuckyPunk
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  yesmeagain

They are also saving lives daily,in all weather! Thank you

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
5 years ago

“The Swedish Air Force has declared war on a new, homegrown enemy: forest fires. Sweden dispatched two Gripen fighters to bomb forest fires, snuffing out flames with blast waves. As weird as it sounds, it actually works, and you’ve probably done something like it yourself. Scientists describe the effect is described as similar to blowing out candles on a birthday cake.”

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a22550688/sweden-dropped-a-laser-guided-bomb-on-a-forest-fire/