ARSON FIRE THREATENS UKIAH’S EASTERN HILLS
Fire jumped Russian River, got 50 feet from Redemeyer Road
A vegetation fire that jumped the Russian River and headed straight for homes in the hills east of Ukiah Wednesday was intentionally set, Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Battalion Chief Eric Singleton said.
“All other causes have been ruled out, which leaves only human cause,” said Singleton Thursday morning after spending all night with two engines at the scene of the Highway Fire, which started around 3:15 p.m. Aug. 11 near the intersection of Highway 101 and River Street in Ukiah just north of the city of Ukiah’s water treatment plant.
“But it didn’t start along the highway, it started in the creek bed,” said Singleton, adding that
there are signs of encampments “all over the area” and UVFA investigators were contacting people who may have seen the fire being started or witnessed other suspicious activity.
The fire was first described as about two acres in size and burning two structures with the potential to grow to about 50 acres with multiple spot fires reported in the surrounding area. Singleton said two outbuildings did burn, but crews kept the fire from burning any homes.
Firefighters also kept the flames from reaching the city’s water treatment plant, which Singleton said became a particular priority after crews learned that highly flammable chlorine gas was being stored at the facility.
He said they were able to stop the fire from burning the
water plant and nearby homes, but it did cross the river and headed east toward Redemeyer Road around 3:50 p.m., prompting a mix of evacuation orders and warnings for many neighborhoods in the eastern hills, including El Dorado, Vichy Springs, Knob Hill and Deerwood.
At 4:05 p.m., the MCSO issued “an evacuation order for the area of Redemeyer Road, Vichy Springs, and the El Dorado area. There is a evacuation warning for the Deerwood area and Knob Hill area.”
“The fire was stopped 50 feet from crossing Redemeyer Road,” said Singleton, adding that “forward progress” of the fire was stopped by 4:50 p.m., but the work of firefighters continued all night as crews created and
maintained containment lines all around the flames.
Around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the MCSO reported that “due to wind conditions, we are going to hold evacuation orders and warnings for a few more hours.”
Personnel from Cal Fire, Hopland Fire and other agencies assisted UVFA on the ground, and multiple Cal Fire aircraft were deployed, including tankers and at least one helicopter.
Singleton said crews from several agencies on the Mendocino Coast, including Fort Bragg, South Coast, Redwood Coast, as well as Hopland Fire, were responding Thursday morning to maintain containment lines so the crews who worked all night could rest, including himself. He said the fire was holding at 30 acres.