Containment grows on Lucas Fire near California's Mendocino National Forest

Firefighters in Northern California continued to increase containment on the Lucas Fire burning near the Mendocino National Forest, as evacuations remained in effect Sunday.

According to an update from Cal Fire, the fire burned 4,109 acres as of about 7:15 p.m., with containment at 25%. The fire started Thursday afternoon near the Lake County – Mendocino County line southeast of Potter Valley.

"A surge of resources into the area allowed crews to directly engage the fire while continuing to construct and reinforce containment lines," officials said in a statement. "Cooler temperatures and lighter winds also provided more favorable conditions, helping crews make significant progress."

In an update Sunday afternoon, officials noted the Lucas Fire is located in the burn scar of the 2018 Ranch Fire, part of the massive Mendocino Complex Fire that burned more than 400,000 acres that year. The Lucas Fire is currently the largest wildfire burning in the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit this year.

Evacuation orders were in effect for the following areas:
Lake County
• MNF-E016
• MNF-E018
• MNF-E019
• UPP-E023
• UPP-E025
• UPP-E027
• UPP-E030

Mendocino County
• MEN-2POT08-B

Meanwhile, these areas are under evacuation warnings:
Lake County
• MNF-E012
• MNF-E013
• MNF-E015
• MNF-E017
• MNF-E021
• UPP-E026
• UPP-E028B
• UPP-E032
• UPP-E035
• UPP-E038

Mendocino County
• MEN-2POT08-A
• MEN-2UKV28

Animal evacuation shelters have been established at the Lake County Fairgrounds Baldwin Pavilion in Lakeport.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service has closed a portion of the Upper Lake Ranger District in the Mendocino National Forest in northern Lake County due to the fire. The closure impacts National Forest systems roads, trails and campgrounds, including Middle Creek, Penny Pines, and Deer Valley.

No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.