Updated at 5:00 p.m.
In the North State:
The otherwise welcome tropical moisture aloft has a distinct downside – fire sparking lightning that are challenging experienced crews and stretching resources to the limit.
Wildfires are now raging across more than 22,000 acres of Shasta Trinity National Forest with mandatory evacuations ordered near Hayfork including the Mill Gulch and Kingsbury Gulch areas due to the Fork Complex. State route 3 is closed between the fairgrounds and State Route 36. Highway 36 is closed from Forest Glen to Lower Mad River Road. Authorities are warning residents in the Wildwood area to prepare for evacuation.
Further North, the River Complex now exceeds eighty five hundred acres is threatening the community of Denny and Trinity Village north of State Route 299. The fire is zero percent contained. A community meeting begins this evening at 6 at the Hawkins Bar Volunteer Fire Hall in Trinity Village.
To the southwest, the Route Complex is 2 percent contained at over twelve thousand acres. It has forced the closure of various fire service roads in the vicinity. Fires are burning both north and south of Hyampom.
South of there, the 14,000-acre Mad River Complex of fires is 8 percent contained, with flames flanking Ruth Lake on both sides.
Numerous fires have been reported across the Mendocino National Forest, though the biggest straddles wine country. The Rocky Fire has reached 68,300 acres in size and is 20 percent contained. Evacuation centers are available at Middletown High School and Kelseyville High School. Highway 20 is closed between Highway 16 and highway 53. Highway 16 is closed between highway 20 and Yolo County road 41. A total of 39 homes and 52 outbuildings have been lost to the flames. Four other structures have been damaged. Nearly 7,000 structures are threatened. Close to 3,500 firefighters are attacking the blaze, backed by four air tankers and 19 helicopters.
For up-to-date information on California wildfires, visit the state or federal wildfire websites.