Redwood Valley fire displaces Mendocino County family

Fires burned three structures in inland Mendocino County between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, keeping firefighters on the move.

One fire that erupted Thursday morning in Redwood Valley burned a modular home, displacing a family of three, fire officials said.

None of the fires appeared suspicious, but their frequency is unusual, fire officials said.

“It’s just been very busy here lately,” said Ukiah Valley Fire District Division Chief Kevin Jennings.

Only the Redwood Valley fire affected an inhabited dwelling.

The fire broke out on the porch of the School Way home at about 9:45 a.m., said Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire Department Chief Don Dale. The cause of the fire is not yet known, he said.

The family escaped unharmed, but their home was severely damaged, he said. Dale said he contacted the Red Cross to assist the family in finding somewhere to stay.

On Thursday afternoon, a fire believed to have been triggered by an unattended lantern destroyed a wooden storage building and less than an acre of grass at the south end of Willits, Little Lake Fire District Chief Don Dale said.

The owner of the structure told officials he’d left a lantern burning inside and it may have been knocked over.

The building contained household items and propane tanks, which blew up from the heat of the flames, Dale said.

The Wednesday night fire started at about 6:30 p.m. inside a single-wide mobile home on Old River Road, between Talmage and Hopland, Jennings said. He said it appeared someone had been cleaning the inside of the unoccupied trailer and may have left a lamp on some bedding.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MendoReporter.