Lucas Fire Near Mendocino-Lake County Line Grows to 4,008 Acres; Evacuation Orders and Warnings in Effect

The Lucas Fire is burning in the Potter Valley area near the Mendocino-Lake county line, and Cal Fire reports it has reached 4,008 acres with 20% containment as of Sunday evening. Residents one mile south and one mile east of the fire are under mandatory evacuation orders, while those one mile north and one mile west are under evacuation warnings and should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. That order-versus-warning distinction is the single most important piece of information for anyone in the area right now.

For those who need to leave, a temporary evacuation point is open at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. It is equipped to handle people and livestock, which matters in a region where horses and small ranches are common. Bring identification, medications, phone chargers, pet food, and any documents you can’t replace. If you’re in the warning zone, the time to load your vehicle is now, not when the wind shifts.

Cal Fire notes this is the largest fire this year in its Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, and the tenth fire this decade to surpass 1,000 acres there. That context matters for everyone in the region, not just those closest to the flames. Conditions are dry, the season is young, and fires in this part of Northern California have a history of outrunning predictions. Are you signed up for your county’s emergency alerts yet?