Fire officials say they have achieved 75% containment of the 80-acre wildfire in Redwood Valley that destroyed three homes west of Highway 101 in Mendocino County and prompted evacuations of about 250 people.
Heavy wind that pushed flames forward and broadcast embers Wednesday afternoon failed to reappear on Thursday, lending support to fire crews who, by 7 p.m. had the bulk of the fire under control. In addition to the three residential structures, six outbuildings were destroyed and two outbuildings were damaged, Cal Fire said.
Firefighters will remain at the scene throughout the night looking for smoke and hot spots and continuing to mop up, according to a report by Cal Fire released on their Twitter account.
The cause of the fire was unknown, Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire Capt. Rick Phillips said.
Cal Fire turned over command of the fire to Redwood Valley Calpella fire officials at about 6 p.m.
A total of four engines, four water tenders and two hand crews responded to fight the fire.
Coming early in the season, amid deepening drought and rising temperatures headed toward the triple-digit mark, the fire nonetheless caused alarm in a rural community mindful of wildfire’s catastrophic potential.
The fire, named for the decades-old Broiler steakhouse near the wildfire’s origin, burned well under a mile from the southern perimeter of the Redwood Valley Complex, one of the major October 2017 fires that tore across the North Bay and neighboring counties. The Redwood Valley fire destroyed 545 structures and killed nine people.
The Broiler fire was first reported around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday by callers who included staff from the Uva Drive restaurant, which was closed and empty of customers at the time, said Joe Fernandes, whose family has owned the eatery for 56 years.
It burned to the east, west and south of the restaurant, burning at least two homes and another residential structure near Uva Drive and West Road and Forsythe Lane, Cal Fire said.
It came within about 75 feet of the steakhouse and prompted evacuation of the Deep Valley Christian School nearby, as well as the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino about a mile up Uva Drive, where more than 150 animals had to be moved out in the span of one hour on Wednesday afternoon.
“Dogs were barking,” and most animals were “confused, scared and nervous,” said Jenny Hanzlik, administrative director at the shelter.
About 30 volunteers showed up to help load the animals into vehicles, transporting 41 cats and five dogs to foster homes, while about 100 cats spent the night at the East Hill Veterinary Clinic in Willits.
Hanzlik said everybody went straight into planning mode the moment a staff member saw smoke in the field behind their facilities. “You don’t really have time to feel anything,” she said.
Hanzlik recalled evacuating the shelter during the 2017 fire but said this was the first time for many staff members. The animals were more frightened than they were, however, and everyone took a deep breath of relief when they knew all were safe.
By 9 a.m. Thursday, all the animals had been returned to the shelter without harm, except for several cats that suffered motion sickness driving to the vet, Hanzlik said.
On Thursday afternoon the staff was working on getting the phones running again and returning the shelter to normal. They already were reassembling their evacuation totes.
“We'll be ready if it happens again,” Hanzlik said. “I’m impressed with the team here, and I’m really proud of all of them and the community.”
At the steakhouse, Fernandes said the flames definitely came “a little too close for comfort,” though they never touched his family’s restaurant, which was set to reopen for dinner service Thursday afternoon.
“We’re grateful for everyone who showed up and saved the restaurant,” he said.
The owners have themselves to thank, as well.
After 2017, they put metal siding on the building to help make fire proof and last winter conducted substantial fuels reduction work around the place, mowing grasses behind the restaurant and cutting away a significant amount of brush and foliage near the building. They also maintain a gravel road behind the business as a firebreak, Fernandes said.
“Because of the past fire experiences we had, I want to make sure nothing like that happens again,” he said.
Emily Smith, an assistant fire chief with Cal Fire, which shared duties on the blaze before turning it over to the local fire department on Thursday, said residents should “remain vigilant, as there are fire resources in the area, so continue to drive safe and be cautious when around that equipment.”
Staff Writer Kathleen Coates contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writers Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com, and Alana Minkler at alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com.
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