Rapid Lucas Fire prompts mass evacuations along the Lake–Mendocino corridor

A fast-growing Lucas Fire near the Mendocino–Lake County line expanded to roughly 3,476 acres, triggering multiple evacuation orders and moving the Lake County Fairgrounds into a Red Cross shelter in Lakeport; firefighting efforts included four Type 3 airtankers, but containment was only about 5% as inversions and smoky conditions hampered operations, with a Red Flag warning in effect and forest closures in place.