Lucas

Crews focus on suppression repair and patrol as perimeter holds

The Lucas Fire is located near Upper Lake across Lake and Mendocino counties, with operations focused in the Bachelor Valley, Hunters Point, and Elk Mountain Road areas. Over the past 72 hours, firefighters secured the perimeter and shifted efforts to suppression repair, line rehabilitation, and interior mop-up. No forward growth is occurring, and the fire poses no active threat to surrounding communities.

Evacuations and Closures

• Evacuation orders remain in effect for Lake County zones MNF-E018 and UPP-E023-C within the burn perimeter (September 18).
• All evacuation orders for Mendocino County have been lifted, and most Lake County evacuation warnings are cleared (September 18).
• The temporary evacuation center is closed; residents needing recovery resources should contact 2-1-1 (September 17).
• Mendocino National Forest emergency closures remain in place for Forest Road 16N26 and trails 05401, 85402, 85403, and 85404 in the Hunter Point and Middle Creek areas (September 18).
• Traffic control points remain active along Elk Mountain Road at Hunter Point and Bear Canyon Road (Forest Road 16N08) (September 17).
• Middle Creek, Penny Pines, and Deer Valley campgrounds have reopened, along with Forest System Roads 16N30 (Sam Alley Ridge), 16N01 (Deer Valley), and 17N99 (McCreary Glade) (September 18).

Conditions and Outlook

Winds from the northwest and west-northwest are forecast to ease through mid-week under mostly overcast skies with warm afternoons and dry conditions. Smoldering is expected to remain confined to the interior of the burn area with no perimeter growth anticipated. Firefighters will continue suppression repair, hazard tree removal, equipment retrieval, and routine patrol along established control lines.

Cause and Context

CAL FIRE investigators confirmed on September 17 that the fire was ignited by lightning. Incident command has transitioned from the North Bay Incident Management Team back to the local CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit.

Official updates current through September 19, 2026.