Northern California fires

The pace of the burn took firefighters by surprise: The fires charred 20,000 acres in about 12 hours, which Cox called “a phenomenal rate of growth.” He said firefighters had “zero percent” containment and warned that, while winds had weakened slightly over the course of the day, “because of heat and low humidity, fire growth is still likely.” -- Kerr et al, Washington Post, Oct. 9, 2017
 
 
10-9-17
Washington Post
At least 10 dead, tens of thousands evacuated as wildfires ravage Northern California's wine country
By Breena Kerr, Alissa Greenberg, Cara Strickland, Scott Wilson and Herman Wong
9:57 (ET)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/09/fast-movin...
 

 
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Fires pushed by warm winds and fueled by dry ground swept through California wine country Monday, killing at least 10 people, injuring numerous others, and torching more than 2,000 homes and businesses.
State fire officials warned that the conditions, particularly winds that at times exceeded 50 miles per hour, would probably exacerbate the fires in the days ahead. At least 14 separate blazes burned in eight Northern California counties, prompting evacuations of more than 20,000 frightened residents, including patients in threatened hospitals.
“This is really serious; it’s moving fast,” Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said during a news conference in which he declared an emergency in seven counties. “The heat, the lack of humidity and the winds are all driving a very dangerous situation and making it worse. It’s not under control by any means. But we’re on it in the best way we know how.”
Later in the day, Brown wrote a five-page letter to President Trumpseeking federal emergency aid. A vocal critic of Trump’s politics, Brown wrote that he has “determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments and supplemental federal assistance is necessary.”
 
The fires, which whipped up overnight Sunday, added to what has already been a severe fire season in the West. More than 8 million acres have burned in at least four states, raising questions from across the political spectrum about the connection to climate change and forest management practices.
The current wildfires had burned more than 70,000 acres in Northern California by late Monday afternoon, nearly all of those in Sonoma and Napa counties, the heartland of the state’s renowned wine industry. A smaller but fast-moving fire in Mendocino County to the north killed one person, according to Jonathan Cox, a battalion chief and spokesman for Cal Fire. The sheriff of Sonoma County confirmed seven additional deaths there, and Cal Fire confirmed two deaths in the Atlas Fire in Napa County.
The pace of the burn took firefighters by surprise: The fires charred 20,000 acres in about 12 hours, which Cox called “a phenomenal rate of growth.” He said firefighters had “zero percent” containment and warned that, while winds had weakened slightly over the course of the day, “because of heat and low humidity, fire growth is still likely.”
 
The situation in Santa Rosa, the largest city in Sonoma County, appeared dire. The Tubbs Fire, as the blaze in Sonoma is known, sped southwest from Calistoga in Napa Valley, jumped Highway 101 and entered Santa Rosa. Cal Fire officials said the cause is under investigation.
A resident, Ron Dodds, told TV station KTVU that “people are running red lights, there is chaos ensuing.”
“It’s a scary time,” Dodds said. “It looks like Armageddon.”
 
The city imposed a curfew Monday, running from 6:45 p.m. until sunrise Tuesday, to prevent looting in the evacuation zone, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Kaiser Permanente evacuated about 130 patients from the Santa Rosa Medical Center by ambulance and private bus early Monday morning, according to Jenny Mack, the health system’s public relations director for Northern California. The patients were taken to Kaiser Permanente in San Rafael, in Marin County, and to other hospitals and evacuation sites.
Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital also evacuated all of its patients. By Monday afternoon, the hospital was inaccessible because of road closures.
Will Powers, a Cal Fire representative, said the California Highway Patrol was evacuating some people by helicopter in rural areas of Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties.
The vineyards of Napa and Sonoma counties are the source of some of the country’s best wines, and the scores of tasting rooms are among the state’s most popular tourism destinations. Witness accounts Monday suggested that damage to the industry could be significant, especially if the fires continue to burn in the days ahead.
“It looks like a bombing run,” Joe Nielsen, the winemaker at Donelan Family Wines in Sonoma County, said in an interview with SFGate. “Just chimneys and burned-out cars and cooked trees.”
Evacuations began at about 11 p.m. Sunday evening and continued through Monday. Some people left burning homes for evacuation centers, only to find those centers threatened by fire a few hours later.
In Rincon Valley, on the northeast outskirts of Santa Rosa, pastor Andy VomSteeg opened his New Vintage Church to those fleeing the fire. By Monday afternoon, more than 400 people, many of them elderly, had taken refuge inside.
“I left without my clothes,” said Nell Magnuson, a resident of the luxury retirement home Villa Capri. She wore only a maroon robe.
“We had to get out in a hurry,” she said. “When we left, the flames were in the second floor.”
Magnuson, who was worried about where she would sleep Monday night, said that “our whole lives have turned upside down. We don’t have a clue what’s going to happen. It’s just losing everything. All the pictures, my whole life.”
But before her concerns could be addressed, the fire began to threaten the church.
“You caught us just in time,” Magnuson said as she headed for the exit. “We’re being evacuated again.”
Thick smoke hung over Sonoma County, and ash rained down in some towns. People wore masks on the streets, and businesses shut down.
In Healdsburg, a town nearly circled by fire 16 miles north of Santa Rosa, exhausted evacuees bought supplies, fueled up and looked for a place to stay for the night.
Cindy Luzzi, who was visiting her son and his family in Santa Rosa, said her daughter-in-law got a call from a neighbor at about 2:30 a.m., telling them to evacuate.
“At first we didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Then we went downstairs, opened our front door and looked towards the center of town,” Luzzi said. “It was just red, nothing but red.”
Luzzi and her daughter-in-law and two young grandchildren took refuge at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in nearby Geyserville from 3 a.m. until 8 a.m., waiting for her son to join them. They were then able to book a room at the Best Western in town. But by 2 p.m., the hotel had filled up.
Shortages of rooms, bottled water and fuel were affecting surrounding towns as well.
“We’re almost out of gas,” said Hardeep Gill, who owns a filling station in downtown Healdsburg, just off Highway 101.
Gill, who came into work because his employees couldn’t get there, said he had lost a commercial building he owned worth about $9 million.
“I got a call around 3 a.m. because the fire sprinklers were going off,” he said. “That’s when I knew it was a total loss.”
10-9-17
3:29 p.m.
Fox40
Crews Working Fast-Moving Fire in Oroville Near Cherokee Road
http://fox40.com/2017/10/08/fire-crews-working-600-acre-fire-in-oroville...
 
OROVILLE — Fire crews are fighting a grass fire in Oroville near Cherokee Road.
The fire started around 9 p.m. Sunday night and by Monday it had reached 7,500 acres and was 20 percent contained.
High winds recorded from 40-50 mph are contributing to the fast spread of the fire.
The fire has burned down to Highway 70.  Highway 70 is closed from Highway 49 to Table Mountain over crossing.
Authorities released evacuation orders for Red Tape Road west to the Sand Mine, for the west side of Cherokee Road, from Red Tape Road south to Derrick Road and Nelson Avenue from the bridge over the Forebay west to Wilbur Road. Evacuation warnings for Nelson Avenue and Wilbur Road were lifted Monday morning.
An evacuation center, staffed with Red Cross, has been opened at the Church of the Nazarene, 2238 Monte Vista Avenue Oroville.
Large animals can be taken to Camelot Equestrian Park on Clark Road.