Mendocino Complex fire now fifth largest in California history

A firefighter near the Ranch Fire.
(Image credit: Noah Berger/AFP/Getty Images)

The Mendocino Complex fire in Northern California has burned more than 254,000 acres, making it the fifth largest blaze in the state's history.

Fire officials said 68 homes have been destroyed, 15,000 structures are threatened, and thousands of residents of Mendocino, Lake, and Colusa counties have been forced to evacuate. The Complex fire is actually two fires that have burned for several days: the Ranch fire, which has scorched 207,000 acres north of Clear Lake and is 23 percent contained, and the River fire, which has swept through 47,000 acres west of Clear Lake and is 53 percent contained, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.