Covering the Mendocino Lake Complex (Redwood) Fire over the past two weeks, we noticed a lot of false information circulating and gaining traction.
Always a problem for officials having to clear up confusion, rumors like these can be especially harmful to residents who may base their decisions on the false reports they hear. As everyone has now had a chance to catch their breath, we will try to clear up the most widespread falsehoods.
One that we already addressed claimed that the Cal Fire Air Attack Base in Ukiah had run out of retardant, forcing tankers to fly well out of the area to fill up the first day of the fire. That, they told us, was not true.
Here are some other events that did NOT happen during the fire:
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Neither Willits nor Ukiah were at any point under mandatory evacuation, including Howard Hospital.
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Orr Springs Road in Ukiah was not on fire at any point.
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There was never a fire near Ukiah High School.
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Eagle Peak Middle School in Redwood Valley did not burn down.
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Firefighters did not stop their efforts and go home after dark — they worked in shifts around the clock.
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Local agencies did receive plenty of help from the outside, from all over California and from Nevada.
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Law enforcement was not trying to keep people out of evacuated neighborhoods to encroach on property rights; they were trying to keep people safe, they said.
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And perhaps the most outlandish, the Redwood Fire was not caused by a plane dropping bombs over Redwood Valley. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported power lines and trees downed by the wind in Potter Valley, and a sergeant saw fire shortly after, which traveled to Redwood Valley.
