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Wildfire rages in northern California as power shutoffs sweep the state California wildfires: tens of thousands ordered to evacuate
(about 2 hours later)
A wildfire in northern California exploded in size on Thursday after dangerously dry, windy weather prompted the state’s largest utility to impose electrical blackouts in an effort to prevent a catastrophe. Tens of thousands in California were ordered to evacuate their homes on Thursday as wildfires raged in the north and south, after dry, windy weather prompted the state’s largest utility company to impose sweeping electrical blackouts.More than 40,000 in southern California were ordered to evacuate as wildfires burned near a Los-Angeles area neighborhood. Several homes burned Thursday as two fires fanned by powerful winds swept through dry brush to the edge of communities in the Santa Clarita area. No injuries were immediately reported, but the LA fire chief said there was no containment of either blaze.
The Kincade fire in the Sonoma county wine region north of San Francisco grew to more than 10,000 acres (15 sq miles, or 39 sq km) before dawn. Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 2,000 people in and near Geyserville, a small town and popular stop for wine country tourists about 23 miles (37km) north of Santa Rosa, where the Tubbs fire left 22 people dead in October 2017. Earlier in the day, the Kincade fire, in the Sonoma county wine region of in northern California, exploded to more than 10,000 acres (15 sq miles, or 39 sq km). Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 2,000 people in and around Geyserville, a small town and popular destination for wine country tourists.
Fire officials said multiple structures had been destroyed but could not yet confirm how many. In Napa county, a large smoke cloud from the Kincade fire marred a clear blue sky. Strong winds whipped through tree branches and yellowing grape vines, bringing respite from the high temperatures and relentless sun.
Images and videos shared on social media, including by the California governor, Gavin Newsom, showed thick smoke and fast-moving wildfire. While the cause of the fire has yet to officially be confirmed, Pacific Gas & Electric said it had a problem with a transmission tower near where the Kincade fire ignited. The company filed a report with the state utilities commission Thursday saying it had become aware of a transmission level outage in the Geysers in Sonoma county around 9.20pm on Wednesday.
A large smoke cloud rose above Napa Valley, marring a clear blue sky. Strong winds whipped through tree branches and yellowing grape vines, bringing respite from the high temperatures and relentless sun. The wildfire was reported minutes later in the same area, although it is not clear whether the malfunction sparked the blaze.
Power generators hummed along main roads as residents carried on under the ever-looming threat of high-fire warnings and continued power shutoffs. Dangerous weather conditions prompted electrical shutoffs across the stateas PG&E, whose power lines have been found responsible for sparking previous deadly wildfires, and Southern California Edison sought to avoid catastrophe. The blackoutsaffected nearly a half-million people and PG&E announced it would impose more over the weekend.
The fire brought back memories of the devastating Wine Country fires that killed 44 in the area two years ago. The Sonoma county sheriff, Mark Essick, said many people felt better prepared on Thursday than they were two years ago, but that didn’t mean they should wait to leave.
Mary Ceglarski-Sherwin and her husband, Matt Ceglarski-Sherwin, lost their rental home in the city of Santa Rosa during those fires. Early Thursday, they and their two dogs were evacuating from their new home in Geyserville with the 72-hour emergency kits they’d acquired during the last fire, they told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.
Mary said that at 3am she told her husband, “We gotta go, we gotta go; I can feel it changing.” She said they could feel the fire’s heat and see its smoke when they headed for an evacuation shelter.
There was no immediate information about what ignited the blaze, but wildfire risk was extremely high as humidity levels plunged and gusty winds up to 70mph hit the region. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the utility company currently staging rolling blackouts across the northern half of the state, had not shut down all of its power lines in the part of Sonoma county where the fire ignited.
A second San Francisco Bay Area fire reportedly broke out in the coastal Marin headlands, burning through at least 40 acres and closing a section of the famous Highway 1.
In southern California, firefighters were protecting homes from a wind-whipped fire roaring north of Los Angeles.
LA county officials say the fire had grown to some 850 acres (344 hectares) in just a few hours in the Canyon county area of Santa Clarita, with evacuations under way and heavy smoke shrouding the area.
The flames were fed by hot, dry winds, known as the Santa Ana winds, that were predicted to strengthen throughout the day across the region. Forecasters say peak gusts could top 70 mph.
‘An atmospheric hairdryer’‘An atmospheric hairdryer’
Climate scientists warned for several days that this was just the beginning of a week of fire weather across the state, with the greatest risk still to come.Climate scientists warned for several days that this was just the beginning of a week of fire weather across the state, with the greatest risk still to come.
California power shutoffs: when your public utility is owned by private investors
Temperatures in towns near the Kincade fire were expected to reach 94F (34C), with humidity around a bone-dry 10%. The NBC meteorologist Rob Mayeda called the high pressure event of extra fast wind and low humidity an “atmospheric hairdryer”.Temperatures in towns near the Kincade fire were expected to reach 94F (34C), with humidity around a bone-dry 10%. The NBC meteorologist Rob Mayeda called the high pressure event of extra fast wind and low humidity an “atmospheric hairdryer”.
So you've heard the term "atmospheric river" for high precipitable water values...you might call this an "atmospheric hair dryer" with strong high pressure & associated offshore wind event sending desert-like dry air out over the ocean (2/2) #CAwx pic.twitter.com/zrUoxYlLXJ California power shutoffs: when your public utility is owned by private investors
A National Weather Service forecast for the Bay Area on Tuesday cautioned: “Should we be lucky enough to get through tomorrow’s wind event, we would ask for continued vigilance heading into the weekend.”A National Weather Service forecast for the Bay Area on Tuesday cautioned: “Should we be lucky enough to get through tomorrow’s wind event, we would ask for continued vigilance heading into the weekend.”
High winds reaching 70-80mph are expected in the north bay region from Saturday evening through Sunday evening, if not longer. “There will obviously be fire weather concerns again,” warned the NWS. These conditions could mirror those in October 2017, when 21 major fires together burned roughly 245,000 acres (almost 100,000 hectares) and killed 44 people.High winds reaching 70-80mph are expected in the north bay region from Saturday evening through Sunday evening, if not longer. “There will obviously be fire weather concerns again,” warned the NWS. These conditions could mirror those in October 2017, when 21 major fires together burned roughly 245,000 acres (almost 100,000 hectares) and killed 44 people.
Shifting winds could send wildfire smoke streaming down over the Bay Area on Friday, possibly causing delays to flights at San Francisco international airport (SFO), the National Weather Service tweeted.Shifting winds could send wildfire smoke streaming down over the Bay Area on Friday, possibly causing delays to flights at San Francisco international airport (SFO), the National Weather Service tweeted.
Evacuations in wine country
At the Healdsburg Community Center near Geyserville, which became a makeshift American Red Cross shelter on Thursday, evacuees milled around the outdoor spaces, checking their phones and waiting for news.
“I’m sleepwalking,” said Tina Tavares, 70. Tavares and her husband, Victor, woke to pitch-black chaos at 5.30am.
“You wake up and they’ve turned off the electricity and all of a sudden you don’t know where you’re going,” Tavares said. “You go into a wall and you’re feeling around because you can’t feel anything and you have somebody banging on your door saying, ‘Get out, get out!’”
“The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see my hand,” she continued. “All you could see was red, red, red, red. I just covered my mouth and got right into the car.”
Fire officials said multiple structures had been destroyed but could not yet confirm how many.
The evacuated town of Geyserville sits about 23 miles (37km) north of Santa Rosa, where the Tubbs fire left 22 people dead in October 2017, and Thursday’s fire brought back memories of the devastation.
Rolling blackoutsRolling blackouts
PG&E on Wednesday began rolling blackouts stretching from the Sierra foothills in the north-east to portions of the Bay Area in a bid to keep the electrical grid from causing fires due to wind that can send power lines toppling.PG&E on Wednesday began rolling blackouts stretching from the Sierra foothills in the north-east to portions of the Bay Area in a bid to keep the electrical grid from causing fires due to wind that can send power lines toppling.
The blackouts, which are expected to last about 48 hours, affected a half-million people, or nearly 180,000 customers in 17 counties. PG&E warned that a second round of outages could occur over the weekend when even stronger winds are expected in the region. PG&E confirmed that a second round of outages would occur over the weekend when even stronger winds are expected in the region.
“This could be the strongest wind event of the season, unfortunately,” said Scott Strenfel, a PG&E meteorologist.“This could be the strongest wind event of the season, unfortunately,” said Scott Strenfel, a PG&E meteorologist.
Strenfel called the current wind event a “California-wide phenomenon”.Strenfel called the current wind event a “California-wide phenomenon”.
Southern California Edison, the utility to the south, said Thursday that it had cut power to more than 15,000 customers as hot and dry seasonal Santa Ana winds swept parts of southern California. The utility was considering additional power cuts to more than 286,000 customers.Southern California Edison, the utility to the south, said Thursday that it had cut power to more than 15,000 customers as hot and dry seasonal Santa Ana winds swept parts of southern California. The utility was considering additional power cuts to more than 286,000 customers.
The San Diego Gas & Electric utility said it cut power to about 328 customers.The San Diego Gas & Electric utility said it cut power to about 328 customers.
The utilities have said the precautionary blackouts across the state are designed to keep winds from knocking branches into power lines or toppling them, sparking wildfires.The utilities have said the precautionary blackouts across the state are designed to keep winds from knocking branches into power lines or toppling them, sparking wildfires.
Electrical equipment was blamed for setting several fires in recent years that killed scores of people and burned thousands of homes.Electrical equipment was blamed for setting several fires in recent years that killed scores of people and burned thousands of homes.
The latest outage comes two weeks after PG&E shut down the power for several days to about 2 million people in northern and central California.The latest outage comes two weeks after PG&E shut down the power for several days to about 2 million people in northern and central California.
Governor Newsom on Thursday once again lambasted PG&E for its management of the crisis. “It’s more than just climate change,” Newsom said at a Thursday press conference in southern California. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s about focusing on shareholders and dividends over you and members of the public.”Governor Newsom on Thursday once again lambasted PG&E for its management of the crisis. “It’s more than just climate change,” Newsom said at a Thursday press conference in southern California. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about corporate greed meeting climate change. It’s about decades of mismanagement. It’s about focusing on shareholders and dividends over you and members of the public.”
The Sonoma county supervisor James Gore said PG&E had been better this time about getting information to people who would be affected, but he was still astonished by the need to resort to large-scale blackouts.The Sonoma county supervisor James Gore said PG&E had been better this time about getting information to people who would be affected, but he was still astonished by the need to resort to large-scale blackouts.
“I am a big believer in shutdowns to prevent fires. But the thing that erodes public trust is when it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “You say: ‘God, I know if we can put a man on the moon ... we can manage a [power] grid.’”“I am a big believer in shutdowns to prevent fires. But the thing that erodes public trust is when it doesn’t make sense,” he said. “You say: ‘God, I know if we can put a man on the moon ... we can manage a [power] grid.’”
Back at the shelter in Napa county, Tavares and her husband and their two chihuahua mixes, Jake and Savannah, were planning to stay overnight. Though she only slept for two hours, she couldn’t rest with all her fears and worries.
“I’m not too sure what’s going to happen,” she said. “We rent our house. We set it up, we painted the whole inside, we got comfortable. And we might lose everything we put together.”
CaliforniaCalifornia
WildfiresWildfires
Pacific Gas and Electric CompanyPacific Gas and Electric Company
Natural disasters and extreme weatherNatural disasters and extreme weather
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