CALIFORNIA, Oct. 26, 2026 — Fire crews made further progress on two Northern California incidents over the weekend, but an improving containment figure is not the same as declaring a fire extinguished. The latest incident-specific reports available for this story put the Cooley Fire at 1,365 acres and 95% containment as of the evening of October 25 and the Soda Fire at 14 acres and 90% containment as of October 24.
Cooley Fire: Mendocino County crews continue hotspot work
The Cooley Fire began on October 16 near Elkhorn Road and Cooley Ranch Road, west of Cloverdale, within Mendocino County. CAL FIRE’s October 25 update reported 1,365 acres, 95% containment and a cause still under investigation. Fire crews focused on identifying and extinguishing hotspots and securing areas where fire could remain active inside the perimeter. The reported percentage describes containment of the perimeter; it does not guarantee that smoke, hot material or access restrictions are gone.
Soda Fire: federal forest response in Siskiyou County
The Soda Fire began on October 18 in the Klamath National Forest area near Bear Creek, southwest of Sterling Mountain. The October 24 incident report gave its size as 14 acres with 90% containment. Although the fire is listed on CAL FIRE’s statewide incident dashboard, the responsible agency is the U.S. Forest Service, not CAL FIRE. That distinction matters when residents seek incident-specific updates.
What these numbers mean for residents
Conditions, acreage, containment, closures and evacuation notices can change. A statewide dashboard offers context, but it should not replace notices from the incident command, county sheriff or emergency management office. Before traveling into an affected area, consult current road and public-land closure information. Smoke may also affect communities outside the fire perimeter.
For localized updates, follow California58’s directory of local newspapers and the official agencies below. This statewide report should be supplemented by independent county-level reporting rather than copied as duplicate local articles.
Official sources
- CAL FIRE: Cooley Fire incident and dated updates
- CAL FIRE: Soda Fire listing and U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction
- CAL FIRE current incident dashboard
Editorial verification: Incident figures cited here are dated snapshots from October 24–25, 2026, not a promise of present conditions. Updated October 26, 2026.
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