The Mendocino Complex (2018) was a California wildfire in Colusa, Lake, Mendocino & Glenn Counties, with 459,123 acres, 280 structures destroyed, 1 death on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. Resolved / settled. Status as of October 1, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
The Mendocino Complex was two fires, the Ranch and the River, that started an hour apart on July 27, 2018 and burned 459,123 acres across Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties. It was the largest wildfire in California history at the time and is third on CAL FIRE's list today.
The Ranch Fire, by far the larger of the two, was started by accident. CAL FIRE found that a spark from a hammer striking a metal stake landed in dry grass. It did not name the property owner and said no charges would be filed. No lawsuit against that person has been found.
The one lawsuit on the public record concerns the death of a firefighter. On August 13, 2018 a Utah battalion chief working the Ranch Fire was killed when a retardant drop from a 747 air tanker uprooted a tree. His family sued CAL FIRE and the tanker operator in 2019. A federal judge dismissed CAL FIRE as immune under state law in May 2020, allowed the claims against the operator to proceed in April 2021, and approved a $3.5 million settlement with the operator in December 2022.
We found no lawsuit over property losses from either fire and no cost recovery action by the state.
Structure counts differ slightly: CAL FIRE's Top 20 list gives 280 destroyed, and its annual statistics and incident pages give 281.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2018-07-27 |
| Containment date | 2018-09-19 |
| Region / counties | Colusa, Lake, Mendocino, Glenn |
| Acreage | 459,123 |
| Structures destroyed | 280 |
| Structures damaged | 38 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Public settlement information | In an order filed December 20, 2022, a federal court approved a $3,500,000 settlement between the family of the firefighter killed on the Ranch Fire and the air tanker operator. No settlement over property losses from the fire is on the public record. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
CAL FIRE's investigation report on the Ranch Fire, case 18CAMEU008646, found that it was caused by a spark or hot metal fragment landing in dry grass, and that the spark came from a hammer driving a 24-inch metal concrete stake into the ground. The finding was made public on June 6, 2019. CAL FIRE called it an accident, did not name the property owner and said no charges would be filed. CAL FIRE classifies the cause as human. The cause of the River Fire, which started an hour later near Hopland, is listed as undetermined in CAL FIRE's annual statistics.
What happened
The Ranch Fire started at 12:05 PM on July 27, 2018 off Highway 20 near Potter Valley, and the River Fire at 1:01 PM the same day near Hopland. The Governor proclaimed a state of emergency on July 28. On July 29 authorities ordered the towns of Lakeport, Upper Lake and Nice on Clear Lake to leave, about 10,000 people according to the Press Democrat. A firefighter from Utah was killed on August 13 when a retardant drop from a large air tanker brought a tree down on him; three other firefighters were injured. The Forest Service announced on September 19, 2018 that both fires were 100 percent contained. The Ranch Fire burned 410,203 acres and the River Fire 48,920.
Mendocino Complex timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
The Ranch Fire starts at 12:05 PM near Potter Valley; the River Fire starts at 1:01 PM near Hopland.
Source: CAL FIRE
The Governor proclaims a state of emergency for Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties.
Lakeport, Upper Lake and Nice are ordered to evacuate.
Source: The Press Democrat
Federal major disaster DR-4382-CA is declared.
Source: FEMA
A firefighter is killed and three are injured when a retardant drop brings down trees on the Ranch Fire.
Source: CAL FIRE, archived copy
The Forest Service announces both fires are 100 percent contained.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Mendocino National Forest, archived copy
CAL FIRE's finding on the cause of the Ranch Fire is made public.
Source: The Sacramento Bee
A federal court dismisses CAL FIRE from the firefighter death case as immune.
The court denies the tanker operator's motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
The court approves a $3,500,000 settlement with the tanker operator and closes the case.
Litigation status
Resolved / settled. Status as of October 1, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
The only lawsuit we found over the Mendocino Complex is a wrongful death case. The widow and minor son of the firefighter killed on August 13, 2018 sued CAL FIRE, two CAL FIRE employees and the air tanker operator, Global SuperTanker Services, LLC, in Sacramento County Superior Court in 2019, and the operator removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California as No. 2:19-cv-01812. In an order filed May 20, 2020 the court denied a motion to send the case back to state court, dismissed the state defendants without leave to amend as immune under Government Code section 850.4, and dismissed the operator with leave to amend. The amended complaint alleged negligence, gross negligence and strict liability for ultrahazardous activity; in an order filed April 26, 2021 the court denied the operator's motion to dismiss it. In an order filed December 20, 2022 the court approved a settlement with the operator in the amount of $3,500,000 and directed that the case be closed. We found no lawsuit against the property owner, none over the River Fire and no cost recovery action, in searches of federal court records and of the Press Democrat, Sacramento Bee, KCRA, Los Angeles Times and Courthouse News archives. County superior court records and state claims records were not searched. A separate federal case, Environmental Protection Information Center v. Carlson, challenged a Forest Service tree removal project in the burn area and is not a claim over fire losses.
Resolved describes the one case found. It is not a finding that no other claim exists, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- Order approving settlement of claim of minor plaintiff (filed December 20, 2022) , U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (Case 2:19-cv-01812)
- Memorandum and order denying motion to dismiss amended complaint (filed April 26, 2021) , U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (Case 2:19-cv-01812)
- Order denying remand and dismissing the state defendants (filed May 20, 2020) , U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (Case 2:19-cv-01812)
- Investigation report, Ranch Incident, redacted, archived copy , CAL FIRE, Mendocino Unit (Case 18CAMEU008646)
- Green Sheet: firefighter injuries and fatality, August 13, 2018, archived copy , CAL FIRE
This is a reported public-record status, not advice about any individual’s legal situation. Deadlines and eligibility change over time and depend on facts specific to each person. If you have questions about yours, contact us and we will help.
Key figures on the public record
Each figure below was published by the court, agency, or company named beside it, on the date shown. These describe the case and the disaster, not any individual’s situation.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acres burned, both fires | 459,123 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Ranch Fire acres | 410,203 | CAL FIRE, October 24, 2022 |
| River Fire acres | 48,920 | CAL FIRE, October 24, 2022 |
| Rank among largest California wildfires | 3rd | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Structures destroyed, Top 20 list | 280 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Structures destroyed, incident pages | 281 | CAL FIRE, October 24, 2022 |
| Deaths | 1 firefighter | CAL FIRE, September 14, 2018 |
| Settlement in the firefighter death case | $3,500,000 | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, December 20, 2022 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the Mendocino Complex. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Sep 12, 2019Report: Cal Fire mishandled state’s largest wildfireKCRA
- Sep 11, 2019A Utah firefighter was killed by an air retardant drop. His widow is suing Cal FireThe Sacramento Bee
- Sep 11, 2019Family of firefighter killed battling California wildfire sues Cal FireKCRA
- Jun 6, 2019Spark from hammer, metal stake caused Ranch fire in 2018, California’s largest wildfireThe Press Democrat
- Jun 6, 2019California’s largest wildfire was caused by a hammer, Cal Fire saysThe Sacramento Bee
- Jun 6, 2019Cal Fire investigators release cause of 2018 Ranch FireKCRA
- Sep 19, 2018Ranch fire, which propelled Mendocino Complex into California history, fully containedThe Press Democrat
- Aug 14, 2018‘Our hearts ache’ for Utah firefighter killed in Mendocino Complex, Gov. Brown saysThe Sacramento Bee
Common questions about the Mendocino Complex
What caused the Mendocino Complex?
CAL FIRE's investigation report on the Ranch Fire, case 18CAMEU008646, found that it was caused by a spark or hot metal fragment landing in dry grass, and that the spark came from a hammer driving a 24-inch metal concrete stake into the ground. The finding was made public on June 6, 2019. CAL FIRE called it an accident, did not name the property owner and said no charges would be filed. CAL FIRE classifies the cause as human. The cause of the River Fire, which started an hour later near Hopland, is listed as undetermined in CAL FIRE's annual statistics.
Is there litigation over the Mendocino Complex?
Resolved / settled. Status as of October 1, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
What areas did the Mendocino Complex affect?
The Mendocino Complex (Colusa, Lake, Mendocino & Glenn Counties) affected communities including Lakeport, Upper Lake, Nice, Potter Valley, Hopland.
How large was the Mendocino Complex?
459,123 acres, 280 structures destroyed, 1 fatality, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
What caused the Mendocino Complex Fire?
CAL FIRE found that the Ranch Fire, the larger of the two fires in the 2018 Mendocino Complex in Northern California, was caused by a spark or hot metal fragment from a hammer driving a metal stake into the ground, which landed in dry grass. The finding was made public on June 6, 2019. The cause of the smaller River Fire is listed as undetermined.
How big was the Mendocino Complex?
The 2018 Mendocino Complex burned 459,123 acres in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties, California: 410,203 acres in the Ranch Fire and 48,920 in the River Fire. It ranks third on CAL FIRE's list of the largest California wildfires.
Was anyone charged for starting the Ranch Fire?
No. CAL FIRE described the start of the 2018 Ranch Fire as an accident, did not name the property owner, and said no charges would be filed, according to the Sacramento Bee on June 6, 2019.
Is there a Mendocino Complex lawsuit?
One lawsuit over the 2018 Mendocino Complex is on the public record: a wrongful death case brought by the family of a firefighter killed by a retardant drop on August 13, 2018. A federal court dismissed CAL FIRE as immune and, in an order filed December 20, 2022, approved a $3,500,000 settlement with the air tanker operator. We found no lawsuit over property losses.
Who died in the Mendocino Complex Fire?
One firefighter died in the 2018 Mendocino Complex, a battalion chief from Utah who was struck by a tree uprooted by an air tanker retardant drop on the Ranch Fire on August 13, 2018. Three other firefighters were injured in the same incident, according to CAL FIRE.
Sources
- Investigation report, Ranch Incident, 18CAMEU008646, archived copy, CAL FIRE
- Green Sheet: firefighter injuries and fatality, August 13, 2018, archived copy, CAL FIRE
- Ranch Fire (Mendocino Complex) incident record, CAL FIRE
- River Fire (Mendocino Complex) incident record, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 Largest California Wildfires and annual statistics, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- Order approving settlement, No. 2:19-cv-01812, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- Order denying remand and dismissing the state defendants, No. 2:19-cv-01812, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- Mendocino Complex news release, September 19, 2018, archived copy, U.S. Forest Service
- Disaster declaration DR-4382-CA, FEMA
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.