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California wildfires force thousands of evacuations as 'historic' winds expected 'You can't fight this': California wildfires force historic evacuation in Sonoma county
(about 2 hours later)
A northern California wildfire forced evacuation orders and warnings for nearly all of Sonoma county stretching to the coast, with forecasts of strong winds prompting officials to begin cutting electricity for millions in an effort to prevent more fires. Howling winds tore through California’s wine country Saturday night and into the morning, fueling a destructive wildfire that forced 180,000 people to evacuate.
'Potentially historic': dangerous winds expected as fires burn across California Meanwhile, an estimated 2.3 million people were left without power as the state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), began shutting off power around 5pm Saturday in an attempt to keep wind-toppled wires from sparking additional fires.
Pacific Gas & Electric started shutting off power Saturday around 5pm for an estimated 2.35 million people across 38 counties. About 90,000 residents were ordered to evacuate towns near the 40-sq-mile fire. Nearly all of Sonoma county – encompassing a huge swath of wine country stretching from the inland community of Healdsburg west to the coast – fell under evacuation orders and warnings over the weekend, as the Kincade fire grew to nearly 47 square mile. It’s the largest evacuation order “anyone at the Sheriff’s office can remember,” the Sonoma county sheriff’s department said.
Saturday night’s evacuation order encompassed a huge swath of wine country stretching from the inland community of Healdsburg west through the Russian River Valley and to Bodega Bay on the coast, Sonoma county sheriff Mark Essick said. An even broader area was put under a warning for residents to get ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Thousands of firefighters were trying to beat the blaze, which was moving towards the towns of Healdsburg and Windsor and so far has destroyed several structures, including at least two wineries.
Some weekend gusts might reach 75mph or higher in a “historic” wind event, the National Weather Service said. Winds could lead to “erratic fire behavior” and send embers for miles, warned the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire and massive evacuation were driven by a “historic” wind event that meterologists had warned of leading up to the weekend. The seasonal winds, called “el diablo” winds in northern California, tore through Sonoma county at 90mph on Saturday night, tossing embers erratically and making fire containment ever more challenging for responders. The winds are expected to remain strong throughout the day and ease on Monday morning.
Concern that gusts could knock down power lines and spark devastating wildfires prompted two blackouts in recent weeks. Authorities expanded the evacuation zone overnight, as the fire spread. The city of Healdsburg told its residents in an alert around 3am: “Winds have picked up and fire activity has significantly increased and heading our way. LEAVE NOW.”
PG&E said the new wave of blackouts was affecting about 940,000 homes and businesses in 36 counties for 48 hours or longer. The city of San Francisco was not in line for a blackout amid shut-offs for most of the rest of the Bay Area, the wine country to the north and the Sierra foothills.
The sheriff pleaded with residents in the evacuation zone to get out immediately, citing the 24 lives lost when a wildfire swept through the region two years ago.
“I’m seeing people reporting that they’re going to stay and fight this fire,” Essick said. “You cannot fight this. Please evacuate.”
The wind event expected to peak early on Sunday would likely be the strongest in several years, said PG&E meteorologist Scott Strenfel. He said falling trees and breaking branches were likely. Relative humidity will dip into single digits, he said.
Evacuations also hit inmates at the North County Detention Facility in Santa Rosa and about 100 Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital patients.
Firefighters raced to make progress against the blaze near Geyserville in Sonoma county before ferocious “diablo winds” returned. The blaze, called the Kincade fire, had burned 77 buildings, including 31 homes, and swept through more than 40 square miles by Saturday evening. It was roughly 10% contained.
A firefighter shielded two people from flames with his fire shelter and all three were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Cal Fire said.A firefighter shielded two people from flames with his fire shelter and all three were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Cal Fire said.
Several thousand people in neighboring Lake county were warned to be ready to evacuate if an order is given. A 2015 wildfire in the area killed four people and burned nearly 2,000 buildings. The new evacuation orders included Santa Rosa, a city of 175,000 that was devastated by a wildfire two years ago. The Tubbs fire killed more than 20 people and left entire neighborhoods of the city scorched. Some people fleeing the fires now had just moved into their new homes.
The Sonoma county sheriff pleaded with residents in the evacuation zone to get out immediately. “You cannot fight this. Please evacuate,” Mark Essick said.
Evacuations also hit inmates at the North County Detention Facility in Santa Rosa and about 100 patients at a Santa Rosa hospital.
'Potentially historic': dangerous winds expected as fires burn across California
Concern that gusts could knock down power lines and spark devastating wildfires prompted two blackouts in recent weeks, and moved PG&E to cut power to 2.3 million people across the state starting Saturday evening.
PG&E said the new wave of blackouts was affecting about 940,000 homes and businesses in 36 counties for 48 hours or longer.
The Bay area and points along northern Sierra Nevada foothills and California’s north coast region fell under particular risk for wildfires Daniel Swain, climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told the Los Angeles Times – particularly unusual because the area is typically one of the state’s wettest.
“This is the kind of event that makes me personally nervous, as somebody who has friends and family living in the fire zones in the Bay Area, and I don’t say that about all the events,” Swain said.
The Department of Homeland Security said on Friday it would not look to enforce immigration efforts during California wildfire evacuations and relief efforts unless holding back on detaining someone would pose a serious public safety threat.
What sparked the current fires is unknown, but PG&E said a 230,000-volt transmission line near Geyserville malfunctioned minutes before that blaze erupted on Wednesday night.What sparked the current fires is unknown, but PG&E said a 230,000-volt transmission line near Geyserville malfunctioned minutes before that blaze erupted on Wednesday night.
The utility acknowledged a tower malfunction prompted a strategy change for determining when to kill high-voltage transmission lines, Andrew Vesey, chief executive of PG&E, said Friday.The utility acknowledged a tower malfunction prompted a strategy change for determining when to kill high-voltage transmission lines, Andrew Vesey, chief executive of PG&E, said Friday.
“Any spark, from any source, can lead to catastrophic results,” Vesey said. “We do not want to become one of those sources.”“Any spark, from any source, can lead to catastrophic results,” Vesey said. “We do not want to become one of those sources.”
The possible link between the wine country fire and a PG&E transmission line contained grim parallels to last year when most of the town of Paradise burned, killing 85 people in the deadliest US blaze in a century. State officials concluded a PG&E transmission line sparked that fire. The possible link between the wine country fire and a PG&E transmission line contained grim parallels to last year when most of the town of Paradise burned, killing more than 80 people in the deadliest wildfire in a century. State officials concluded a PG&E transmission line sparked that fire.
In the southern part of the state, a wildfire on Thursday destroyed 18 structures in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles. Nearly all the 50,000 residents ordered to evacuate were allowed back home after Santa Ana winds began to ease. Marcos Briano found destroyed homes on his street. In southern California, a wildfire on Thursday destroyed 18 structures in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles. Nearly all the 50,000 residents ordered to evacuate because of the Tick fire were allowed back home after Santa Ana winds began to ease. Marcos Briano found destroyed homes on his street.
“I’m thankful that nothing happened to my house, but I feel bad for my neighbors,” Briano, 71, said.“I’m thankful that nothing happened to my house, but I feel bad for my neighbors,” Briano, 71, said.
Sheriff’s officials said human remains were found within the wide burn area, but it’s unclear if the death is connected to the blaze. The Tick fire was 55% contained.Sheriff’s officials said human remains were found within the wide burn area, but it’s unclear if the death is connected to the blaze. The Tick fire was 55% contained.
CaliforniaCalifornia
WildfiresWildfires
Natural disasters and extreme weatherNatural disasters and extreme weather
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