CARMEL (CBS SF) — Winds exceeding 65 miles per hour roared through northern California early Saturday, stoking a wildfire that ripped through the hills in the Palo Colorado Canyon near Big Sur, prompting evacuations and a nearby fire of Geysers Peak in Sonoma County.

Cal Fire said Saturday night the fire burned 1,050 acres, which differed from the original estimate due to better mapping. They said containment grew to 20%.

TO UPDATE: Airstrike, calming winds help firefighters battle wildfire near Big Sur; Containment grows to 25 percent

“The fire adapted to the wind and the terrain, and that gave the fire a lot of energy to make a big run,” said Cecile Juliette, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The National Weather Service issued high wind warnings and advisories throughout Northern California. A warning for the North Bay Mountains was extended until 4 p.m. Saturday. Winds of over 70 mph howled over Mount Diablo and a gust in the Healdsburg Hills was recorded at 96 mph and 94 mph at the nearby Pine Flat Road weather station.

What caused the fire was unclear.

Firefighters said it was unusual for a fire of this size to burn in the winter. They said this is another reminder that California’s fire season is year-round.

“The winds absolutely played a big part in what happened last night. We’ve had wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour,” Juliette said. “Everything is so dry that in the middle of winter this fire could spread really, really quickly.”

The National Weather Service said while Monterey County had a good amount of rain from late October through December, there was no measurable rain in January. They added that the burning area had little if any fire history.

“The timing is quite unique because we don’t generally have a lot of fires in January,” said Dr. Craig Clements, director of the Wildfire Research Center in San Jose State.

“Given that we had no rain at all in January and we had a large offshore wind event, these are the conditions that typically lead to wildfires in the fall, not January. So it’s something that’s quite surprising,” said Dr. Clements.

Although it had rained heavily late last year, Dr. Clements that several years of extreme drought means there is still plenty of dry fuel.

“If we catch our rainfall, our snowpack in the Sierra in February and March, maybe we’ll get back to normal,” said Dr. Clements.

“It no longer makes sense to label fire season as something that only happens three months of the year. It’s been like this year-round in California now and we anticipate it could get worse,” Juliette said.

Cal Fire said people living in fire-prone areas should stay alert due to the constant threat and be ready to evacuate at any time.

The stormy conditions quickly spread the two wildfires. Cal Fire officials reported that crews were responding to a wildfire in Palo Colorado Canyon north of Big Sur around 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The flames spread on hillsides still bone-dry from months of drought. The late December rains had eased due to conditions, but January was extremely dry again.

“Fire has remained stubbornly active overnight,” forecasters for the National Weather Service said. “Images on social media suggest quite surreal fire behavior given the wet October and December observed across the region with multiple atmospheric flow events. Looking at historical fire data, the fire appears to be burning south of Palo Colorado and toward Bixby Creek along Long Ridge in an area with little to no fire history.”

“Anecdotally, it appears that the long-term drought is behaving like a chronic disease, with even the recent rains and cold winter weather not helping to prevent fires from starting.”

Wildfires were a rarity at this time of year.

“It’s unusual to have a fire of this size here on the coast in late January,” Juliette said. “The fact that we had a fire of this size is very worrying.”

By 11:00 p.m., mandatory evacuation orders had been issued and an American Red Cross shelter was set up at Carmel Middle School. Residents quickly fled on streets covered in clouds of burning embers. The flames leapt across Highway 1, burned beneath the famous Bixby Bridge and were visible as far away as the famous Pebble Beach golf courses.

The concrete bridge spans the deep and wild gorge along the highway and has been the backdrop for many automotive commercials, films and television shows, most recently the HBO drama Big Little Lies.

Authorities contacted about 500 residents, urging them to evacuate the sparsely populated area between Carmel and Big Sur. More than 250 firefighters from multiple agencies and volunteer groups, supported by water-repellent aircraft, were able to contain about 20% of the blaze by Saturday night.

“The winds have dropped and that worked in our favor,” said Juliette on Saturday night.

The California Highway Patrol closed Highway 1 at Rio Road just outside of Carmel-by-the-Sea because of the fire. From the south of the fire, Highway 1 was closed at Andrew Molera State Park north of Big Sur.

The area affected by the evacuations was for residents living along Palo Colorado Road from Highway 1 east to the Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Creek Road. It was not immediately known how many homes in the rural area were threatened.

See evacuation zone map

“Looking back at last evening, the fire appeared to have started during the strongest offshore winds and very low humidity,” the weather service said. “The strongest offshore winds have now ended near the Colorado Fire. From 3 a.m. the current weather shows relative humidity values ​​of 42-52% with southerly winds around 5 km/h. These light southerly winds represent a possible change that residents and firefighters should keep an eye on today.”

The video showed a wall of flame roaring over the scenic hills as Cal Fire dispatched responders from the faraway Bay Area. Cal Fire’s CZU unit in San Mateo County sent 4 fire engines to help fight the blaze.

Meanwhile, after midnight, a second windswept fire broke out in the hills near Geysers Peak Road. It grew to about 5 acres before firefighters could get the fire under control.

Winds were sweeping through the region at the time of the fire. A gust in the Healdsburg Hills was measured at 96 mph and 94 mph at the nearby Pine Flat Road weather station.

The #GeyserFire over Alexander Valley burns on Geyser Peak on Saturday, driven by 70-80mph offshore winds. Fire is out, unknown acreage. The area has received over a dozen inches of rain this winter and was under a blanket of snow a month ago. @NorthBayNews @NWSBayArea #CAwx pic.twitter.com/zCfGXDIAHw

— Kent Porter (@kentphotos) January 22, 2022

#GeysersFire (Geysers Peak, Sonoma Co) – IC reports 3-5 acres moving south downhill from repeater site, significant winds, slow to moderate rate of propagation. No evacuations required and no obvious signs of power lines. pic.twitter.com/HvpMMCUtiJ

— CA Fire Scanner (@CAFireScanner) January 22, 2022

© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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CARMEL (CBS SF) — Monterey County’s Highway 1 is closed south of Carmel late Friday night due to a fast-moving bushfire fanned by high winds and flames leaping across the road, prompting evacuations in the Palo Colorado region north of led Great Sur.

The California Highway Patrol has closed Highway 1 at Rio Road just outside of Carmel-by-the-Sea because of the fire.

The @PGE4Me webcam at CTRY CLUB HTS in Carmel Valley pointed to the fire continuing along the Big Sur shoreline near Rocky Creek and Palo Colorado Canyon. Please avoid Highway 1 south of Carmel. The humidity is in the teens with gusts around 35 km/h! #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/EM8dEy2HKg

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) January 22, 2022

A spokesman for Cal Fire said Friday night that the vegetation fire — dubbed the Colorado Fire — had burned about 25 acres since 10 p.m

The area affected by the evacuations is for residents living along Palo Colorado Road from Highway 1 east to the Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Creek Road.

The CHP said the fire was first reported around 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed

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SANTA ROSA (CBS SF / BCN) – Residents of 95 homes and a four-unit apartment building in the Bennett Valley neighborhood of Santa Rosa were evacuated Sunday afternoon due to flooding, city officials said.

Flooding in the area also prompted the Sonoma County Office of Education to cancel classes at schools in the Bennett Valley Union School District on Monday.

CONTINUE READING: UPDATE: Road flooding in San Rafael, Mill Valley as Wild Storm Lashes Bay Area

The fire department went door-to-door to alert homeowners in Neotomas Avenue and Tachevah Drive, Brookhaven Drive, Tuscan Drive, and the Washoe Court area, said Adriane Mertens, Santa Rosa Public Information Officer.

The city received multiple reports of flooding, fallen trees and power lines early Sunday afternoon, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

“We have several dozen homes in the process of being evacuated, with rapid water rescue teams as well as our high-profile wildland fire engines pulling door to door to get people out of harm’s way as the water continues to rise in the neighborhood,” said Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal .

Raw Video: Evacuations in the Santa Rosa Bennett Valley Area

Officials asked residents in the area to remove their belongings from the ground floor and garage due to the rising water. All residents in low areas were encouraged to do the same.

During the evacuation, residents of two houses needed help and the city called services to help them. City buses were also dispatched to help the evacuees.

CONTINUE READING: Atmospheric flow: strong winds topple trees, scaffolding in San Francisco

The city is working to lower the flood. Debris will be removed from the drainage areas and drains will be cleared so the water can flow properly, Mertens said.

At around 4:26 p.m., the fire brigade announced that the water level had dropped significantly, but the road closures and evacuations would continue until the precipitation rates subsided.

UPDATE: Promising news – water levels have dropped significantly in the flood-hit Bennett Valley area, but road closures and evacuations will remain in place until rainfall rates subside.

– Santa Rosa Fire Department (@SantaRosaFire) October 24, 2021

Northeast of Santa Rosa, a vehicle drove through a flooded Slusser Road north of River Road and south of Mark West Creek and was handicapped. The California Highway Patrol said the public works workers blocked the road at the time, but the driver drove around the workers and got stuck.

This is Slusser Road north of River Road. Sonoma County Transportation & Public Works was actively blocking the road at this point, but the driver was still spinning around and getting stuck. The driver got out of the car unharmed, but the vehicle has to wait until the water level drops before towing it. (Photo: BHKW)

The driver got out of the vehicle unharmed, but has to wait until the water level drops before towing it, said the CHP. Motorists are encouraged not to attempt to drive on flooded roads, regardless of whether they are closed or not.

You can find updates on the storm at srcity.org/october2021storm.

MORE NEWS: Atmospheric Flow: More than 147,000 affected by widespread failures in the bay

© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, NV (CBS SF) – New mandatory evacuation orders were issued for parts of Douglas County, Nevada on Tuesday afternoon as the Caldor fire continued its devastating advance into the Tahoe Basin, according to authorities.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office issued the orders at around 4:22 p.m.

CONTINUE READING: California Recall: Governor Gavin Newsom Visits Bay Area In 14 Days; Turnout will be crucial

“The following parishes in Douglas County are:
• Upper Kingsbury (South & North)
• Central & Lower Kingsbury
• Round Hill Region & Rds including Lower Elks Point
• Village by the lake
• Lower Olivers, Kahle Drive Region & Streets… “Full release, https://t.co/9kWnAb7p0X #CaldorFire pic.twitter.com/QtT2tpNav4

– Douglas Co Sheriff (@DouglasSheriff) August 31, 2021

With the exception of the casinos in Stateline, the following Douglas County communities were under the new evacuation orders:

• Upper Kingsbury (North and South)
• Central Kingsbury
• Lower Kingsbury
• Round Hill region and roads including Lower Elks Point
• Village by the lake
• Lower Olivers, Kahle Drive Region and Roads

Evacuation assignments also include areas from Highway 50 on Lake Parkway, East to Elks Point Road and State Route 207 (Kingsbury Grade) from Highway 50 to Tramway Drive, including all area roads north and south of Kingsbury Grade. Further details are available on the Douglas County government website.

Meanwhile, residents of South Lake Tahoe who were still looking for accommodation after being evacuated from the city have been directed to the Reno / Sparks Convention Center at 4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502 .

In addition to other properties in the immediate area that are busy, South Lake Tahoe city officials said the property is in.

The orders come as hundreds of firefighters continued to fight the advancing flames of windswept wildfire.

Tuesday gun battle near Twin Bridges

An intense firefight took place in the subdivisions around the Sierra Mountain community of Meyers early Tuesday morning when crews put out point fires to save homes from the devastating path of raging wildfire.

The mega-fire increased to 191,607 acres and was contained 16%. When describing the conditions on Tuesday morning, Cal Fire officials said flames were spreading between the canopy of trees.

“Crown fires and embers remained active and covered distances of up to three quarters of a mile,” officials said. “At lower points of the fire, there were high winds in the canyon that tested the control lines.”

The fire blazed over Echo Summit Monday night after leaving a trail of burned trees and houses along Highway 50 and began its descent toward the evacuated town of South Lake Tahoe.

Early Tuesday, the fire burned in and around Park River Estates along Highway 89, in the Meyers subdivision of Tahoe Paradise, and advanced on Christmas Valley, about 10 miles from South Lake Tahoe.

Red flag warning winds fanned the flames and should reach up to 40 mph on Tuesday. Combined with fuel from dense forests, difficult terrain and bone-dry undergrowth, the wall of flames marched relentlessly forward.

“This fire showed us that we were unpredictable, terrain, weather, it was very active and sometimes it progresses very quickly,” said Keith Wade, spokesman for Cal Fire.

I’m going back to #CaldorFire now & will be in the area all day with live reports on @KPIXtv & @CBSNBayArea at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm & 11pm. This is the view near #EmeraldBay on the west side of #LakeTahoe where a pyrocumulonimbus cloud has formed to the east side of the lake. pic.twitter.com/aTw98FXGPf

– Katie Nielsen (@KatieKPIX) August 31, 2021

At the state line, where many South Lake Tahoe residents left after Monday’s evacuation orders, an eerie silence has settled on the normally busy section of hotels and casinos.

“I’ve been watching this for the past two weeks. I never thought it would even reach our area, ”said Sue Meade of South Lake Tahoe.

Meade is on a waiting list for a room at the Hard Rock Casino, hoping her evacuation from her home will be short-lived.

“It’s incredible. It’s surreal,” she said.

“We keep these casinos and everything operational because we have a lot of fire departments here,” said Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshal Eric Guevin. “So this is our core and this is a protected area.”

In addition to the fire departments housed in the casino hotels, there are also many evacuees from the communities in South Lake Tahoe.

CONTINUE READING: California lawmakers meet with East Bay volunteers helping Afghan refugees find food, shelter, and social services

Evacuates like Dawn Hinde and her husband did their best to stay informed of the firefight.

“It’s very difficult not to see what’s going on down there at home when it’s there and when you don’t get a lot of information, like where the fire is burning,” said Hinde.

She said it was just as strange to see her 30-year-old hometown basically deserted. South Lake Tahoe would fill with visitors arriving before a busy holiday weekend. Instead, the streets are empty and the air so thick with smoke that you can barely see the mountains.

“Not a soul around. It’s creepy and sad and scary, ”said Hinde.

The flame – combined with the Dixie Fire that burns further north in Counties Plumas and Lassen – also defeated the decades-long belief that wildfire could not cross the Sierra Nevada. Both fires crossed the Sierra and had burned more than 1 million hectares by Tuesday morning.

“We haven’t had wildfires from one side of the sierras to the other,” said Thom Porter, Cal Fire Chief. “We did that with the Dixie [Fire], now we have with the Caldor. Twice in our history and both happen this month. So we really need to be aware that there is fire activity in California that we have never seen before. “

Clouds of embers the size of a silver dollar churned up in the flames, winds and falling trees, and drove the rapid advance near Meyers and along Highway 89 on Monday.

“These ember sausages can sometimes travel up to a mile from the fire,” Wade said. “It tells you there is a risk and so we evacuate them, this fire can easily spread and the communities down there and the people we want to get to safety.”

CALDOR FIRE:

Long-time resident Will Cottrell was among the evacuees. He was stunned as he watched the flames reach the top of Echo.

“That’s a climbing area up there too,” he said. “This slope. It’s cooked. “

The 77-year-old waited until the last minute to leave his home south of Meyers, turned on the sprinklers and packed up everything he could

“I’m a doctor, so my entire home medical office that I had to work in last year is now squashed in the back of the car,” said Cottrell as flames surrounded his neighborhood. “What I see now says bail out.”

Initially, residents who fled the fire blocked the only way out of the city. But by late Monday afternoon, the normally busy tourist mecca took on the appearance of a ghost town. Hotel and casino parking lots in Stateline were empty, shops and restaurants were closed.

Meanwhile, the evacuation centers in nearby Gardnerville, Reno and Truckee were almost full.

Among the evacuees detained at Gardnerville was Don Caudle, a resident of South Lake Tahoe.

“I think it will be weeks before we can go back,” he said. “I’ve lived in Tahoe for 40 years and they’ve never had a fire like this.”

Porter said at a briefing on the state’s forest fires that the fire in Caldor had grown more than 20,000 acres since Sunday and the fire had spread in all directions.

ALSO READ: Caldor Fire threatens beloved Camp Concord on the shores of Lake Tahoe

“Difficult road conditions, difficult to access. It burns in heavy wood, just very, very difficult conditions, ”said Porter. “We made progress sometimes. Last week I reported on how we effectively have an inversion that kind of curbs fire activity. But when the air clears, it’s like taking the lid off a pot of boiling water. Suddenly this cloud of heat and steam comes out, the same thing happens with a fire. It also sucks in oxygen from all directions, sets fires and punctures fires in all directions. That happened yesterday. “

Raw video of flames in Park River Estates

Outside the Tahoe Basin, point fires also broke out in the Lower Echo Lake, Aloha Lake and Desolation Wilderness areas on Monday.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department issued additional mandatory evacuation orders on Monday for the west bank of Lake Tahoe, from Emerald Bay to Tahoma on the Placer County line and then west to the border of the Desolation Wilderness.

Cal Fire Operations Chief Tim Ernst said the fire spread from Strawberry on Highway 50 northeast to Echo Lake on Sunday, where it burned Monday morning.

“A number of structures have been lost in this area,” said Ernst.

To date, the flames have destroyed 482 homes – many in the fire-ravaged community of Grizzly Flats and along Mt. Ralston Road off Highway 50 – and threatened an additional 21,451 buildings.

Flames continued to threaten the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, which is near Echo Summit. Early Tuesday, webcams showed towering flames near the ski slopes, where large snowmaking machines were being used to keep the vegetation wet.

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The fire, which was first reported near the Grizzly Flats community on August 14, is unlikely to be fully contained until September 8. Officials said the cause is being investigated.

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SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Hundreds of people evacuated from a neighborhood near downtown San Jose after a gas line break on Wednesday will not be able to return until Thursday evening at the earliest, the fire department said Thursday morning.

At a morning briefing, the San Jose Fire Department said two gas lines were affected, an 8-inch line and a 12-inch line, and PG&E crews were working to fix both.

Officials said Wednesday that an 8-inch steel gas line ruptured around 10 a.m. in the Race Street and Eugene Avenue area. Gas from the underground leak could not be drained and accumulated underground and posed a greater danger to the environment, said the fire department.

The leak immediately resulted in the evacuation of homes and businesses within a 900-foot radius, with San Jose police going door-to-door alerting residents and businesses. About 325 addresses were affected, SJFD officials said. The gas was turned off for dozens of customers.

SJ Gas Leak Evacuation Card (SJFD)

PG&E found that an outside contractor hit the 8-inch gas pipeline with mechanical equipment in an area where utility lines for construction were properly marked, the fire department said, adding that contractors should dig within two feet of the marked Gas pipes.

NorCal and San Jose Parks Red Cross Office, Recreation & Neighborhood Services have been helping with evacuated residents. On Wednesday afternoon, accommodation was set up in the Bascom Community Center and is available to all residents who need accommodation.

Roads around the intersection of Race Street and Park Avenue will remain closed as the PG&E crews continue repair work, which is expected to continue into the evening.

The fire department said the area includes odd and even addresses from 153 to 245 Race Street and 212 Grand Avenue to 102 Park Avenue.

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GRIZZLY FLATS, El Dorado County (CBS SF) – New evacuations were ordered in El Dorado County ahead of the Caldor Fire exploding in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday, which has already destroyed dozens of homes and threatened hundreds more structures, firefighters said.

Portions of Pollock Pines, a community well known to Bay Area travelers traveling to the Lake Tahoe area along US Highway 50, were evacuated from wildfire Tuesday afternoon.

The fire burned at least 6,500 acres without containment after igniting in the Cosumnes River Canyon area of ​​the El Dorado National Forest. Access to the fire is extremely difficult due to the steep, rugged terrain, according to the US Forest Service.

A Cal Fire battalion chief said at least 50 homes had been burned down in the Grizzly Flats area as gusty winds drove embers into homes with defensive space.

Cal Fire also confirmed that two civilians were found who were seriously injured in the fire.

One of the fire victims reportedly turned to the fire department in the Grizzly Flats area on Tuesday morning. These firefighters initially provided initial medical care, but the fire victim was then taken to hospital by rescue aircraft for treatment of serious injuries.

TWO CIVIL INJURIES IN CALDOR FIRE REPORTED
On August 17, 2021, two civilians were injured in the fire in Caldor, which is currently burning in El Dorado county. Please note that this is a dynamic and rapidly evolving incident. pic.twitter.com/jUn7IBFNbq

– CAL FIRE AEU (@CALFIREAEU) August 17, 2021

The second person was also found in the Grizzly Flats area and was also transported by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. The authorities did not provide any further information about the fire victims, who were also seriously injured and required an airlift.

Raw Video: Aftermath of Caldor Fire in Grizzly Flats

The actual number of buildings destroyed and damaged was not known until 1:35 p.m. as the fire conditions were not yet certain to allow assessment teams to be consulted. Fire officials said the Caldor fire was a rapidly changing incident with dynamic fire behavior and posed a high risk to several inhabited communities.

The El Dorado County Sheriff has ordered the following evacuations:

Pollack pines

• East of Sly Park Road. South of Highway 50 to Ice House Road. North of the Mormon Emigrant Trail (including Jenkinson’s / Sly Park Lake).

Grizzly Flats / Somerset

• All streets off Grizzly Flat Rd., East of Mt. Aukum Rd. In Somerset (known as Four Corners) in Grizzly Flats Proper

Happy valley

• All roads off Happy Valley Road, east of Mt. Aukum Road. in Somerset to Sciaroni
• Leoni Wiesen
• Saw Town Creek
• Caldor area including North South Road
• Dogtown Creek south of Caldor Road
• Barney Ridge east of Omo Ranch Road
• From Omo Ranch Road to North South Road
• Caldor area including North South Road
• Pi’Pi Valley to Armstrong Hill

Evacuation warnings have been issued for the following areas:

• South of Highway 50 to Pleasant Valley Road. From Sly Park Road west to Snows Road and Newtown Road, including the Rancho Del Sol community.
• Towns of Omo Ranch Proper, Omo Ranch East, and Omo Ranch South.
• All streets off Grizzly Flat Rd., East of Mt. Aukum Rd. In Somerset (Four Corners) in Grizzly Flats right
• All roads off Happy Valley Road, east of Mt. Aukum Road. in Somerset to Sciaroni
• Leoni Wiesen
• Saw Town Creek
• Caldor area including North South Road
• Dogtown Creek south of Caldor Road
• Barney Ridge east of Omo Ranch Road
• From Omo Ranch Road to North South Road
• Caldor area including North South Road
• Pi’Pi Valley to Armstrong Hill

Cal Fire said Tuesday morning that at least 800 buildings are currently at risk, including apartment buildings and outbuildings. There are also threats to businesses, commercial forests, vineyards, and other agricultural land.

Firefighters have been working on establishing indirect control lines on the eastern flank of the fire, while, according to the forest service, an emergency line was planned north of the fire. Fire officials said crews were challenged by staff shortages and other fire incidents in the state.

#CaldorFire is raging out of control. #ElDoradoCounty @GoodDayTraffic @CameronCGlenn @CBSNews @CBSSacramento #wildfires #californiawildfires pic.twitter.com/jeZbNkm69l

– GD (@ CameraGuyDave1) August 17, 2021

A red flag warning was in effect in the region until 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The hot and dry weather over the fire was expected to continue earlier this week and the winds will continue to pick up as the week progresses.

A power outage map from Pacific Gas and Electric showed that more than 1,100 customers in the area were without power as of Tuesday afternoon.

CALDOR FIRE: Information on incidents, evacuations, maps

The wildfire began on Saturday night about six kilometers south of Grizzly Flats and about three kilometers east of Omo Ranch. The cause of the fire was still the subject of the investigation.

A local evacuate, Will Berndt, said the fire broke out in an area where a group camped along Dogtown Creek. Another witness told Berndt that two people with scorched clothing left the premises to alert others to a fire and to leave the area.

“It wasn’t a big fire, so I thought they might find someone to react to it,” said Berndt. “Nothing has happened.”

Berndt said around 9 a.m. Sunday morning he had returned to the area to take a look and the fire had spread across the Middle Fork Consumnes River towards Omo Ranch and ran along the canyon rim. At around 11:30 a.m., Berndt said firefighters were using air tankers to fight the fire.

Berndt said that in the decades he lived in the area, he never had to evacuate from wildfire.

“We talked about it, we’ve been up here for 43 years and we talked about it, so what if the mountain burns, what are we going to do?” Said Berndt. “It’s like, well, you just take what you can and get out of here. It’s one of those thoughts that you see on TV, you see that other communities have to deal with it, and you say, ‘Well, that sucks.’ But you never think we’re standing in the way of a smelly firestorm. “

ALSO READ: Dixie Fire Update: New Mandatory Evacuation Orders Issued in Lassen County

An evacuation center has opened at Fireman’s Hall at 3734 China Garden Road in Diamond Springs. People in need of small animal shelters can contact El Dorado County Animal Services at (530) 621-5795. Large animals were housed at the Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 Sherwood St., Plymouth.

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Story highlights

NEW: Death toll rises to 17 in Northern California

About 2,000 structures in the state are destroyed, according to fire authorities

CNN
—  

New evacuations were ordered Tuesday evening as more than a dozen wildfires raged across Northern California, with the largest ones killing at least 17 people as they scorched the state’s famous wine country.

The largest of the deadly fires were burning in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, with flames ripping through the lush, picturesque landscape.

Officials in the city of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County called for the evacuations of five more areas Tuesday evening. Already, 20,000 people had been ordered to leave the area and other parts of Northern California.

It is too early to tell whether any of the wildfires were started by humans, said Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire. “All these fires are under investigation,” he told reporters, adding that his department was focusing on rescues and firefighting. But he said the chance the fires were caused by lightning was “fairly minimal.”

Here’s what we know so far, according to California authorities.

• Ten people have died and the number is expected to grow.

• Two of those who died were in Napa County, county spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan said. They were 100-year-old Charles Rippey and his wife, Sara, 98. They died when a fire engulfed their home near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa, Jourdan said.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
FRIDA/MEGA/Newscom

Aerial images showing parts of Sonoma and Napa County that have been hit by wildfires.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Randy Pench/The Sacramento Bee/AP

Colby Clark, left, comforts her mother, Bonnie Trexler, after law enforcement escorted them to Trexler’s home in Napa, California, to retrieve medicine and personal items on Wednesday, October 11. Trexler was one of the lucky few in her neighborhood whose home was spared. Deadly wildfires have been tearing through the state, destroying homes and businesses and prompting evacuation orders.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Highway Patrol officers go door to door to ask Sonoma residents to evacuate their homes as a wildfire approaches on October 11.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Homes are destroyed in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa on October 11.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Karl Mondon/San Jose Mercury News/AP

The sign of a Firestone store malfunctions in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, October 10.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Ben Margot/AP

Damaged winemaking vats and tanks stand in ashes and debris at the Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

Smoke clouds the sun from wildfires burning in Santa Rosa and Napa Valley on October 10.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Jeff Chiu/AP

Mary Caughey, center in blue, reacts after finding her wedding ring in the remains of her home in Kenwood on October 10.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Puddles of melted metal trail away from a burned-out car near Napa on October 10.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Peter DaSilva/Polaris

A TV cameraman inches closer to a burning building at a winery in Napa Valley on Monday, October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Will Lester/The Orange County Register/AP

A firefighting plane helps battle a blaze just north of Tustin on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
Kent Porter/The Press Democrat/AP

A historic barn burns in Santa Rosa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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The Santa Rosa Hilton Hotel burns to the ground on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Jim Stites watches as part of his neighborhood burns in Fountaingrove on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Ben Margot/AP

Fire burns from an open gas valve near the pool area of a Santa Rosa trailer park on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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A man rushes to save his house as a wildfire moves through Glen Ellen on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Jeff Chiu/AP

Kristine Pond searches what’s left of her family’s home in Santa Rosa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Police cars block State Route 241 as smoke rises above Orange on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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A firefighter douses flames in Santa Rosa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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A woman moves horses in Orange as strong Santa Ana winds blow smoke from the Canyon 2 fire toward them on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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A firefighter douses flames at a home in Anaheim on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Traffic backs up as people flee Orange on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Kent Porter/AP

Santa Rosa residents sift through the remains of a burned home on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The remains of fire-damaged homes and cars smolder at a Santa Rosa trailer park on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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A tent structure built for the Safeway Open golf tournament burns in Napa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Fire consumes a barn in Glen Ellen on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

Smoke rises in the hills east of Napa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

A man passes a burning house in Napa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The remains of fire-damaged homes are seen in Glen Ellen on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Steve Page/AP

A wildfire burns behind the Sonoma Raceway on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Noah Berger/San Francisco Chronicle/Polaris

A building burns in Napa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Flames overtake a building in the Napa wine region on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Jeff Chiu/AP

Two women hug as they watch houses burn in Santa Rosa on October 9.

• About 2,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed by the fires in Northern California, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday.

• More than 100 people were being treated at Napa- and Sonoma-area hospitals for fire-related injuries or health issues, including burns, smoke inhalation and shortness of breath.

• An estimated 1,500 structures have been destroyed and 57,000 acres burned in eight counties.

Before and after: Images of California devastation

• Most of the Northern California fires ignited Sunday night, driven by winds of more than 50 mph and dry conditions, Pimlott said Monday. The high winds led to “extreme rates of spread and volatile burning conditions,” according to Cal Fire.

Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park Neighboorhood

Google Maps, CHP – Golden Gate Division

• More than 180 people are missing, but authorities think communications issues are making it impossible for many of those people to check in with family.

Margaret Curzon said her parents lost almost everything in the wildfire that destroyed their home and the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa, a city of about 175,000 roughly 50 miles northwest of San Francisco.

Her mom woke up early Monday morning and smelled smoke, but thought it was the neighbor’s barbecue or chimney, so she went back to sleep. They woke up again because their bichon frise, Brady, was whimpering.

Her father looked outside and his first thought was that there was some sort of bomb, or an attack.

“It looked like we were at war,” Curzon said. “The sky was orange and there were embers falling from the sky.”

Curzon said her parents had five or 10 minutes to grab their two dogs and anything else they could and escape.

She said it took about a half-hour to get out of their neighborhood because cars were bumper to bumper.

“He could feel the car getting hotter and hotter because the fire kept creeping up and getting closer to them,” she said.

The only thing that remained at her house was a concrete statue of the Virgin Mary, Curzon said after visiting the home site later Monday.

David McNew/Getty Images

Almost nothing is left of a home in Santa Rosa, California.

The devastation was significant in Santa Rosa. Fire leveled subdivisions and reduced cars and homes into burnt piles of ash and rubble.

Nearly 5,000 people were staying in Sonoma County shelters, county spokesman Scott Alonso said Tuesday.

A large part of Santa Rosa was evacuated, including Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Sutter Hospital. Authorities imposed a sundown-to-sunrise curfew for the northern and eastern parts of the city under evacuation orders.

Janice Abdalla/CNN iReport

Janice Abdalla captured this image of fires on a Monday flight into San Francisco International Airport.

“We are asking people to stay indoors” because of smoke, Alonso said.

There is no rain in the forecast this week, according to the National Weather Service. Winds in the next two days will come out of the north at around 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts of 35 to 40 mph possible, CNN Meteorologist Michael Guy said.

Family searches for woman after Santa Rosa fire

The biggest blaze was the Tubbs fire, at 27,000 acres, stretching from Santa Rosa to the Calistoga area in Napa County.

That fire has destroyed at least 571 structures, Cal Fire said Tuesday, making it one of the top 15 most destructive fires in recorded California history.

Napa County also had the Atlas fire at 25,000 acres and the Partrick fire at 1,000 acres.

In Sonoma County, firefighters battled the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, the Nuns fire at 5,000 acres and another fire that spread across 2,000 acres.

In Mendocino County, the Redwood Complex fire had burned at least 21,000 acres, as of Tuesday.

Large wildfires often are named for local geographic areas or features.

The Atlas fire destroyed several homes near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa, CNN affiliate KPIX reported, including the house where the Rippeys died.

Also in that area, fire burned the main building of the Signorello Estate Winery to the ground. Broken and charred wine bottles remained on seared metal shelves, video from KPIX showed.

Parts of northern California have been ravaged by intense wildfires that have now consumed ~100,000 acres of land: https://t.co/lIcpfpN9Yb pic.twitter.com/mHOAOqJRKa

— NASA (@NASA) October 10, 2017

The city of Napa, with about 80,000 residents, was not under evacuation. But parts of it were under a boil-water notice Tuesday, because fires destroyed a pump station near the Silverado resort and rendered a water treatment plant inoperable, the city said. Many in Napa also lost power and cell service, according to the Napa police.

Alison Crowe, the winemaker for Garnet Vineyards & Picket Fence Vineyards in Napa Valley, estimated two-thirds to three-fourths of the grape harvest already had taken place but said some grapes still haven’t been picked. The 2017 harvest will be remembered for this fire, she said.

The Signorello Estate winery

“Wine doesn’t matter; people matter,” she said Monday. “I know that’s people’s attitude right now.”

Napa and Sonoma counties have the most wineries in California. The economic impact from the wine industry was estimated at $13 billion for each county, according to 2012 and 2014 research done by Stonebridge Research Group.

Complicating firefighting efforts are low humidity and a lack of resources, Napa County Fire Chief Barry Biermann said.

“As of right now, with these conditions, we can’t get in front of this fire and do anything about the forward progress,” he said, adding that resources from across California were to begin arriving in the area later Monday.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday issued emergency proclamations for Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Solano and Orange counties. Orange County in the south is dealing with a 7,500-acre fire that has destroyed 14 structures, damaged 22 and threatens 5,000 others, Orange County fire Capt. Larry Kurtz said.

Pictures from Disneyland in Anaheim on Tuesday afternoon showed the sky with an orange glow.

“These fires have destroyed structures and continue to threaten thousands of homes, necessitating the evacuation of thousands of residents,” the governor’s emergency proclamation said. “These fires have damaged and continue to threaten critical infrastructure and have forced the closure of major highways and local roads.”

The White House said President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration and fire management assistance grants for the state.

“The loss of homes and burning of precious land is heartbreaking but the loss of life is truly devastating,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Trump vows US will ‘stand with’ Californians during wildfires

CNN’s Dan Simon and Miguel Marquez contributed to this report from Santa Rosa, California. CNN’s Ralph Ellis, David Williams, Keith Allen, Chuck Johnston, Stella Chan, Dave Alsup, Joe Sutton, Judson Jones, Joe Sterling, Paul P. Murphy and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

The post California fires: 17 lifeless, evacuations proceed appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Lafayette residents were ordered to evacuate Sunday over a wildfire that severely damaged a tennis club, officials said.

The roughly two-acre fire burned near Camino Diablo and Springbrook Road north of Highway 24 on the east side of Lafayette. Residents on the north and south sides of the freeway east of Pleasant Hill Road were ordered to evacuate and were allowed to return between 4:40 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The fire broke out after 2 p.m., badly damaged the main building and destroyed two outbuildings of the Lafayette Tennis Club on the Camino Diablo, said Captain George Laing, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County fire protection district. The fire also damaged the roof and chimney of a house, Laing said.

Laing said the fire stopped from progressing around 3 p.m. About 100 firefighters fought against it.

A power pole lay flat over the Camino Diablo, which he had used to pull electrical cables down. A Lafayette police officer said the mast fell off when it arrived shortly after the fire started, and the flames spread south from there onto Highway 24. Embers leaping across the highway started another small fire that was quickly extinguished.

The area was not affected by the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power outages, the official said.

About 15 meters from the collapsed distribution line, the clubhouse of the Lafayette Tennis Club was destroyed. At around 3:45 p.m., firefighters cleared the charred remains, leaving only a few walls. The surrounding tennis courts remained intact.

The wind continued to blow through the neighborhood, but by late afternoon the fire had calmed down. The Contra Costa fire department said several units would provide overnight shelter from the wind that picks up embers.

Chronicle contributor Joaquin Palomino contributed to this report.

Rachel Swan and Matthias Gafni are contributors to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan, @mgafni

The post Lafayette fireplace forces evacuations, burns tennis membership appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Residents in several Bay Area counties fled their homes on Monday under mandatory evacuation orders as inland temperatures rose above 100 degrees and firefighters battled a string of fast-spreading forest fires sparked by thunderstorms – with the risk of more the way.

The National Weather Service was issuing red flag warnings across Northern California by Monday evening as extreme weather conditions increased the risk of wildfires across the area. A heat warning should remain in effect until Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the state, temperatures reached even more astonishing numbers – in Death Valley temperatures hit 130 degrees on Sunday, possibly the hottest global temperature ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service.

The chief of California’s primary power grid manager warned that rolling blackouts were imminent on Monday, but later said they were not needed. Network operators blamed several factors for the power shortage, most important of which was the extreme and widespread nature of the heat wave, which forces seething households to turn up energy-consuming air conditioning systems.

“We will see more thunderstorms across the region,” said Brian Garcia, a meteorologist for the agency’s Bay Area unit. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more forest fires, but it all depends on where lightning strikes.”

This video was captured by CHP Golden Gate Air Operations at 6:36 a.m. near Lake Hennessey and St. Helena. A spokesman said emergency calls reporting a fire came almost 10 minutes after that video was recorded. Courtesy of Golden Gate CHP. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that tormenting temperatures across California have put “tremendous pressure” on firefighters as the state fights at least 15 fires.

However, the governor said firefighters are confident they can tackle smaller fires quickly, while containing some larger fires, such as the River Fire near Monterey, could take longer.

Napa County officials ordered evacuations Monday due to the LNU Lightning Complex fires – a series of more than 60 lightning-induced fires that began Monday. Most were less than an acre in size, but two were large and not contained: the Hennessey and Gamble Fires. In total, the complex had burned more than 3,100 hectares by Monday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Hennessey Fire burned 2,500 acres in hilly terrain about 25 miles northeast of Santa Rosa. The Gamble Fire burned about 600 acres north of Lake Berryessa.

Evacuation orders were also for the Marsh Fire in Alameda County, which burned 1,775 acres by Monday night, and the Deer Zone Fires in eastern Contra Costa County near Brentwood, which burned more than 1,160 acres on Monday evening.

Smoke rises from the #MarshFire burning in the area of ​​the Calaveras and Welch Creek streets in #Sunol. The fire burned 1,775 acres and is 0% contained @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/qfCAN8NNuP

– Jessica Christian (@jachristian) August 17, 2020

In the Marsh Fire, a combination of four bursts of vegetation that began Sunday, residents of about 10 houses on Welch Creek Road near Sunol, about 10 miles south of Pleasanton, were ordered to vacate their homes. No injuries were reported.

Mike Cerny, 74, has lived in one of these 10 houses with his wife for 40 years. On Sunday evening, Cerny watched fire engines park in the driveways of his home and those of his neighbors. Before they were forced to evacuate on Monday afternoon, Cerny said he could see the flames of at least two fires from all the windows of the house.

They grabbed their photos and other irreplaceable valuables and left behind the house Cerny had built, including his wife’s antique Barbie doll collection.

“We could see the flames over the ridge, the smoke,” he said from a parking lot by Jack in the Box, eating his first meal of the day, a Sourdough Jack sandwich, and his first coffee in 24 hours. “I don’t think we were hit as far as what could happen.”

The Deer Zone Fires also broke out Sunday night, and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputies evacuated residents along the streets of Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory, southeast of Brentwood and north of Livermore.

The Red Cross placed evacuees from Deer Zone Fires in nearby hotel rooms on Monday, according to a supervisor for Brentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The fire damage along Marsh Creek Road in Alameda County.Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle

Over 20 years and numerous fires, Clint C., 49, and Kirsten C., 45, a couple who live in a RV park on Marsh Creek Road, said they were evacuated only four times, including Sunday night. About a dozen fire engines were on the road while the police drove up and down with sirens, honked their horns and ordered residents to flee.

“You get scared and you get excited,” said Clint. “It was stressful.”

“We were scared this time,” said Kirsten. “We thought something was going to get to our house. This fire is not funny. “

They packed up their two cats and their dog and drove to Clint’s mother-in-law’s house in San Ramon, where they spent the night.

“It was a nightmare to get the pets out,” said Clint.

Much further south, in Monterey County, the fast-growing River Fire east of Salinas hit 2,800 acres on Monday, according to Cal Fire. Five houses were destroyed, 1,500 other buildings threatened and four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries while fighting the fire.