Mendicino Complex fire claims over 314 sq miles.

[VenomJockey]

• https://weather.com/news/news/2018-08-04-norhtern-california-wildfires-carr-ferguson-mendocino
  
• The Mendocino Complex Fire in northern California has scorched 314 square miles, making it the 7th largest ever in the state.
• The pair of fires comprising the Mendocino Complex has destroyed at least 55 homes, 47 other structures and threatens 12,300 buildings
• Near Redding, more than 1,550 buildings have been destroyed by deadly Carr Fire, and 1,350 more are threatened.
• The fire is now twice the size of Sacramento, and is the sixth most destructive wildfire in state history.

A pair of fires in northern California known as the Mendocino Complex has burned 314 square miles, becoming the seventh largest wildfire in California history.

The fires have prompted new evacuations in Lake and Mendocino counties amid fears that hot, windy and dry weather conditions could fan the flames.

"This is a particularly dangerous situation with extremely low humidity and high winds. New fires will grow rapidly out of control, in some cases people may not be able to evacuate safely in time should a fire approach," the weather service said in its bulletin for the Mendocino area north of San Francisco.

The Mendocino Complex is comprised of the so-called Ranch Fire in Mendocino County, which has burned 244 square miles and was 27 percent contained as of Saturday. It's twin, the River Fire, has burned nearly 70 square miles and was 50 percent contained. Combined, the Mendocino Complex now surpasses the size of the deadly Carr Fire burning near Redding, California, and has burned an area larger than New York City.

 

[Maverick]

I don't wish fires on anyone regardless of state, with that said, for us that live in fire country it needs to be expected and planned for. Developers have branched out into fire country such as northern California building many homes close together, laying blacktops and concrete, planting vegetation and people come and buy these homes thinking they are safe, the fact remains, they are still in fire country and surprised when they lose there homes. Ignorance is no excuse. When they branch out and build a community in fire country they bring one of the major causes of these fires... PEOPLE

 

[Kootenay prepper]

We saw this in B.C. last year cities or vacation locations are built and the surrounding forest isn’t maintained and people are mad because the firefighters can’t protect there properties. Cities and property owners need to realize that you need to prepare areas before these major fires are already burning. The area I’m in do prescribed burns every year to clear out the dead wood on the ground. The towns in the area this past spring made large fire breaks in the forest to help prevent fires from reaching towns. Already been multiple firefighters killed in California fighting the fires and one in eastern Canada. People and cities need to be more proactive to make these areas more resistant to these fires.

 

[Maverick]

90% of forest fires are human cause! campfires, burning of debris, discarded cigarettes and arson are the primary causes. Over 9% is lightening, less than a percentage point is caused by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel.

 

[DrHenley]

The Indians used controlled burns (known as "Indian burns") every year for maybe thousands of years to clear out the underbrush and deadwood long before the geniuses (white men) came and stopped the practice most places.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_use_of_fire

 

[Kootenay prepper]

Interesting you say that a old forester showed me a cross cut section of a old growth tree cut down and you can see the scarring from old fires. There was fire scarring every 10 years and then once white people stopped it there was a 100 year period of no fires on the year grains. As you can imagine a lot of dead brush and trees in that forest.

 

[Maverick]

Fires are good for the forest, it removes a lot of deadfall and kills destructive insects like the pine beetle. Trouble is we won't let it burn itself out when we can and everyone seems against tree thinning because we might disturb the damn owl. We are cutting our own throats!

 

[tmttactical]

When logging was encouraged, the underbrush was cleared out, trees cut, were replanted and the cycle repeated itself. Now the underbrush builds, the trees burn, the owl is BBQ and nobody wins. Chock another one up for those environmentalists.