Some residents near Cow Mountain fire warned of possible evacuations

Fire officials Sunday warned residents along Scotts Valley Road in Lake County to prepare to leave the area, as wind conditions threatened to stoke a wildfire burning in the North Cow Mountain Recreation Area.

Cal Fire officials issued the evacuation warning at 11:42 a.m. Sunday for a five-mile stretch of the road between Highway 20 and Hendricks Road.

The Scotts Fire the North Cow Mountain Recreation Area east of Ukiah had slowed overnight, growing from 3,000 to 3,200 acres by Sunday morning, Cal Fire officials said.

Although firefighters were strengthening their lines around the fire, which was about 10 percent contained Sunday morning, gusty winds and low humidity forecast for the day threatened to feed the flames, Cal Fire officials said. A red flag warning was issued Sunday.

"The fuels out there are really dry; between that and winds and steep terrain, it all plays in together," Cal Fire spokesman Kevin Colburn said.

An evacuation warning is not an order for residents to leave, but it stands as a warning that people should be prepared for a sudden change in conditions.

"All it takes is an ember to land in dry vegetation for a spot fire to start," Colburn said.

Scotts Valley Road was only open to residents, as the fire was burning just about one mile from the community, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters were holding the fire at bay south south of Highway 20, west of Scotts Valley Road and east of Cow Mountain Road.

Colburn said that if the community is ordered to evacuate, Lake County Sheriff's officials will go door-to-door to alert residents.

Additional strike teams were on the way to the area to bolster the 879 personnel battling the fire, which was first reported at 1:23 p.m. Friday.

A Sonoma County team including firefighters from Santa Rosa and Rincon Valley left at 5 a.m. Sunday to join the fire fight.

Both the Scotts Creek and Mill Creek entrances to the recreation area were closed. The Mendo Rock Road access to North Cow Mountain Road was closed at Mill Creek, according to the bureau of land management.