Lucas Fire at 4,000 Acres and 700 Evacuated on Croatia's Brač — September 13, 2026

Two active fires led the day, one in Northern California and one on a Croatian island where the only way out was by sea. A third story steps back and adds up what this fire season has cost so far.

Lucas Fire reaches 4,008 acres in Mendocino County

The Lucas Fire grew to 4,008 acres near Potter Valley, on the Mendocino and Lake county line, and was 15% contained on Saturday night. As SFGATE reports, Cal Fire had about 1,300 personnel assigned to the fire, with air tankers from across the state flying suppression missions. San Francisco firefighters were sent to help.

A red flag warning was in effect through Monday afternoon for strong winds and low humidity. The New York Post reports that the National Weather Service issued the warning from 11 a.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Monday, citing conditions that make fires easier to start and faster to spread.

Both Mendocino and Lake counties issued evacuation orders and warnings. State Highway 20 was closed at Bachelor Valley Road, Witter Springs Road and Saratoga Springs Road, and the Mendocino National Forest closed part of the Upper Lake Ranger District, including the Middle Creek, Penny Pines and Deer Valley campgrounds. The fire was first reported at about 10 acres on Thursday morning, and its cause was under investigation.

Wind-driven fires like this one can push smoke well past the fire line, so it is worth checking conditions before spending a long stretch outdoors downwind.

About 700 people evacuated by boat from Brač island

Around 700 people were taken off the Croatian island of Brač by sea overnight as a major wildfire threatened the area around Milna on the island's western coast. Croatia Week reports that the operation began at 9:56 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, after reports of large numbers of people trying to escape the advancing fire.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Rijeka and the Split Harbour Master's Office coordinated the response. Four rescue boats were joined by police vessels, Croatian Coast Guard ships, tugboats, pilot boats, mountain rescue boats, tourist vessels and numerous private boats. Medical staff boarded rescue vessels so care could be given on the water if needed.

A preliminary assessment put about 200 people, including children and elderly and vulnerable people, in potentially dangerous situations as the fire approached. Rescue vessels moved 185 of them, and by 4 a.m. Sunday tourist boats had carried a further 500 people to safety.

A season already well above average

A new AccuWeather report says large fires were active in at least 13 states as of September 9, with more than 8.4 million acres burned nationwide this year. TIME reports that this is roughly 1.3 million acres above the full-year average for the previous decade, and nearly twice as much land as had burned by the same point in 2025.

This year's fires have drawn less attention than the January 2025 Los Angeles fires because they are spread across the country rather than concentrated in one place. The Palisades and Eaton fires burned about 37,500 acres, destroyed nearly 17,000 structures and killed at least 31 people, with Munich Re estimating $53 billion in total damage and $40 billion in insured losses.

Readers debate the Fix Our Forests Act

The Fix Our Forests Act has drawn bipartisan support in Congress, and the Los Angeles Times published letters from readers on both sides of it.

One reader wrote that the bill would speed up forest projects by removing regulatory barriers while keeping core environmental safeguards, funding thinning, removal of dead and diseased trees, new prevention technology and reforestation after fires. The Sierra Club's response was that its concern is not active management itself, which it supports, but that the bill would weaken environmental review and public oversight for projects covering thousands of acres.

Sources

• Mendocino Co.: Update: Wildfire Exceeds 4,000 Acres Near Potter Valley — SFGATE
• Urgent warning issued as massive wildfire spreads in Northern California — New York Post
• Around 700 people evacuated by sea due to major wildfire on Brač island — Croatia Week
• The U.S. Is Having One of Its Most Active Wildfire Seasons. Here's How the Costs Are Adding Up — TIME
• Letters to the Editor: Readers disagree over a major wildfire bill that's united Congress — Los Angeles Times

Canairy aggregates publicly reported air-quality and wildfire news and summarizes it in plain English, with links to the original sources. This is educational information, not medical or emergency advice. In a wildfire or air-quality emergency, follow guidance from local authorities.