Mendocino fires combine, moving into Lake County and forcing evacuations

Mendocino fires in Mendocino and Napa counties raged in the evening of Saturday, destroying structures and causing evacuations, firefighters struggling to take over the stubborn fires

The Ranch Fires and from River to the west of Clear Lake combined on Saturday with the 14,000-acre Mendocino Complex that crossed Lake County and threatened the towns of Lakeport and Upper Lake, officials from the Forest and Wildlife Department said. fire protection California. The Lakeport Hospital began evacuating patients at approximately 4:15 pm Due to the threat of flames, several neighborhoods east of the city were subject to mandatory evacuation orders.

Patients at the Level 4 Trauma Center were transported to nearby hospitals, said Morgen Wells, spokesperson for Sutter Lakeside. A 150-acre fire exploded in the Berryessa Highlands area, setting fire to several houses and forcing residents to flee for their lives.

Steele's fire began around 4:30 pm, forcing residents of Steele Canyon Road between Rimrock Drive and Headlands Drive to evacuate, Sgt. McMahon and the Napa County Sheriff's Department

Firefighters attacked the flames from the air and on the ground, with several houses burned or damaged, says McMahon

. made several passes on the rising flames. The fire was contained at 10%, said Cal Fire.

Gov. Jerry Brown decreed state emergency Saturday for Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties in order to seek federal assistance to support communities affected by Steele Fire and Mendocino Complex

Fires are just three among more than a dozen more than 150,000 acres around California, according to Cal Fire. Some 10,000 firefighters were deploying around the state on the front lines.

"One of the problems facing firefighters is the lack of resources," said Bryan May, spokesman for the Office of Emergency Services. "With all those fires burning through the state, they are being exploited."

Firefighters, trucks and other resources flocked to California from as far away as Maryland, with more than 400 local firefighters. . Rising temperatures have made conditions particularly difficult for firefighters.

President Trump on Saturday called for federal aid to Carr's fire in Shasta County, where five people died and 536 structures were destroyed

. Prior to the onset of its attack on Lakeport, the Ranch's fire came on Friday around noon at Old Lake County Highway and Highway 20 and rose to 5,000 acres. The flames prompted an evacuation notice for the entire Upper Lake town on Saturday night.

The nearby river fire started around 1 pm Friday, 13 miles to Old Lake County Highway, 6 miles north of Hopland, and has grown to 9,000 acres.

Seven firefighters were injured during the fighting, four of whom were transported to hospitals for heat-related illnesses. No immediate information has been published on the conditions of other firefighters.

The combined Mendocino Complex was confined to 5% with nearly 1,000 houses under evacuation, said Deputy Sheriff Matthew Kendall

. 386 structures are still under threat.

Elsewhere in California, forest fires threatening the Yosemite Valley, which caused the park to shut down due to poor air quality, will not be fully withheld for at least two weeks, [19659142Ferguson'sfireburningintheMercedRiverCanyonburned51671acresandwascontainedat30percentonSaturdayaccordingtotheUSForestService

The National Park Service had initially hoped to reopen the valley on Sunday, but now plans to delay reopening until Friday. The flames do not threaten the valley, but the smoke has made the quality of air unhealthy.

Seven firefighters were injured and one was killed in the fire. Braden Varney died fighting the Ferguson fire on July 14, when his bulldozer rocked.

There was no immediate information on the wounds.

A structure was destroyed and 5,245 are still threatened by the fire. [19659144

The Cranston fire in Riverside County – which is one of the largest forest fires – burned 13,118 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest and was contaminated at 29 % by forest fires. Saturday afternoon, according to the US Forest Service

The cause of the fire that resulted in more than 2,000 evacuations is arson, said the Forest Service