[UPDATE 6:37 p.m.] A Difficult to Access Fire Is Burning in the Benbow Area

A difficult to access fire which started around 2:30 p.m. in the Benbow area has grown to about a 1/4 acre as of 4 p.m.

Cal Fire, Garberville Fire and Redway Fire are working to stop its spread by hand and by air.

The following video sent in by Britney Willison shows a plane dropping retardant.

UPDATE 4:24 p.m.: Inmate crews are accessing the fire from where the old dam used to be.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: Local readers are concerned because the Benbow eagle nest is in the general area of this fire. A fledgling eaglet who hasn’t yet taken flight is in the nest. In response to our questions, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Savona just updated us. He wrote that the fire is now “[a]bout a half acre in size, crews are still out there. Not expected to grow any larger…Considering the slow rate of spread and low intensity fire, adverse impacts to wildlife are not expected.”

UPDATE 6:37 p.m.: Cal Fire put out a press release noting, “Forward progress has been stopped, and due to the low intensity fire no adverse impacts to wildlife in the area are expected. Crews will be committed until 11:00 PM….The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

UPDATE: Flames Come Close to Benbow Eaglet But Firefighters Swoop In and Save the Day