Multiple resources, some from as far away as Humboldt County, are responding to a new fire spot found southwest of Covelo around mile marker 9 on State Route 162 just before 6 p.m.
The CHP Traffic Incident Information Page is reporting that a truck crashed about 5:47 p.m. into the embankment and caught fire at mile marker 10.5. We don’t know that the two are related but it seems likely.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
UPDATE 6:14 p.m.: The fire is currently two acres moving at a moderate rate of spread.
UPDATE 6:21 p.m.: The vehicle is fully engulfed in flames.
UPDATE 6:27 p.m.: The Incident Commander reports that the fire is about 10 to 12 acres.
The CHP page is reporting the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department will be stopping eastbound traffic on State Route 162 just west of 8 Mile Bridge. Meanwhile, Round Valley Tribal will close 162 at mile marker 9.62.
Am I the only one that thinks there is an arsonist running around the Covelo area and Round Valley. We’ve had three fires in less than 48 hours and this has been going on for a couple years. Fires in the middle of nowhere with no lightning Just dirt roads. There is a fire bug in Covelo. I cannot be the only one that notices this.
-Mostly I think about the people of round valley trying to evacuate on that 1 road in an emergency.
-I also wonder how many residents burn their trash up there due to lack/expense of services.
Yes, evac from many places in the tri-county area needs to be thought about carefully, in advance.
How many towns, valleys, and rural back-roads settlement areas are bottlenecked by just one or two roads in/out?
That’s how so many died in the Paradise, CA fires: panic, suddenly lots of cars on narrow roads, inevitable breakdowns & bumper-thumpers leading to blocked roads = no exit.
Think about the area you live in, what would you do if an evacuation road was blocked to vehicle traffic?
Do you have other options? A dirt bike or even a mountain bike, either of which can get around stalled vehicles blocking roads? Or what about nearby improvised shelter-in-place options? Any ponds or lakes large enough to go out in the middle (on solid flotation devices, i.e. foam, not inflatable) to wait out a wildfire you can’t escape? [ But: watch out if the pond is small but helicopter-accessible, you don’t want to get hit by a helicopter’s water basket when they’re trying to refill. ]
If you’re in a town, are there large open flat areas with NO fuels, like rodeo grounds (bare dirt,) unused large gravel flats? School playground? [ But avoid parking lots or roadways: it’s easy to get run over by vehicle traffic that may be trying to drive around in smoky low-visibility conditions. ]