Crews gain ground on Mendocino County wildfire

Fire crews got an early edge on Mendocino County’s new Hopkins Fire overnight Sunday, taking advantage of lower temperatures and higher humidity to double the wildfire’s containment to 20% Monday morning.

The blaze sparked around 3:48 p.m. Sunday in the area of Calpella, an unincorporated community about 6 miles north of Ukiah and home to several hundred residents. Cal Fire on Sunday evening placed the wildfire at about 275 acres, but by the following morning amended that estimate to 257 due to better mapping.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuation of the areas between Highway 20 and Lake Mendocino Drive and between Eastside Calpella Road and the western shore of Lake Men

docino, though some of the areas have been reduced to warnings, with residents allowed to repopulate. Evacuation warnings were issued for areas between Road B in Redwood Valley and Redemeyer Road, between the shore of Lake Mendocino and North State Street.

There are hundreds of homes in those areas, though Cal Fire did not have an immediate tally of structures damaged or destroyed Monday morning.

Portions of Highway 101, State Highway 20, Lake Mendocino Drive and Eastside Calpella Road were closed off. Residents were being asked to avoid those areas to facilitate access to the fire for emergency personnel.

There were no reported injuries of civilians or fire crews, and Cal Fire officials have enlisted an assessment team to survey the burn area for damaged or destroyed structures. About 200 structures were threatened.