MENDOCINO CO., 8/4/26 — Ukiah Valley Fire Authority’s new acting fire chief said Tuesday that crews have made good progress on battling a wildfire that started in Hopland on Saturday and led to injuries to five firefighters and the evacuation of several county-designated zones.
The Feliz Fire started Saturday around 3:40 p.m. off Feliz Creek Road and U.S. Highway 101 in Hopland, triggering evacuations that were lifted Sunday evening. The fire has burned 872 acres and was 60% contained as of Tuesday, according to Cal Fire.
Sherry Weiss, spokesperson for Cal Fire’s Mendocino Unit, said five firefighters were transported to a local hospital Sunday after a fire vehicle rollover near the fire. Weiss said the firefighters had minor injuries and were released from the hospital the same day.
Justin Buckingham, newly appointed acting chief for the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, has been working on the Feliz Fire since Saturday. Buckingham said resources mobilized quickly with there being an influx of resources in northern Sonoma County for the Woodside Fire that sparked near state Route 1 along the coast on Thursday.
“It actually worked out well. We got a lot of resources quickly,” Buckingham said. “We got lucky that the Woodside Fire was only a few days old.”
Buckingham said the fire in Hopland burned steep, rugged hillsides with grass and oaks and a large area of brush toward the top of the hills before cresting down into the side where the Saracina winery sits. Buckingham said Tuesday that no structures have been destroyed, but damage inspections are underway and expected to last throughout the week.
Buckingham said structures off Hewlett Sturtevant Road and off Feliz Creek Road were protected at the start of the fire. Although he said evacuations are no longer expected for the Feliz Fire, Buckingham stressed the importance of having “go bags” and plans in place in case of an emergency.
“This time of year, everyone should be ready, have their go bag, have a plan in place with your family so should something happen, everyone’s ready to go at a moment’s notice with no delay,” Buckingham said.
He noted the current “prime burning conditions of the year.”
Buckingham said vegetation has been drying out all summer and heat waves happening around this time of year make for high fire risk.
Buckingham said a combination of firefighting efforts have been used on the Feliz Fire. He said planes have been dropping fire retardant while helicopters work the opposite side of the fire, dropping water. He said bulldozers are being used to cut lines in the ground for containment, and hand crews are taking care of hot spots.
I live out at the end of Feliz Creek Road. The response from the fire professions on the ground and in the air was stupendous. I’m sure I speak for my neighbors in saying how grateful we are