MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST — A forest and brush fire that has consumed 9,415 acres in the McCoy Ridge area of the Mendocino National Forest has been slowed to creeping and smoldering by ground moisture from significant rains that fell in the area Monday night.
The fire was reported 80-percent contained on Wednesday by Wendell Peacock, information officer for the Arizona Central West Zone firefighting team.
Peacock said that the acreage burned by the fire did not grow between Tuesday and Wednesday and that full containment is expected to occur by 6 p.m. today.
A total of 603 firefighters, including 12 crews, were involved in mop-up operations and continued construction of a southwest edge for the fire at the site, 19 miles southeast of Covelo on Wednesday. Equipment on hand included eight engines, 26 water tenders, six bulldozers and five helicopters. But demobilization of fire personnel and resources was in progress.
Southern California Incident Management Team 1 took over the scene from the Arizona Central West team at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters will continue to look for remaining hot spots today.
No structures have been destroyed by the fire. Peacock reported two minor injuries among firefighters.
Contact John Lindblom at jlwordsmith@mchsi.com
