Containment Steady on Massive CA Blaze

Aug. 24 -- California’s largest wildfire burned through an additional 6,700 acres overnight, pushing further north into the Mendocino National Forest, Cal Fire reported Friday morning.

In all, the Ranch fire has torched through a total of 373,476 acres since it first started July 27. Containment stayed at 67 percent, the same as the day before.

Crews predict the area’s rugged terrain and ample vegetation could help the blaze gain additional ground as it continues spreading north and northeast. More than 1,000 homes were threatened by the fire, and mandatory evacuation orders for Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties remained in place Friday morning, Cal Fire reported. More than 3,500 fire personnel continued to fight the 4-week-old blaze.

Its sister fire, the River fire, stayed at a standstill overnight, allowing crews to repair and monitor the areas it burned west of Clear Lake.

Named the Mendocino Complex fires, both blazes have charred through a combined 422,396 acres as of Friday morning, destroying 157 homes and 123 other buildings so far.

A firefighter from Utah, Matthew Burchett, 42, died fighting the larger of the two fires last week when a falling tree debris struck him after a retardant drop dumped flame-suppressing liquid nearby. Three others have been injured while fighting fires, Cal Fire said.

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