Damage toll rises in Mendocino Complex fires

Damage assessment teams found another 13 homes or structures that had been damaged or destroyed by the Ranch fire, Cal Fire said Friday, as the deadly Ranch fire grew by more than 8,400 acres overnight.|

The Mendocino Complex fires, burning now for more than three weeks, have consumed 329,800 acres in Northern California, Cal Fire said Friday.

The Ranch fire, the larger of the two blazes in the Mendocino Complex fire, burned an additional 8,426 acres overnight, Cal Fire said. Containment in the monstrous fire that’s burning into the Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest increased from 72 to 76 percent overnight, the agency said.

Crews worked overnight to reinforce containment lines, focusing on areas north of Snow Mountain Wilderness, Cal Fire said.

“We’re continuing to make progress, it’s a huge challenge to put in that much fire line ... when you think about the containment number that’s 76 percent, we’re talking about a 330,000 acre fire. It just takes time,” Cal Fire Capt. Derek Tisinger said.

Cal Fire noted Friday morning that damage assessment teams located an additional 13 homes or structures that had been damaged or destroyed by the fire. Tisinger said he was not aware of any buildings damaged or destroyed overnight.

The fire has now destroyed 157 homes and 120 other buildings, damaging 13 homes and 24 other buildings, Cal Fire said.

Unfavorable weather conditions are expected to pose challenges Friday afternoon, Cal Fire said. Crews will battle the blaze with backfiring operations as conditions allow, Cal Fire said.

“With the increasing temperatures and the relative humidity dropping, the fire activity is expected to increase,” Tisinger said. “Those conditions lead to erratic and unexpected fire behavior and that’s always something we’re aware of. We’ve got to be extra safe today. It makes it challenging to build fire lines around the edges when we’re dealing with those conditions.”

The fire is still threatening 1,025 homes and crews are working to defend those communities, Cal Fire said.

The nearly 49,000-acre River Fire is now completely contained, with no fire movement reported Friday.

More than 3,500 crews are assigned to the Mendocino Complex fire, which is expected to be fully contained by Sept. 1.

Matthew Burchett, 42, a battalion chief with the Draper Fire Department near Salt Lake City, was struck Monday by a falling tree while fighting the Ranch fire. He later died at a local hospital.

Two other firefighters have been injured battling the blazes, Cal Fire said.

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