STONYFORD — Fire crews battling the Mills Fire in the Colusa County portion of the Mendocino National Forest (MNF) achieved 35-percent containment Wednesday.
A public meeting was set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Stonyford Grange Hall. NorCal Incident Management Team 2 and MNF officials planned to provide operational updates and smoke information.
The fire burned approximately 16,000 acres since Saturday. Two injuries were reported, though not specified. The cause is under investigation.
The fire destroyed five outbuildings for a total cost of $2.8 million in damages. CAL FIRE entered into Unified Command with MNF officials Wednesday, sharing operational control of the incident.
A total of 1,317 personnel from 29 Type 1 crews and six Type 2 crews are fighting the fire, utilizing 84 fire engines, 19 bulldozers, 12 water tenders and six helicopters.
The fire is predicted to burn actively along the south flank because of hot and dry conditions. Continued fire movement is expected along the south and east flanks because terrain and windy conditions continue to feed the fire. Minimal fire spread is expected along the north flank of the fire.
Efforts are being made to protect natural and cultural resources and recreation opportunities by preventing damage to wet meadows, riparian areas, wildlife habitat and cultural properties.
All roads and trails within the MNF recreation area outside Stonyford on the south central portion of the Grindstone Ranger District are closed until further notice. The closure order can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mendocino/alerts-notices.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for the communities of Fouts Springs, Bonnie View and Board Camp Springs, as well as campgrounds within the Upper Letts Lake area. Portions of Stonyford are under voluntary evacuation.
Road closures remain in effect for Fout Springs Road (the M10 Road) at Stonyford and Goat Mountain Road at Stonyford-Lodoga Road.
Lake View Loop Road to Goat Mountain Road is under voluntary evacuation. An advisory was issued to residents west of Stonyford-Lodoga Road between Stonyford and Goat Mountain Road to be prepared for possible evacuation.
The Lake County and Mendocino Air Quality Management Districts issued Air Quality Alerts because of smoke from the fires in the region.
