Update 8: 40 p.m. — Fire crews were able to put containment line around 100% of the Owens Fire in time for the evening Cal Fire incident update, and several days of schedule ahead of the May 24 date estimated this morning. However, 25 personnel remain assigned to the fire, and will patrols will continue over the next several days. You can read the final incident report here.
MENDOCINO Co., 5/22/22 — Containment on the Owens Fire south of Point Arena reached 80% this morning, thanks to cool overnight temperatures and high humidity, which helped crews increase lines around the fire and make progress on mop up efforts. There are still over 100 personnel assigned to the fire, and Cal Fire is now estimating that the fire could be fully contained by May 24. Cal Fire’s morning report on this specific fire can be read in full here.
The Owens fire began on Friday, May 20 and grew to 36 acres within several hours, resulting in the closure of approximately one mile of Highway, and a mandatory evacuation for residents of the Schooner Gulch area. However, fire crews were able to stop forward progress and begin containment efforts that evening, and the evacuation orders were lifted that night, so residents were able to return to their homes without the need to establish an overnight shelter. Cal Fire reported that 50 structures were threatened, but the fire resulted in no injuries, and no structures were ultimately damaged or destroyed. Our full report from that evening can be found here.
The fire included assistance from local and state agencies including South Coast Fire Protection District, Redwood Coast Fire Department, Sea Ranch Fire Department, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Pacific Gas and Electric(PG&E), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California National Guard, California State Parks, and CalTrans.