Mendocino County’s Cooley Fire Reaches 74% Containment as CAL FIRE Moves to Three-Day Plan

UKIAH / MENDOCINO COUNTY — October 22, 2026. Firefighting operations on the Cooley Fire, which began near Elkhorn Road and Cooley Ranch Road west of Cloverdale on October 16, are entering a different phase. A 7:07 a.m. October 22 CAL FIRE update says management has transitioned to the agency’s Mendocino Unit under a three-day plan as crews concentrate on remaining hot spots, containment lines and suppression repair.

What the numbers show

CAL FIRE’s incident detail page, last marked updated at 7:47 a.m. Thursday, October 22, lists 1,365 acres and 74% containment. This is a timestamped status, not a guarantee that the percentage will remain unchanged later today. The cause was described as under investigation.

Containment means crews believe part of the fire’s edge can be held within established control features. A 74% figure does not mean 74% of vegetation is ‘burned out’ or that every remote hot spot has been extinguished.

Transition from active suppression to securing the perimeter

According to the October 22 release, resources are expected to decline as the incident approaches completion. Remaining teams will strengthen lines, watch conditions inside the burned area and identify outstanding suppression repair work. Cal Fire reports crews concentrating on hot spots within 100 feet of control lines.

Rain arriving Thursday may help but brings another operational concern: muddy, soft or slippery access roads. The agency warned that firefighting equipment could become stuck. Residents should not treat that operational note as proof that a publicly maintained county highway has been officially closed; verify public travel routes with the relevant road authority.

What the recovery work involves

In an October 20 update, the department said crews were hauling hose and other supplies back from firelines, grading some access areas and carrying out erosion-related repair where bulldozer lines had been installed. It also stated no structures had been damaged or destroyed in that update. These are firefighting and restoration activities; the absence of listed structural damage then should not be interpreted as a complete household-level property assessment.

How residents can verify current danger

For updated incident status, follow the official Cooley Fire incident page. For urgent evacuation orders, use the appropriate county sheriff/emergency alert source, not an older incident summary. CAL FIRE explicitly says its incident pages are not guaranteed real-time evacuation instructions. If an emergency threatens life, dial 911.

Independent local report based on the October 22 official CAL FIRE release; published figures are time-stamped and will change as agencies update the incident.

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