By Berenice Quirino
Bereniceq@record-bee.com @bquirino15183 on Twitter
Upper Lake >> Firefighters continued mop-up activities Tuesday from a fire that burned through private land within the Mendocino National Forest in the Upper Lake Ranger District.
The blaze was reported Friday at about 7:30 p.m. and in total burned through about 25 acres of wildland south of Little Signal Peak and east of the Sanhedrin Wilderness, according to forest public affairs officer Tamara Schmidt.
The biggest concern was an area from a fire in 2008 with dead and downed trees that fueled weekend blaze.
“We had wood that had been out there for a while. Seasoning for almost seven years,” Schmidt said. “We needed to be more cautious for firefighters’ safety.”
More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the scene.
CAL FIRE made the initial attack and worked through Friday night before federal fire crews from Mendocino, El Dorado, Plumas and Six Rivers national forest took over Saturday.
Smoke may still be visible for the next few days along Highway 101 and to communities on the west side of the forest, Schmidt said.
The fire did not affect recreational activities at the forest, although Schmidt reminds camp goers to stay cautious.
“The biggest thing right now is we are entering fire season,” she said. “Be careful with anything that could potentially spark a wildfire.”
