Mendocino Complex fire now at 334,7700 acres

Minimal expansion of the northern front of the Ranch fire allowed fire crews to continue strengthening containment lines for the blaze that has scorched an estimated ?334,770 acres in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties, Cal Fire officials said Saturday night.

The Ranch fire - which has killed one firefighter who was struck by a falling tree - grew by about ?3,000 acres Saturday as firefighters held containment at 76 percent, officials said in a 7 p.m. update. Cal Fire said some of the more active areas of fire burned within containment lines, including the area of Goat Mountain Road on the northeast side of the fire in the Mendocino National Forest.

More than 3,400 firefighting personnel were assigned to the Ranch fire and the nearby River fire, a 48,920-acre blaze in Mendocino and Lake counties which has been ?100 percent contained since Monday. Collectively called the Mendocino Complex fire and being managed by Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service, the fires have destroyed 157 homes and 120 other structures since they broke out a month ago.

More than 3,400 crews are assigned to the fires, and officials have reported two injuries.

Funeral services will be held Monday near Salt Lake City for Matt Burchett, a battalion chief with the Draper Fire Department who died Monday while fighting the Ranch fire, the Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trump on Friday issued a major disaster declaration for Lake County, which for three weeks has been ravaged by the Ranch and River fires.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem. You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @hannahbeausang.