Winds could fuel Mendocino's Lodge wildfire

LAYTONVILLE - A forest fire in a Mendocino County mountain community that has burned 8,700 acres, left the air thick with smoke and is threatening dozens of homes could get much worse as winds pick up, according to fire officials.

The Lodge Complex fire was 35 percent contained Sunday, up from 30 percent Saturday, but flames broke through a fire protection line on the eastern slope of the rugged terrain, threatening nearby homes. At least 58 structures from six areas between the towns of Laytonville and Leggett are in danger of burning in the blaze. The fire area is situated about 100 miles north of Sonoma County along the Highway 101 corridor.

“This is crazy, I’m really worried,” said Ronnie Pollini, a nearby resident. “I’ve been removing all the leaves from my rooftops, cleaning up all the wood around my house, so if the fire gets to my property, they’ll have better chances of saving it.”

Pollini and other residents from the nearby towns of Camp Seabow, Elder Place, Tan Oak Park, Bald Mountain Ranch, Mad Creek and Elk Creek have been issued evacuation orders, but fire crews are not removing people from their properties. The Red Cross has opened a temporary evacuation center at Leggett.

“These guys are going to do everything humanly possible to save your property,” said Carlos Guerrero, a fire captain with the Glendale Fire Department in Los Angeles County, speaking with Pollini. “Unfortunately the path of the fire can shift - Mother Nature is unpredictable. The shift in winds, combined with the inaccessible terrain make it even more dangerous.”

Eleven firefighters have been injured since the fire started July 30, but all are said to be recovering.

Lightning, without rain, struck already-dry vegetation in late July, igniting the mountainous landscape. Much of the property on fire is owned by the federal Department of the Interior and is uninhabited, but small enclaves of residential communities around the fire’s perimeter remain threatened. The estimated cost of the fire is at $17.8 million.

“Heavy timber is fueling the fire, and the rugged terrain makes it really difficult to access this kind of wilderness,” said Brandon Rodgers, a spokesman for Cal Fire, which is leading firefighting efforts. “We’re telling people they should leave the area immediately, but we’re not forcing anyone out of their homes.”

Nearly 2,200 firefighters on 176 fire engines are battling the blaze covering roughly 13 square miles. Crews are using 13 helicopters, 35 bulldozers and millions of gallons of water pumped from the nearby Eel River and deposits from underground wells to prevent flames from intensifying.

In addition to battling the actual fire, firefighters are building a perimeter of fire breaks by clearing highly-flammable vegetation and other debris surrounding the fire’s path. But strong winds from the west were fanning the flames further east toward towns and homes.

Nearby communities are experiencing thick smoke that is drastically lowering visibility and making residents’ eyes burn, a sign the winds are heavy, fire officials said.

A local strike team has joined efforts to beat back the blaze, sending 17 firefighters on five engines from Bennett Valley Fire Department, as well as four departments in Lake County – Kelseyville, Northshore, Lakeport and Lake County fire departments.

“We’re working hard, cutting the fire line, laying down hose to mop up the fire and fighting fire with fire,” said Jim Dowdy, a captain with the Kelseyville Fire Protection District.

Winds and the landscape make the blaze more erratic, fire officials said.

“We can’t predict exactly what it’s going to do,” Guerrero said. “Our plan is to tackle strategic locations and balance our efforts with the topography, access to the rural areas, fuel for the fire and unpredictable winds.”

The winds, sweeping eastward from the west, broke the fire line crews built sometime in the early morning hours on Sunday, increasing potential threats to nearby homes and perhaps businesses.

William Brent, who owns a ranch in the fire’s path, said friends and family had already relocated to nearby towns and he moved his animals out of the danger area.

“We’re doing everything we can,” Brent said. “I’m worried because I just bought the house and I owe a lot of money on it.”

Fire officials are urging residents to create a fire barrier by clearing anything flammable, such as debris like leaf matter as well as other flammable material like patio furniture from the perimeter of properties. An evacuation center has been set up by the Red Cross at Leggett School in the town of Leggett, located at 1 School Way. For more information contact (626) 622-7927.

You can reach Staff Writer ?Angela Hart at 526-8503 or ?angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.