Northern California fire update

Smoke hasn't been as present in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the last few days as it has been, but fires are still burning in Northern California.

Donnell Fire: This is the closet to Lake Tahoe, burning south of Highway 4. The fire has now burned 29.715 acres and is 27 percent contained. 54 structures have been destroyed and 81 have been damaged. The main store and lodge of the Dardanelle Resort, 14 of 16 cabins in the Wagner Tract, 36 of 57 cabins in the Brightman Tract, 2 of 2 cabins in the Buena Vista Tract, and 1 of 10 cabins in the Bone Springs Tract were destroyed by the fire. No structures have been reported lost at Baker Station or within Riverside, Cedar Grove, Deadman, Baker, East Douglas, West Douglas, and Twin Buttes Tracts. The fire started on August 1 and the cause is unknown and under investigation.

Ferguson Fire: The Ferguson Fire started on Friday night, July 13 at 9:36 PM in the South Fork Merced River drainage on Sierra National Forest. In the steep, rugged terrain, with scarcely any road access and a heavy presence of beetle-killed trees, firefighters knew it would be more than a challenge to contain. So far, 96,606 acres have burn and it is now 87 percent contained. Over 200 miles of hose was used on the Ferguson fire and used hose must be brought back to camp and rehabilitated to use on the next fire.

Lions Fire: The Lions Fire is estimated at 10,002 acres with 70 percent containment for a growth of 40 acres. However, the fire could not be accurately mapped due to smoke inversion and growth is likely greater than what mapping reflects. There are 261 personnel committed to the fire, including 6 crews, and 4 helicopters. It was started June 11 by a lightning strike.

River Fire (Mendocino Complex): This fire is now 100 percent contained and burned 48,920 acres The Ranch Fire continued to be active today. Fire crews engaged in successful operations on the far west side of the fire tying in containment lines south of the Eel River. Fire crews will continue to protect the southern areas of Lake Pillsbury along with prepping and proteting the Rice Fork Summer Homes. In the coming days fire crews will work to burn out fuel in order to keep the fire south of the Stonyford area. 146 residences and 118 other buildings were destroyed in the Complex fire. 3,100 personnel are on the fire.

Ranch Fire (Mendocino Complex): Throughout the day the Ranch Fire progressed northward, heading farther into the Mendocino National Forest. Today, fire crews patrolled communities in the northern portion of the Ranch Fire, scouting fire lines and gathering intelligence to prep and assess plans for continued structure defense. 305,990 acres have burned and it is 64 percent contained. 3,505 personnel are working the fire.

Carr Fire: 211,019 acres have now burned and firefighters have a containment line around 65 percent of the fire. The mechanical failure of a vehicle caused the fire on July 23. To date, 1,077 homes have been destroyed with another 101 damaged. Safety is a priority as Firefighters strengthen containment lines through burning operations. Firefighters are mopping up and patrolling in less active areas of the fire. Fire spread is primarily fuels and topography driven within containment lines. Dense timber, dry vegetation, and terrain driven winds inth e proximity of the lake have challenged Firefighters. Smoke over the area has moderated fire activity, however the potential for spot fires and roll out still exist.