Lucas Fire burns 400 acres Mendocino-Lake county line as evacuations ordered

By Richard Ramos

A wildfire burning in the Potter Valley area of California’s Mendocino County has prompted an evacuation order Thursday as the Lucas Fire continues to grow.

The Lucas Fire started around 9:18 a.m. Thursday in the Potter Valley area, right near the border where Mendocino and Lake counties meet.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (Cal Fire) Mendocino Unit initially estimated the fire at about 10 acres at that time. Shortly after 4 p.m., Cal Fire said the fire had grown to 400 acres.

Fire officials said the fire was burning at a moderate rate of spread with long-range spotting and that additional ground and air resources had been ordered to the incident.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Late Thursday afternoon, California’s Office of Emergency Services said it is aware of the fire and is coordinating with local partners.

Evacuation orders

The majority of the evacuation orders affect Lake County. Cal Fire said residents within one mile south and one mile east of the fire are under an evacuation order and have been told to leave immediately.

In Mendocino County, officials have issued evacuation warnings for zones MEN-2POT08 and MEN-2UKV28. The county has a live map that residents can use to monitor official evacuation information.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said mandatory evacuations are in place for zones MNF-E016, MNF-E018 and UPP-E023, while evacuation warnings were issued for UPP-E026, UPP-E030, UPP-E027, UPP-E025 and MNF-E019.

Another live evacuation map can be viewed here.