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California fire forces evacuation of hospital and hundreds of homes California fires: thousands flee destructive wildfires in wine country
(about 7 hours later)
All 55 patients who were at the Napa Valley hospital were safely evacuated Wind-driven fires erupt in Napa-Sonoma and Shasta county and force hasty evacuations of thousands of people
A wind-driven wildfire erupted on Sunday in the heart of the Napa Valley wine country in northern California, spreading across nearly 2,000 acres and forcing the evacuation of a hospital and hundreds of homes, authorities said. California firefighters battled destructive new wildfires in the wine country north of San Francisco on Monday, as strong winds fanned flames in the already badly scorched state.
Fire crews were out in force, scrambling to fend off flames threatening neighborhoods and vineyards at the northern end of the famed wine-growing valley and surrounding hillsides, about 75 miles north of San Francisco. The new fires erupted on Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma wine region and in far northern California’s Shasta county, forcing the hasty evacuations of thousands of people.
California wildfires have scorched more than 3.7 million acres in the first nine months of 2020, far exceeding any single year in state history, killing 26 people and destroying more than 7,000 structures. The Glass fire engulfed the Chateau Boswell Winery and the Black Rock Inn in St Helena and multiple homes in the city of Santa Rosa, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Residents of a senior home were among those evacuated.
The state’s forestry and fire protection department, CalFire, said a fire weather watch would also start on Monday across much of southern California, following the forecast return of hot, gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity. On Sunday, the fire came within a mile of the Adventist Health St Helena hospital, forcing the evacuation of 55 patients.
In wine country, the Glass fire broke out before dawn near Calistoga and raced toward the communities of Deer Park and St Helena, with flames reaching within a mile of the Adventist Health St Helena hospital. The wine country fire had burned 17 sq miles as of early Monday, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection, or Cal Fire.
All 55 patients were safely evacuated by ambulance and helicopter over the course of five hours from about 7am, hospital spokeswoman Linda Williams said. The wine country has been scarred by terrible fires in recent years, including the 2017 Tubbs fire that killed 22 people and destroyed more than 5,600 homes and other buildings.
Numerous studies have linked more frequent and extreme wildfires in recent years to the climate crisis, with drier and hotter conditions leaving leaving a landscape that’s tinder-dry and more prone to fire. California wildfires have scorched more than 3.7m acres in the first nine months of 2020, far exceeding any single year in state history, killing 26 people and destroying more than 7,000 structures.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company on Sunday temporarily halted power to transmission lines in parts of 16 counties across northern and central California to guard against greater wildfire risks in hot, windy and dry weather.
In Shasta county, the Zogg fire had scorched 7,000 acres by Monday morning and forced evacuations.
The causes of both fires were under investigation.
Fire worries were also developing across southern California although it was unclear how strong predicted Santa Ana winds would be. Heat and extreme dryness were expected to be problematic nonetheless.
Back in the wine country, all 55 patients in the Adventist Health St Helena hospital were safely evacuated by ambulance and helicopter over the course of five hours on Sunday, hospital spokeswoman Linda Williams said.
“We had ambulances lined up from all over the Bay Area,” Williams said, adding that although smoke shrouded the facility, the skies above were clear enough for helicopters.“We had ambulances lined up from all over the Bay Area,” Williams said, adding that although smoke shrouded the facility, the skies above were clear enough for helicopters.
It was the second wildfire-related evacuation of the 151-bed hospital in a month, after a massive cluster of lightning-sparked blazes that swept several counties north of the San Francisco Bay in August. It was the second wildfire-related evacuation of the 151-bed hospital in a month, after a huge cluster of lightning-sparked blazes that swept several counties north of the San Francisco Bay in August.
Authorities ordered about 600 homes evacuated on Sunday, with residents of 1,400 more warned to be ready to flee, said Tyree Zander, a spokesman for CalFire. The notices affected at least 5,000 people, he said. The blaze erupted midway through the traditional grape-harvesting period in the Napa Valley. The area’s 475 wineries account for 4% of the state’s total annual grape harvest but half of the retail value of all California wines sold, according to the Napa Valley Vintners trade group.
By evening, flames stoked by winds gusting up to 50mph had scorched about 1,800 acres of grassy rolling hillsides and oak woodlands, with little or no containment, Zander said.
The cause of the fire was being investigated. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The blaze erupted midway through the traditional grape-harvesting period in the Napa Valley, world-renowned as a premiere wine-producing region. The area’s 475 wineries account for 4% of the state’s total annual grape harvest but half of the retail value of all California wines sold, according to the Napa Valley Vintners trade group.
Of Napa’s 16 wine-growing districts, or sub-appellations, the Howell Mountain area may have faced the greatest threat, said Lisa Covey, a spokeswoman for Hall Family Wines, which kept open during the day all its three tasting rooms in the county.Of Napa’s 16 wine-growing districts, or sub-appellations, the Howell Mountain area may have faced the greatest threat, said Lisa Covey, a spokeswoman for Hall Family Wines, which kept open during the day all its three tasting rooms in the county.
Napa and other wine-growing regions have been hit by wildfires for several years. Susan Krausz, co-owner of Arkenstone Estate Vineyards in the Howell Mountain community of Angwin, said it would take days or weeks to assess the impact of the latest blaze. Susan Krausz, co-owner of Arkenstone Estate Vineyards in the Howell Mountain community of Angwin, said it would take days or weeks to assess the impact of the latest blaze.
“Most people have harvested,” she said, but added: “Any time’s a bad time for a fire.“ “Most people have harvested,” she said, but added: “Any time’s a bad time for a fire.”
Tom Kaljian, 78, a realtor who owns a house about halfway between Calistoga and St Helena, defied evacuation orders to spend the day with his wife hosing down their home and dry brush along a fence line separating their property from the Silverado Trail, a key north-south roadway.
“We were told to get out of here, but I was trying to protect our little abode, so we stayed,” he said.
After firefighters told him the house was no longer in danger, he added: “I stopped watering at that point, and came in and took a nap.”
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company said it was temporarily halting power to transmission lines in parts of 16 counties across northern and central California to guard against greater wildfire risks in hot, windy and dry weather.
The public safety power shutoffs were expected to affect about 65,000 homes and businesses, said PG&E, the state’s largest electric utility.
A red flag warning for extreme wildfire risks for Napa Valley would run through Monday morning, Zander said.