Forward progress reportedly stopped on Laws Fire in Ukiah

A wildfire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in the hills west of Ukiah prompted the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to issue an evacuation warning in the area of Crestview Drive, above Laws Avenue.

Cal Fire’s Initial Report at 2:30 p.m. June 29 described the fire as about a half acre in size and located in the area of Canyon Drive and Rosemary Lane.

Cal Fire air and ground crews responded to the fire along with ground crews from the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority and other local fire departments. Local law enforcement agencies, such as the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, also responded to help with traffic control and possible evacuations.

At about 2:45 p.m., forward progress was reportedly stopped on the fire after air tankers dropped retardant and a helicopter dropped water on the flames. At that time, the fire was reportedly an acre in size.

After forward progress was reported stopped, multiple ground crews remained on-scene to make sure the fire was contained.

By 3:10 p.m., emergency responders were starting to open closed streets in the area and allowing more traffic through.

Around 4:45 p.m., the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit reported that the fire was 100 percent contained at 1.5 acres.

Louise Simson, the superintendent of the Anderson Valley School District, said she lives near the fire and tried to go to her house after receiving word of the evacuation warning.

“As I pulled up to my street, it was blocked by multiple officers, and I could see the tankers flying overhead and smoke,” Simson wrote in a post shared with her district staff, explaining that she was not allowed to go to her house to pack, so she took out the case of water she keeps in her car and “shared it out with all of my neighbors and the officers standing around because it was hot.”

Simson said she was grateful she has a “Go bag” prepared, and urged everyone to “Make one today: Take a small suitcase, put some old clothes, shoes, underwear, toiletries/medications, jacket, check book, a little cash, and copies of your insurance cards and credit cards into the bag, and something special (for me it is a quilt my sister made with all of the scraps of dresses my mom sewed for us when we grew up with each scrap telling a story), toilet paper and a blanket.  I also keep a pup tent and sleeping bag in my car.”

She ended her message by adding she was, “Grateful to all of the first responders who knocked it back.”

At 4:30 p.m., the MCSO gave the “All Clear” for the fire and reported that it was safe for residents to return, though “crews may still be in the area.”

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