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Charred trees and secondary growth mark the 2018 Ranch Fire burn scar on the Mendocino National Forest near Clear Lake, California, April 15, 2026. The Ranch Fire was part of the Mendocino Complex, which impacted hundreds of thousands of acres and significantly altered the local ecosystem. The U.S. Forest Service continues to monitor these high-severity burn areas to assess natural regeneration and coordinate long-term disaster recovery efforts. Documenting the long-term effects of major wildfires is a critical component of the agency mission to understand forest resilience and prioritize restoration work. These recovery actions are designed to protect watersheds and restore the health of public lands for the benefit of the American people.
The U.S. Forest Service, Patriot Restoration Ops, and Clear Lake Environmental Research Center gathered on the Mendocino National Forest to plant seedlings in an effort to restore parts of the forest affected by the 2018 Ranch Fire. In just eight days, the crew planted 71,000 seedlings on the hillside east of the communities of Nice and Lucerne. The ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and incense cedar came from a nearby Forest Service nursery in Placerville, California. The reforestation effort, part of the Northshore Restoration Project, aims to reforest over 2,600 acres. Another project objective is to reduce fuels, such as brush and dead trees, on approximately 40,000 acres, lowering wildfire risk to nearby communities. (Forest Service photo by Andrew Avitt)
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2026 11:31 |
| Category: | B-Roll |
| Video ID: | 1003141 |
| VIRIN: | 260415-O-NM884-6597 |
| Filename: | DOD_111641353 |
| Length: | 00:03:00 |
| Location: | CALIFORNIA, US |
| Downloads: | 1 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 2018 Ranch Fire Burn Scar, by Andrew Avitt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
