“The Red Flag fire weather conditions combined with dry fuels will bring the potential for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior with any new ignitions Sunday night into Monday,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said.
An evacuation warning has also been issued for the city of Santa Rosa and all areas west of Fulton Road, Llano Road, and Pepper Road to the Marin County Line. Residents here do not have to evacuate immediately but should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
Motorists also need to know that Highway 101 is now closed northbound at Hopper Ave. in Santa Rosa and southbound at Cloverdale Blvd. South in Cloverdale. This highway closure will be indefinite for now.
Kincade Fire continues to grow
The Kincade Fire continues to grow, prompting Cal Fire to issue evacuation orders for the towns of Healdsburg and nearby Windsor in Sonoma County, as well as some surrounding communities. The order covers 50,000 people, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
There were additional evacuations Saturday night, extending all the way to the Pacific Coast, including parts of Santa Rosa and all of Guerneville, Jenner, Bodega Bay, Occidental, and Forestville, California. This includes an additional 39,000 people.
This is the largest evacuation in Sonoma County history. “Fire is not something you can fight,” the Sonoma County Sheriff warned on Saturday evening. He reminded everyone 24 lives were lost in Sonoma County in 2017 due to wildfires.
As of October 27, the Kincade Fire has burned 25, 955 acres, about 40 square miles and is 11 percent contained. Besides firefighters, there were 10 helicopters, 179 engines and heavy equipment including 24 bulldozers on the scene. Of the structures burned, 31 were homes and 46 were outbuildings.
PG&E began cutting power to about 940,000 customers in parts of 36 counties in a precautionary move aimed at preventing more wildfires. This means the blackouts have the potential to affect over 3 million people, according to the Weather Channel.
#KincadeFire rages on as huge, 'historic' windstorm approaches. @TomVacarKTVU reports pic.twitter.com/BemsxyZzk2
— KTVU (@KTVU) October 26, 2019
“This (public safety power shutoff) action is based on forecasts of historic dry, hot and windy weather that poses a significant risk for damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread,” PG&E said in a statement.
The Tick Fire near Santa Clarita
The Tick Fire in Santa Clarita, just outside of Los Angeles, started Thursday afternoon and triggered evacuation orders for 50,000 people. Most of those evacuated were allowed to return to their homes Saturday morning. As of October 27, the Tick Fire has burned 4,615 acres and is 65 percent contained.
Orange County Operations area is supporting the fire efforts in Los Angeles County at the Tick Fire:
7 Strike teams, 4 OCFA & 3 OC Operational Area. Total of 35 Engines. pic.twitter.com/QF6XuKERN4— OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) October 24, 2019
Human remains were found Saturday within the burned area of the Tick Fire, however, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says that it’s too soon to know if the death is connected to the fire in Santa Clarita. The death is under investigation.
