Elon Musk has taken ownership of Twitter Inc TWTR-N with brutal efficiency, firing top executives but providing little clarity over how he will achieve the ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.

“The bird is freed,” he tweeted after he completed his $44-billion acquisition on Thursday, referencing Twitter’s bird logo in an apparent nod to his desire to see the company have fewer limits on content that can be posted.

The CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc and self-described free speech absolutist has, however, also said he wants to prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division.

Other goals include wanting to “defeat” spam bots on Twitter and make the algorithms that determine how content is presented to its users publicly available.

Yet Musk has not offered details on how he will achieve all this and who will run the company. He has said he plans to cut jobs, leaving Twitter’s 7,500 employees fretting about their future. He also said on Thursday he did not buy Twitter to make more money but “to try to help humanity whom I love.”

Less that 10 per cent of 266 Twitter employees who participated in a poll on messaging app Blindly expected to still have their jobs in three months. Blind allows employees to air grievances anonymously after they sign up with corporate emails.

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover: a timeline

Musk fired Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.

Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, plans to become Twitter’s interim CEO according to a person familiar with the matter and following an earlier report by Reuters. Musk also plans to scrap permanent bans on users, Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Before closing the deal, Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting “let that sink in.” He changed his Twitter profile description to “Chief Twit.”

Musk said in May he would reverse Twitter’s ban on Donald Trump, who’s account was removed after the attack on the US Capitol. A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but the former US president previously said he won’t return to the platform and has instead launched his own social media app, Truth Social.

Musk tried to calm Twitter employee fears that major layoffs are coming and assured advertisers that his past criticism of Twitter’s content moderation rules would not harm its appeal.

“Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk said in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday.

As news of the deal spread, some Twitter users were quick to flag their willingness to walk away.

“I will be happy to leave in a heartbeat if Musk, well, acts as we all expect him to,” said a user with the @mustlovedogsxo account.

European regulators also reiterated past warnings that, under Musk’s leadership, Twitter must still abide by the region’s Digital Services Act, which levies hefty fines on companies if they do not control illegal content.

“In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules,” EU industry chief Thierry Breton tweeted on Friday morning.

European Parliament lawmaker and civil rights proponent Patrick Breyer suggested people look for alternatives where privacy is a priority.

“Twitter already knows our personalities dangerously well due to its pervasive surveillance of our every click. Now this knowledge will be falling into Musk’s hands.”

Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a “super app” that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride-hailing.

But Twitter is struggling to engage its most active users who are vital to the business. These “heavy tweeters” account for less than 10 per cent of monthly overall users but generate 90 per cent of all tweets and half of global revenue.

Musk will face a challenge building revenue “given that the controversial opinions he appears to want to give more of a free rein to are often unpalatable to advertisers,” said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter.

The deal’s road to fruition was full of twists and turns that sowed doubt over whether it would happen at all. It began on April 4, when Musk disclosed a 9.2 per cent Twitter stake, becoming the company’s largest shareholder.

The world’s richest person then agreed to join Twitter’s board, only to balk at the last minute and offer to buy the company instead for $54.20 per share.

Over the course of just one weekend later in April, the two sides reached a deal without Musk carrying out any due diligence on the company’s confidential information.

In the weeks that followed, Musk had second thoughts. He complained publicly about Twitter’s spam accounts and his lawyers then accused Twitter of not complying with his requests for information on the subject.

The acrimony resulted in Musk telling Twitter on July 8 he was terminating the deal. Four days later, Twitter sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition.

By then, the stock market had plunged on concerns about a potential recession. Twitter accused Musk of buyer’s remorse, arguing he wanted out of the deal because he thought he was overpaid. Most legal analysts thought Twitter would likely prevail in court.

On Oct. 4, Musk performs another U-turn, offering to complete the deal as promised. He managed to do that, just one day ahead of a deadline to avoid going to trial.

Twitter shares ended trade on Thursday up 0.3 per cent at $53.86, just under the agreed price. The stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.

The post Elon Musk fires prime Twitter executives, declares the ‘hen is freed’ appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two homes caught fire due to fireplace chimneys this past Saturday.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in either fire, but these fires serve as a reminder to properly maintain your chimney.

Some Jacksonville residents decided to keep warm by using fireplaces, but once their chimney fires started, they quickly spread.

“Both of them were the result of cracks in the mortar which then get inside and burn the wood,” JFRD spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer said.

RELATED >>> Red Cross called for 3 adults, 1 child after chimney fire

JFRD is reminding folks that even though we may only use our chimneys once or twice a year – they still need to be properly taken care of.

“It’s really important to have your chimney checked regularly, maintained and cleaned,” Prosswimmer said.

It’s not only about your chimney structure, but what you burn at the bottom. Officials told us fires can start from a buildup of creosote or from cracks and loose bricks.

“Make sure you’re burning seasoned firewood. Seasoned firewood is a lot dryer, burns hotter,” Prosswimmer said.

Firefighters said to make sure you have a cap on top of your chimney so no debris or wild animals get inside.

They said it’s also important the flue is open for proper ventilation.

RELATED >>> Apartment fire in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood

Even if you live in Florida, remember:

• Make sure your chimney is inspected annually by a professional.
• Do not use flammable liquids.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• If you have normal chimney soot, head to your local hardware store for a chimney sweep. However, if there is serious buildup inside your chimney, JFRD urges you to let a professional handle it.

©2022 Cox Media Group

The post Two weekend fires reinforce significance of chimney upkeep – Motion Information Jax appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/CNN) — A day after a San Francisco Chronicle article questioned her leadership abilities, Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a strong statement Friday, proclaiming that she is “an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”

Her statement comes after the Chronicle reported that four unnamed senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein aides and a California Democratic member of Congress spoke with the newspaper saying Feinstein’s mental health has gotten worse recently.

READ MORE: Vallejo Council Pivots Towards Moving Police Headquarters To Library Site Instead Of Waterfront

“The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am,” the 88-year-old, longstanding member of the Senate said in her Friday statement.

“I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was reelected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire,” she continued. “While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband’s health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I’d put my record up against anyone’s.”

The newspaper noted that the comments came before Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, died in February following “a long battle with cancer.”

READ MORE: Twitter Adopts ‘Poison Pill’ Defense To Block Elon Musk Takeover Bid

After the report, Feinstein called the newspaper’s editorial board and defended her capacity as senator.

“I meet regularly with leaders,” Feinstein said in the Thursday call. “I’m not isolated. I see people. My attendance is good. I put in the hours. We represent a huge state. And so I’m rather puzzled by all of this.”

Feinstein, who was first elected to the Senate in 1992, faced questions about her ability to serve for a few years.

MORE NEWS: San Francisco Man Sentenced To Prison For Attempting To Flee To Europe With Underage Girl

CNN reported in 2021 she faced growing questions about her ability to do her job, losing her post as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee after her Democratic colleagues privately complained about her performance during the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court .

The post Sen. Dianne Feinstein Fires Again; ‘Report Reveals That I Am’ Succesful Of Representing California – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Throughout 2020, an average of 12 fires burned the mission each week.

Things didn’t look much better in the neighboring communities. There were roughly three fires a week in the Castro / Upper Market area, seven in SoMa and eight in the Tenderloin.

This was not a typical year. Between 2019 and 2020 there was a dramatic increase in fires in many parts of the city. They rose by 43 percent in the tenderloin, 50 percent in the mission, 63 percent in the Castro / Upper Market area and over 70 percent in SoMa. Overall, the fires in San Francisco increased by more than a quarter in one year.

The situation does not seem to have improved in 2021 either. According to public data from the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), the city suffered more fires in the first 10 months of this year than in all of 2019.

Mission residents have long realized that fires are a problem in their neighborhood, but the pandemic has dramatically made the situation worse. With shelters closing their doors to prevent the spread of Covid-19, many San Franciscans only had camp sites. These are often extremely unsafe and the combination of flammable materials and open fire can turn tents into tinder boxes.

In the mission the fires jumped over 50%

in 2020. Garbage fires have almost doubled.

The number of incidents of fire

specially recorded as a tent

or campfires more

than tripled in 2020.

Fires jumped in the mission

over 50% in the last year. garbage

Fires almost doubled.

The number of

Fire incidents

special

recorded as a tent

or warehouse

fires more than

tripled in 2020.

SFFD data shows that the increase in fires in San Francisco was mainly driven by so-called “garbage fires”. This is a broad label used by SFFD that covers many different scenarios, but in general it means that the fires happened outdoors and garbage was involved.

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a fire department spokesman, said frontline firefighters were putting many of these fires back into camps. Although they are generally small, their impact should not be underestimated, he said: “Any fire is dangerous – especially in San Francisco, where we have such a dense city.”

The department’s data did not show an increase in the number of injuries or fatalities from fires in 2020, but there was considerable damage to property. Records state that there was combined property and content damage estimated at $ 80 million throughout the year.

Baxter said many of the recent fires were caused by people in and around tents using open flames for cooking and keeping warm. Drug paraphernalia found on the site of some of the fires suggests some began making drugs, he added.

So far this year, SFFD has counted 245 cases of deliberately started fires, and some believe the real number is higher. Christin Evans, a local business owner and Coalition for Homelessness volunteer, said she saw cases of alleged arson in tents that were not registered as deliberate.

In July 2021, at around 10:30 p.m., three tents near 750 Florida Street went on fire. The inmates survived, although one of them burned his hands from extinguishing the fire. Evans said the tent residents insisted they didn’t use open flames at the time. They believe that a house neighbor set their tents on fire after they refused to move.

The incident was reported by Evans and a report is pending from fire investigators. It was recorded in the SFFD data as an “outdoor garbage, garbage or trash fire”.

“Arson isn’t exactly common,” said Evans, “but it wasn’t an isolated incident either.”

Most of the neighborhoods in San Francisco saw an increase

in case of fire. The rise in mission was greater than most.

Financial District / South Beach

Change in fire events from 2019 to 2020 (%)

Most of the neighborhoods in San Francisco

saw an increase in fires. The rise in

the mission was bigger than most.

Financial District / South Beach

Change in fire events from 2019 to 2020 (%)

Please note: Districts with fewer than 50 fires in 2019 have been excluded from this graph.

Kelley Cutler, a Coalition Organizer for Homelessness, said the rise in camps – and fires – was due to a lack of resources made available to the homeless.

“The number of tents has risen sharply because nothing else was available,” says Cutler. “There were no alternatives”

As the pandemic began, the city’s municipal housing (which, according to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, can accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 people) began at significantly reduced capacity to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. They also saw frequent closings as positive tests meant closure. Service 311 to get on a shelters waiting list has been discontinued and has not yet returned.

The city has made some alternatives available. Safe sleeping areas were established in several locations where homeless people could use tents and have access to basic amenities such as showers and food. Fire extinguishers were even available at these locations in the event of a fire. But all together they could only accommodate a few hundred people.

In addition, around 2,000 hotel rooms were made available. However, entry was generally restricted to people over the age of 60 or to people with previous illnesses.

Comparing the availability of temporary shelters, safe sleeping and hotel rooms to the city’s 8,000+ homeless residents in 2019 suggests that thousands of unhoused residents had few options other than tents.

The latest August 2021 estimate by the Healthy Streets Operations Center in San Francisco found over 500 tents and 1,000 vehicles used by homeless people across the city.

In an effort to contain tent fires, Baxter said the fire department went beyond their traditional scope by distributing leaflets and talking to people without shelter about the dangers of open flames. After a year of public relations, he said the number of fires did not seem to be increasing or decreasing, but had reached a new plateau.

Cutler said the best way to reduce fires is to add more living space. “It’s not about building trust,” she said. “This is nonsense. When good resources are available, people take advantage of the opportunity.”

After $ 1 billion of Proposition C funding finally poured into homeless services – some of which have already been used to buy hotels for lodging – Cutler and Evans are cautiously optimistic that better days may be ahead. But they said they shouldn’t expect changes to happen immediately.

“This situation was made worse by Covid, but it took 40 years to get that far,” said Evans. “It won’t be resolved overnight.”

That year there were over 3,500 fires in the city by the end of October

Contains fires from January 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021. You can see the full screen map here.

methodology

The data for this story comes from the SFFD’s public fire incident data set. The analysis was completed with Python. Here you get to our notebook.

Jesus Mora, a manager at SFFD who organizes the department’s data, said the number of fires included in our analysis could actually be underestimated. Not every fire alarm is recorded as a fire event, he explained. Some may be recorded as medical incidents and some minor incidents may not be recorded at all.

The categorization of the fires in our analysis is slightly different from the categorization used internally by SFFD. Many of the incidents listed as “garbage fires” in the public record are reclassified as “outdoor fires” or “campfires” in SFFD’s internal data.

Mora explained that there are many gray areas around so-called outdoor, garbage or campfires, and changes are sometimes made based on the attributions of the incident that are not available in the public record.

The post Little fires all over the place: Fires rose by 26 % in San Francisco final yr appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

NEOSHO, Missouri – Many of the four states are expected to freeze Thursday morning – and local fire officials are encouraging people to play it safe.

Neosho Fire Marshal Scott Maness says it’s important to make sure your chimney is inspected and cleaned once a year. He recommends using wood that is at least six months old.

He also estimates his department deals with nearly 10 chimney fires a year.

“A chimney sweep comes and if there is creosote or soot in the chimney, it is cleaned. Creosote is something made by burning wood and the like that is also flammable, so you can set the chimney on fire, ”said Scott Maness, Neosho Fire Marshal.

A chimney sweep will also check for cracks and look for things like a bird’s nest or other types of obstructions. It is also important to take extra precautions when using space heaters.

The post Neosho Hearth Division advises residents with fireplaces to get their chimney inspected to forestall fires | KSNF/KODE appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

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The post Individual With Slingshot Fires Object at Window of San Francisco Restaurant – NBC Bay Space appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Madison Co. Fire Department is reminding everyone to play it safe when using your chimney to heat your home in cooler weather.

Your chimney – and the smoke outlet around it – add an architectural interest to your home, but its real function is to safely move dangerous smoke gases from your fireplace, wood stove or stove out of your home. A chimney helps keep your household air breathable … just like your windows and your bathroom, attic and kitchen hoods. In contrast to other exhaust air points in your home, wood-burning stoves require special care.

Cuddle up in front of a cozy fire or sunbathe in the warmth of your wood-burning stove, take part in a ritual of comfort and enjoyment that has been handed down through the centuries. The last thing you probably think about is the condition of your chimney. However, if you don’t think about it before lighting these winter fires, your enjoyment may be short-lived. Why? Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, damage structures, destroy houses, and injure or kill people.

Nobody greets a log fire

A chimney fire in action can be impressive. The following signs of a chimney fire have been described:

• Loud cracking and cracking
• Lots of thick smoke and
• An intense, hot smell

Chimney fires can burn explosively – loud and dramatic enough to be spotted by neighbors or passers-by. Flames or thick smoke can shoot out of the chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumble that reminds them of a freight train or a low-flying airplane. However, these are just the chimney fires you know. Slow-burning chimney fires don’t get enough air or fuel to be dramatic or visible. But the temperatures they reach are very high and can damage the chimney structure – and nearby combustible parts of the house – just as badly as their more spectacular cousins. With the right care of the chimney system, chimney fires can be completely avoided.

Creosote And Chimney Fires: What You Need To Know

Fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to safely contain wood fires while providing warmth for a home. The chimneys that serve them have the task of removing the combustion by-products – the substances that arise when wood is burned. These include smoke, water vapor, gases, unburned wood particles, hydrocarbons, tar mist and various minerals. When these substances leave the fireplace or wood stove and flow into the relatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs. The resulting residue, which sticks to the inner walls of the chimney, is known as creosote.

Creosote has a black or brown appearance. It can be crispy and flaky … tarry, dripping, and sticky … or shiny and hard. Often all forms appear in a chimney system. Creosote is easily flammable in any form. If it collects in sufficient quantities – and the internal flue gas temperature is high enough – a chimney fire can result. Certain conditions promote the build-up of creosote. Restricted air supply, unseasoned wood, and chimney temperatures that are cooler than normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the build-up of creosote on the chimney walls. The air supply can be restricted by closing the glass doors, by not opening the flap wide enough and by the lack of sufficient fresh air to quickly convey the heated smoke into the chimney (the longer the smoke “dwell time” in the chimney, the more likely it is it is that creosote forms). The air supply to a stove can be restricted by closing the stove flap or the air inlets too early or too tightly. Burning unseasoned wood – since so much energy is initially used to drive away the water trapped in the cells of the logs – keeps the smoke that arises cooler than when using seasoned wood. In the case of wood-burning stoves, overloading the firebox with wood in order to achieve a longer burning time also contributes to the formation of creosote.

How chimney fires hurt chimneys

If a chimney fire occurs in a masonry chimney – whether it is an older, unlined or tiled chimney, in order to comply with current safety regulations – the high temperatures at which they burn can (approx. Collapse and damage the external masonry ”. Most of the time there will be thermal shock and tile cracking and grout dislodging, providing a path for the flames to reach the combustible wooden frame of the house.This event is extremely dangerous, call 911 immediately.

Nine signs of a chimney fire

Because a chimney that has been damaged by a chimney fire can endanger a house and its residents, and a chimney fire can start without anyone noticing, it’s important to have your chimney regularly inspected by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep. Here are the signs a professional chimney sweep should look out for:

• “Bloated” or “honey-combed” creosote
• Warped metal of the flap, smoke chamber connection pipe made of metal or factory-made metal chimney
• Broken or collapsed chimney tiles or tiles with missing large chunks
• Discolored and / or distorted rain cap
• Heat damaged TV antenna attached to the chimney
• Creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or floor
• Roofing material damaged by hot creosote
• Cracks in the exterior masonry
• Evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints in masonry or tile covering

If you suspect a chimney fire has occurred, call a CSIA-certified Chimney Sweep® for a professional assessment. If your suspicions are confirmed, a certified sweep can make recommendations on how the system can be brought back into compliance with safety standards. Depending on the situation, some mantels may have to be replaced, a new liner system installed or an entire chimney converted. Every situation is unique and dictates its own solution.

Proper maintenance

Clean chimneys don’t catch fire. Make sure a CSIA certified chimney sweep inspects your solid fuel ventilation system annually and cleans and repairs it if necessary. Depending on how you use your fireplace or stove, your debris may have different maintenance recommendations. CSIA recommends that you consult with CSIA-certified chimney sweeps as they are regularly tested for their understanding of the complexities of chimneys and ventilation systems.

More information can be found at: http://www.csia.org/hom…/the_facts_about_chimney_fires.aspx

The post Know the information about chimney fires appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SFGATE staff

Oct. 9, 2017Updated: Oct. 9, 2017 6 p.m.

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Fire Station 5 is seen in Santa Rosa, Calif. via Google Maps Street View, May 2015.

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Fire Station 5 lies in ruins after a firestorm swept over the neighborhood, on October 10, 2017 in Santa Rosa, Calif. in one of the worst wildfires in state history, at least 1,500 homes have burned.

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Stornetta’s Dairy is seen in Sonoma, Calif. via Google Maps Street View, Jan. 2017.

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A view of the remains of the buildings at Stornetta’s Dairy that were destroyed by the Atlas Fire on October 10, 2017 in Napa, California.

Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less

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The historic Fountaingrove red round barn is seen in this 2009 Santa Rosa, Calif. early morning spring photo.

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Estancia Apartment Homes on Old Redwood Hwy. in Santa Rosa, Calif. via Google Maps Street View, Jan 2017.

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The Estancia Apartment Homes on Old Redwood Hwy. were completely destroyed on Oct. 9, 2017 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

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The K-Mart in Santa Rosa before it was destroyed in the Tubbs Fire in October, 2017.

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14of150A man walks past the front of a Kmart store destroyed by a fire in Santa Rosa.Jeff Chiu/Associated PressShow MoreShow Less15of150

16of150Rubble lines the interior of a K-mart store scorched by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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Schmidt Firearms store in Santa Rosa, Calif. is seen via Google Maps Street View, as of June 2016.

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19of150Schmidt Firearms store at 808 Piner Road near Bincentennial Way in Santa Rosa burns Monday morning after wildfires spread to the area. The store is part of a larger complex that includes a furniture store and warehouse. Show MoreShow Less

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Satellite images show the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa before a wildfire whipped through the region.

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This image provided by the California Highway Patrol shows destruction in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood on Monday, October 9, 2017.

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23of150Keith Norris shows what his car destroyed in the fire looked like before the fire, in Santa Rosa, Ca., on Monday October 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.Michael Macor / The Chronicle 2017Show MoreShow Less24of150

25of150A Google street view image shows Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa before the Wine Country fires damaged the property.Google / /Show MoreShow Less

26of150Cardinal Newman High School is seen after some of the school burned during the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less27of150

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A view of the Signorello Vineyard’s winery building in Napa, Calif.

Courtesy Signorello EstateShow MoreShow Less

29of150Flames consume a main building at the Signorello Vineyards in Napa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less30of150

31of150The Signorello Estate winery burns in the Napa wine region in California on October 9, 2017, as multiple wind-driven fires continue to whip through the region. / AFP PHOTO / JOSH EDELSONJOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty ImagesJOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less

32of150The entrance to the fire-ravaged Signorello Estate winery is seen Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif.Marcio Jose Sanchez/APShow MoreShow Less33of150

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The Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel is seen in Santa Rosa, Calif. via Google Maps Street View, April 2015.

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Flames work their way through the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa, Calif. and is one of several businesses in Wine Country that were affected by the devastating fires.

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37of150Rudy Habibe, from Puerto Rico, and his service dog Maximus walk toward a burning building at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel, where he was a guest, in Santa Rosa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. Wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through Northern California sending residents on a headlong flight to safety through smoke and flames as homes burned.Jeff Chiu/APShow MoreShow Less

38of150The sun shines above behind a burning building at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. Wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through Northern California sending residents on a headlong flight to safety through smoke and flames as homes burned.Jeff Chiu/APShow MoreShow Less39of150

40of150The smoldering remains of Hilton Sonoma Wine Country are seen in Santa Rosa, Calif. Monday, October 9, 2017.Mason Trinca/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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One of the few walls still standing after the a fast moving wind whipped wildfire roared through the Hilton Hotel burning it to the ground, Santa Rosa, Calif. on Oct. 9, 2017.

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Smoldering fires are seen in the remains of the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017.

Elijah Nouvelage/Special to the ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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A view of the entrance to Journey’s End mobile home park in Santa Rosa, Calif., as seen via Google Maps Street View, Jan. 2017.

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The remnants of several mobile homes can be seen from the outside of Journey’s End mobile home park in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Monday.

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47of150A fire tears through parts of the Journey’s End mobile home park on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less48of150

49of150A laundromat inside the Journey’s End mobile home park burns during the Tubbs fire on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

50of150A view of Journey’s End mobile home after the Tubbs fire tore through the property on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2017Show MoreShow Less51of150

52of150Homes are seen burnt to the ground after a fire tore through the Journey’s End mobile home park on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

53of150Chairs and an umbrella are seen charred and melted beside the pool at Journey’s End mobile home after the Tubbs fire tore through the property on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.Gabrielle Lurie/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less54of150

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56of150Buy PhotoA water tanker truck to support fire crews overturned, killing the driver on Oakville Grade near Highway 29 on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017 in Oakville, CA.Paul Kuroda/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less57of150Buy Photo

58of150Buy PhotoFire along the ridge in Oakville being doused by helicopters on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017 in Oakville, CA.Paul Kuroda/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

59of150A large plume of smoke rises above the mountains between Napa and Sonoma, Calif., on Sunday, October 15, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less60of150

61of150Buy PhotoScott family members Melody (left), Jenna, 9, Olivia, 3, being held by Kaylee, 12, and Daniel, 9, at New Hope Baptist service at the DoubleTree hotel in Rohnert Park.Gabrielle Lurie / Gabrielle Lurie / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

62of150Brittany Perry hands out a free ash sifter to a fire victim at Pacific Coast Custom Interiors in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sunday, October 15, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less63of150

64of150From atop his truck parked along Highway 29, Marcos Barrera of Napa watches fires burn west of St. Helena, Calif., on Sunday, October 15, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

65of150After the mandatory fire evacuation order was lifted, 10-year-old twins Porter and Katie Lynch pause while riding their bikes on Cedar Street in Calistoga, Calif., on Sunday, October 15, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less66of150

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Caroll Niel leans on her husband, firefighter Tony Niel, in the motorhome where they are staying following the Tubbs fire on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Forestville, Calif.

Noah Berger / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

68of150Santa Rosa firefighter Tony Niel passes a portion of fence standing at his Mark West Estates home, which burned during the Tubbs fire, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, in Santa Rosa.Noah Berger / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less69of150

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Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal walks through his Oxford Ct. residence, which burned during the Tubbs fire, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, in Santa Rosa.

Noah Berger / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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73of150Buy PhotoStatue at the Mondavi Winery and a groundsman mows lawn as fires burn on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017 in Oakville, CA.Paul Kuroda/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

74of150Josiah Gist (right) joins fellow Santa Cruz firefighters in using pool water in firefighting efforts at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less75of150

76of150A firefighter walks through what remains of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

77of150Three firefighters look at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less78of150

79of150The sun sets over Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

80of150Smoke in the hills east of Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less81of150

82of150The chimney is all that remains standing at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

83of150Santa Cruz firefighters’ Josiah Gist and Ian Adams carry a hose over the pool of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.Scott Strazzante/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less84of150

85of150Fire fighters work on putting out hotspots at a home off Lovall Rd in Sonoma, California, USA 14 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

86of150Gss main continues to burn at a home destroyed by flames early Saturday morning along the 1100 block of Castle Rd in Sonoma, California, USA 14 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less87of150

88of150A water tender sprays water along the roadside to put out hot spots along the 1100 block of Castle Rd in Sonoma, California, USA 14 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

89of150Sun rises behind burned out hillside east of the town of Sonoma, California, USA 14 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less90of150

91of150Fire fighters work on putting out hotspots in a garage at a home off Lovall Rd in Sonoma, California, USA 14 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

92of150Search and rescue worker rests on his car after looking through the rubble of a home on Millbrook Drive on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.Mason Trinca/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less93of150

94of150Search and rescue worker looks through the rubble of a home on Millbrook Drive on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif.Mason Trinca/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

95of150Search and rescue workers dig the rubble of a home on Millbrook Drive on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif. Rosa, Calif.Mason Trinca/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less96of150

97of150California Highway Patrol officer Tracy Ross (center) talks on the phone while assiting Tom Sours (left) of Napa, as he was trying to get to his home to pick up some items on Friday, October 13, 2017 in Napa, Calif.Lea Suzuki/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

98of150Search and rescue workers search for Tubbs fire victims at Journey’s End Mobile Home Park on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif. According Sgt. Dave Thompson, in charge of search and rescue operations for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office, crews have recovered another body at the site.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less99of150

100of150Search and rescue workers from the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office search for Tubbs fire victims at Journey’s End Mobile Home Park on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif. According Sgt. Dave Thompson, in charge of search and rescue operations for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office, crews have recovered another body at the site.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

101of150Search and rescue workers use human remain detection dogs to search for Tubbs fire victims at Journey’s End Mobile Home Park on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Santa Rosa, Calif. According Sgt. Dave Thompson, in charge of search and rescue operations for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office, crews have recovered another body at the site.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less102of150

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A man shows a burnt paper after a wildfire moved through the area in Santa Rosa and Napa Valley in California, United States on October 13, 2017. Massive out-of-controls wildfires have claimed at least 31 people and destroyed 3,500 homes in Northern California as the deadliest in state history. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesShow MoreShow Less

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The remains are seen after a wildfire moved through the area in Santa Rosa and Napa Valley in California, United States on October 13, 2017. Massive out-of-controls wildfires have claimed at least 31 people and destroyed 3,500 homes in Northern California as the deadliest in state history. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

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Chrystal Couto holds a poster of her grandmother as Aaron Austin looks on in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. The couple from Redway, are searching for Couto’s grandmother and her husband, who haven’t been heard from since a wildfire tore through the older couple’s Santa Rosa neighborhood. They are hanging flyers in evacuation centers with photos of the older couple. (AP Photo/Paul Elias)

Paul Elias/APShow MoreShow Less

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Flowers mark the spot where their father died as Chuck and Mike (R) Rippey stand in the ruins of the house of 100-year-old Charles and 98-year-old Sara Rippey, who were killed in the Atlas Fire just after it began, on October 12, 2017 near Napa, California. Thousands homes have burned and two dozen people have been confirmed dead so far as numerous wildfires continue to spread in eight Northern California counties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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109of150Wine tanks burned by the Tubbs fire stand behind Robert Ellison’s sculpture “Frame” at Paradise Ridge Vineyard & Winery in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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In this Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, photo provided by Sam Brinkerhoff, his wife Monica Brinkerhoff takes a photo of her wedding ring that was found in the burned remains of her home in Santa Rosa, Calif. She had hoped to retrieve a passport from her fire-resistant safe, but that too was consumed by the flames. She wasn’t prepared for what she did find, the couple’s soot-covered engagement rings, with a pair of etched hearts still visible on one of the bands. (Sam Brinkerhoff via AP)

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Firefighters try to extinguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on October 12, 2017 near Calistoga, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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A CalFire chief runs past burning grass during a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on October 12, 2017 near Calistoga, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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115of150Two firefighters watch for spot fires Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, near Calistoga, Calif. Firefighters gained some ground on a blaze burning in the heart of California’s wine country but face another tough day ahead with low humidity and high winds expected to return. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Jae C. Hong/Associated PressShow MoreShow Less

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A CalFire firefighter uses a hand tool as he monitors a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on October 12, 2017 near Calistoga, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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118of150A firefighter carries a water hose to put out a fire during along the Highway 29 Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, near Calistoga, Calif. Firefighters gained some ground on a blaze burning in the heart of California’s wine country but face another tough day ahead with low humidity and high winds expected to return. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Jae C. Hong/Associated PressShow MoreShow Less

119of150Firefighters watch from their fire trucks as wildfires continue to burn Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, near Calistoga, Calif. Some of the state’s most historic tourist sites, including Sonoma city and Calistoga in Napa Valley, were ghost towns populated only by fire crews trying to stop the advancing infernos. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Jae C. Hong/Associated PressShow MoreShow Less120of150

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The Puerta la Cruz female inmate firefighter crew clears vegetation near homes in Dry Creek Canyon to try to save them as the Partrick Fire approaches on October 12, 2017 west of Napa, California. Inmate hand crews work under the supervision of Cal Fire, which refers to them as firefighters rather than prisoners because they perform the same job as the elite Hot Shot firefighter crews. Thousands of homes have burned, at least 31 people confirmed killed with hundreds still missing as California wildfires continue to spread out of control. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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Firefighters try to extinguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on October 12, 2017 near Calistoga, California. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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124of150Neighbors gather along Old Vineyard Road to watch the progress of the fire as the Partrick Fire continue to burn slowly east of Sonoma, Calif., on Thursday, October 12, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

125of150Buy PhotoFlames erupt off Lovall Valley Road as the Partrick Fire continue to burn slowly east of Sonoma, Calif., on Thursday, October 12, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less126of150Buy Photo

127of150Homes leveled by the Tubbs fire line a neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

128of150Buy PhotoA Cal Fire helicopter drops water on a smoldering area as the Partrick Fire continue to burn slowly east of Sonoma, Calif., on Thursday, October 12, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less129of150Buy Photo

130of150Dr. Emily Putt tries to calm an anxious horse as her friend retrieves tranquilizers to administer to it as they rescue two horses for an evacuation Oct. 11, 2017 in Sonoma, Calif. Putt has been working with her friends since Monday, when the fires broke out, to rescue animals that are being threatened by the fires.Leah Millis/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

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A grove of trees near Trinity Road glows as it burns near a vineyard after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Glen Ellen, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less132of150

133of150Two police officers direct a motorist to return at a road closure at Madrone Road after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Glen Ellen, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

134of150Off. Richard Quintana and fellow California Highway Patrol officers go door to door urging residents to leave Sonoma, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.Noah Berger/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less135of150

136of150John Gilson and Derek DeBendetti (left to right) try to put out a hot spot at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. Gilson is Dean of Students at Cardinal Newman as well as the Varsity Women’s Soccer coach and Freshman Baseball coach. DeBanedetti is a math teacher at Cardinal Newman and the Varisty Baseball Coach. The school suffered major damages in the Tubbs Fire.Alex Washburn/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

137of150A firefighter works in a devastated neighborhood as an American flag flies from the remains of a home on Willowview Ct. off Skyview Dr. Oct. 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, Calif.Leah Millis/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less138of150

139of150Karen Balestieri and Heidi Facciano (left to right) marvel at a pond of live koi fish which survived the Tubbs fire in the neighborhood referred to by locals as ‘old fountaingrove’ in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.Alex Washburn/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

140of150Burned out and collapsed house along Mt Veeder Rd after flames from the Nuns fire moved through the Mt Veeder area in Napa, California, USA 11 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less141of150

142of150Fire fighters clear a downed tree from across Mt Veeder Rd after flames from the Nuns fire moved through the Mt Veeder area in Napa, California, USA 11 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

143of150Workers move historic items from the Sonoma Barracks Oct. 11, 2017 in downtown Sonoma, Calif. California State Parks decided to move the items from the Barracks and Mission San Francisco Solano as a precautionary measure as fires burned beyond the town.Leah Millis/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less144of150

145of150A primary school classroom at St. Rose School is seen with damages caused by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.Alex Washburn/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

146of150Buy PhotoA firefighter works to control a fire near a bulldozer line created behind homes along Bennett Valley Road as he and other firefighters monitor it ‘s progress on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, Calif.Lea Suzuki/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less147of150Buy Photo

148of150Fire fighting incident commanders plan for changing weather conditions along Mt Veeder road as flames from the Nuns fire continue to burn in the Mt Veeder area in Napa, California, USA 11 Oct 2017.Peter DaSilva/Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less

149of150Dozens of homes and vehicles burned at the scene of the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, Ca., on Monday October 9, 2017, as massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.Michael Macor/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less150of150

Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties were caught up in a number of fires that killed at least 10 people and ravaged more than 1,500 homes and businesses by late Monday afternoon.

Several areas were evacuated and residents forced to take shelter as the flames moved through both residential areas and the storied vineyards that make up the Northern California Wine Country.

FIRE HELP: How you can help people affected by the North Bay fires (or get help if you are an evacuee)

Firefighting efforts were coordinated between the ground and air, as crews battled the the spread of fire due to early Monday wind gusts that reached up to 70 mph. Aerial photos showed much of that destruction as firefighters tried to fight back the flames that took over a combined 65,000 acres and counting.

Here’s a look at some of the before and after photos of the devastation in Wine Country. 

The post Earlier than-and-after photographs present devastation of Wine Nation fires appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

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

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FRIDA/MEGA/Newscom

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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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

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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

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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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

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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

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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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Paul Kuroda/ZUMA Wire

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP

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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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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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ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A firefighter douses flames in Santa Rosa on October 9.

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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ROBYN BECK/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

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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FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

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ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

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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JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

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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JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images

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

Photos: Wildfires blaze in California

PHOTO:
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.

Dramatic aerial images captured the massive destruction wrought by wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington which have killed at least seven people including a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother. 

Ninety major fires across 13 western states have already burned more than 3.4 million acres – the size of Connecticut – and are still spreading in high winds amid fears that the number of casualties will rise. 

‘This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history,’ Oregon Gov Kate Brown told a press conference. 

Entire communities have been razed with five towns ‘substantially destroyed’ and widespread evacuations taking place under apocalyptic orange skies. 

Only ‘smoldering ruins’ remained of large parts of the town of Talent, Oregon, said local resident Sandra Spelliscy. 

‘There are numerous neighborhoods where there are no structures left standing… dozens of homes [gone] and literally nothing except the skeletons of a chimney or an appliance,’ she said. 

Twelve-year-old Wyatt Tofte and his grandmother Peggy Mosso died in a blaze in the Santiam Valley community of Lyons, about 50 miles south of Portland. The boy’s mother is currently in hospital in critical condition after suffering serious burns.

The fire also was suspected of causing at least one death outside of Ashland, Oregon, while in Washington state a one-year-old boy named Uriel was killed and his parents Jake and Jamie Hyland were severely burned fleeing a fire in Okanogan County, police said.

Another three were feared dead in the California Bear Fire that swept through Butte County on Tuesday night.

MEDFORD, OREGON: Northridge Terrace is seen left in September 2019 and right after it was razed by this week’s West Coast wildfires which have ravaged communities and brought apocalyptic orange skies 

The map above shows 103 fires that have already burned more than 3.4 million acres across the western United States

TALENT, OREGON: Mountain View Estates in September 2019 (left) and September 2020 (right) after the massive wildfires. Only ‘smoldering ruins’ remained of large parts of the town of Talent, local resident Sandra Spelliscy said 

MEDFORD, OREGON: These satellite images show the destruction in western Oregon where officials fear more deaths

PHOENIX, OREGON: A close-up of the city of 4,500 people which has been devastated by the Alameda Fire 

TALENT, OREGON: The Rogue Valley Highway 99 in June 2018 (left) and on Wednesday this week (right) 

OREGON COAST: A satellite image of the state’s Pacific coast in December 2016 (left) and September 2020 (right) 

PHOENIX, OREGON: This infrared satellite image shows an overview of the destruction, with burned vegetation and property in black and grey, and healthy vegetation that has not been burned in red 

Wyatt Tofte, 12, (far left) and his grandmother Peggy Mosso (in the right-hand picture, left in dark blue) died in a wildfire burning near the Santiam Valley community of Lyons, about 50 miles south of Portland. The boy’s mother is currently in hospital in critical condition

Jake and Jamie Hyland were severely burned and their one-year-old son Uriel was killed as the family fled from a wildfire in Okanogan County, Washington, on Sunday night

Dramatic: The San Francisco Bay Bridge and the city skyline are bathed in apocalyptic orange as smoke and haze blows over the city, as seen from the artificial Treasure Island 

Butte county firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck during the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9

Security officials survey the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood which was left devastated by the Almeda fire in Phoenix, Oregon

Houses and vehicles in the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood which were left devastated by the Almeda fire 

Interstate 5 is seen in the background in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Phoenix, Oregon. The road appeared to serve as a divider as nothing on the opposite side of the road was harmed by the fire

Homes were essentially wiped from the map as the fire took hold and laid claim to everything in its path, blown by the wind

Interstate 5 is seen on the left as the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood is left devastated

A satellite image shows wildfires near Colton, Oregon on Wednesday as the scores of wildfires continued to rage 

One-year-old boy is killed and his parents are severely burned as they fled Washington wildfire

Jake and Jamie Hyland and their infant son Uriel were evacuating their property in rural Okanogan at around midnight on Sunday when they got trapped by the Cold Springs Fire. 

The family’s scorched truck was found abandoned on Tuesday afternoon, before search teams discovered Jake and Jamie, who is pregnant, gravely injured on the banks of the Columbia River. Baby Uri was already dead. 

The parents were transported to Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster before being airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. 

Jamie, 26, suffered burns covering 40 to 50 percent of her body and underwent surgery on her arms, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page.  

Jake, 31, was burned on 25 percent of his body and was preparing for surgery on his arms as well.    

‘They are both still critical at this point, but Jamie is more so than Jake,’ the relative wrote.   

The Hyland family, who live outside Portland in Renton, had been visiting their house in Okanogan for Labor Day weekend. 

The relative said the remote property doesn’t have cell service, so it’s possible the family didn’t receive alerts about the fire blazing toward them until it was too late to evacuate safely.  

The Cold Springs Fire erupted near Omak on Sunday night and has already torched more than 163,000 acres. It was 10 percent contained as of Wednesday night. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said Uri’s death will be treated as a homicide if it turns out to be an arson.  

Hawley praised the efforts of firefighters battling blazes around his community but expressed frustration with a lack of resources. 

He attributed aid delays to the fact that dozens of wildfires are currently burning across the state of Washington and around the western US. 

‘We’re competing for resources just like everyone across the nation,’ he said.  

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told the Sacramento Bee confirmed that three people have died. Their identities have not yet been released. 

The remains of three victims were found in two separate locations of the same fire, Honea said, bringing the total death toll from this summer’s devastating spate of California wildfires to at least 11. 

Hornea said at least 12 people remain missing in Butte County as the Bear Fire rages on. 

In Oregon, one victim was found close to where the Almeda Fire began near homes in Medford on Tuesday. 

Firefighters retreated from uncontrollable blazes in Oregon as officials gave residents ‘go now’ orders to evacuate, meaning they had only minutes to leave their homes.

‘It was like driving through hell,’ Jody Evans told local television station NewsChannel21 after a midnight evacuation from Detroit, about 50 miles west of Salem. 

In Okanogan County, Washington, the Hyland family got trapped by the Cold Springs Fire as they evacuated their property near Omak on Sunday night.  

The family’s scorched truck was found abandoned on the side of a road on Tuesday afternoon, before search and rescue teams discovered dad Jake and mom Jamie, who is pregnant, gravely injured on the banks of the Columbia River. Their one-year-old son Uri was already dead.

Jamie, 26, suffered burns covering 40 to 50 percent of her body and underwent surgery on her arms, a relative wrote in on a GoFundMe page.  

Jake, 31, was burned on 25 percent of his body and was preparing for surgery on his arms as well.  

Leanna Mikesler, from Clovis, California, said she had been forced to evacuate her home to escape wildfires before, but it was ’10 times harder’ during the coronavirus pandemic.

‘They call… the evacuation. And then you go from there to see if your house has been burned down,’ she said. 

Across the United States wildfires have burned nearly 4.7 million acres in 2020, the highest year-to-date area since 2018, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Most of the fires are in western states, where 17 new large blazes were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to 90 that have burned more than 3.4 million acres – an area nearly the size of Connecticut.

Over a century of efforts by federal and state agencies to suppress naturally occurring blazes have left forests replete with dry timber and brush that provides fuel for large wildfires.

Home construction has encroached on some forests in recent decades, and owners are watching their houses burn as firefighters are unable to save property. 

Half-dozen fire experts who spoke to AP agreed that more extreme fire behavior in recent years has been driven by drought and warming temperatures they attribute to climate change. Among the most concerning developments is that fast-moving wildfires leave less time for warnings or evacuations.

Recently ‘we have seen multiple fires expand by tens of thousands of acres in a matter of hours, and 30 years or more ago that just wasn’t fire behavior that we saw,’ said Jacob Bendix, a professor of geography and the environment at Syracuse University who studies wildfires. 

Hotter temperatures, longer fire seasons and an estimated 140 million dead trees from a five-year drought mean that ‘fires in California are moving faster and growing larger’, said University of Utah fire expert Philip Dennison.

Mike Flannigan, who directs the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at Canada’s University of Alberta, remembers the first report of a fire-created thunderstorm in 1986.

‘They were rare events, and now they’ve become commonplace,’ he said. ‘It’s because these fires are higher intensity.’

An orange glow fills the sky above the Embarcadero as smoke from various wildfires burning across Northern California mixes with the marine layer, blanketing San Francisco in darkness, on September 9, 2020 in San Francisco, California

San Francisco skyline is seen from Dolores Park in San Francisco, California on September 9. More than 300,000 acres are burning across the northwestern state including 35 major wildfires, with at least five towns ‘substantially destroyed’ and mass evacuations taking place

The Bobcat fire rages above Rincon Fire Station on Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains, California

A view of the San Francisco Bay Bridge under an orange sky in the afternoon in San Francisco, California. The blazes across the states have made major metropolitan areas look apocalyptic 

An orange sky filled with wildfire smoke hangs above hiking trails at the Limeridge Open Space in Concord, California

A singed ice machine sits over a burned store during the Bear Fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires, in unincorporated Butte County, California on Wednesday

Brown smoke from wildfires blowing westward in the atmosphere from California’s Sierra Nevada to the Coast Ranges and from Oregon can be seen on Wednesday

A prime example is the so-called Creek Fire in Sierra National Forest near Yosemite National Park, which exploded through miles of drought- and beetle-killed timber, moving so fast that it trapped hundreds of campers.

‘When you have a fire run 15 miles in one day, in one afternoon, there’s no model that can predict that,’ US Forest Service forester Steve Lohr said. ‘The fires are behaving in such a way that we’ve not seen.’

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for California’s state fire authority, said of the Creek Fire: ‘You add the winds, the dry conditions, the hot temperatures, it’s the perfect recipe. This fire is just burning at an explosive rate.’

The phenomenon isn’t restricted to California. Doug Grafe, chief of Fire Protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said it was unprecedented in his state for fires this week to spread from the crest of the Cascade Mountains into the valleys below, and so quickly, ‘carrying tens of miles in one period of an afternoon and not slowing down in the evening – (there is) absolutely no context for that in this environment’. 

Winds of up to 50 miles per hour sent blazes racing tens of miles within hours, burning hundreds of homes as firefighters fought at least 35 major blazes across an area of Oregon nearly twice the size of New York City. 

Parts of Medford, Oregon, a popular retirement location with over 80,000 residents in the state’s scenic Rogue Valley, were under evacuation orders or warnings as a growing wildfire closed a section of Interstate 5, the primary north-south highway in the West.

The fire moved north to Medford from Ashland, where it started on Tuesday. The blaze did little damage to Ashland, home to the historic stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which normally draws more than 350,000 theatergoers a year.

The Holiday Farm fire is seen burning in the mountains around McKenzie Bridge, Oregon on September 9, 2020

Three chairs are all that remain at the Gates Post office in Gates, Oregon on Wednesday. The post office was destroyed along with several other buildings in the Santiam Canyon community as a result of the Santiam Fire

Charred debris is seen after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek, California

A swing and a burned-out vehicle are seen after the Bear Fire tore through Berry Creek, California

A scorched car rests in a clearing following the Bear Fire in Butte County. The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region

Charred items are seen after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek, California

A plume rises from the Bear Fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County, California

Appliances are seen scattered over the ground after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek including an old metal oven

Hundreds of horses have been brought to the fairgrounds in Salem by people fleeing the fires, along with llamas, goats and other animals. The Red Cross is helping people at the fairgrounds, which has been turned into an evacuation center

But as the blaze moved northward, it heavily damaged the small town of Talent with about 6,000 residents and Phoenix, with around 5,000, according to local police..  

Medford, with over 80,000 residents, was under evacuation orders or warnings as a growing wildfire closed a section of Interstate 5, the primary north-south highway in the West. 

The fire is suspected so far to have caused one death north of Ashland, said Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

Brown saw no respite to the hot, windy weather and requested a federal emergency declaration for the state.

‘Absolutely no area in the state is free from fire,’ said Doug Graf, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry. 

The Oregon town of Mill City, about 65 miles south of Portland with a population around 1,900, also had major damage, and Malden, with about 200 people in eastern Washington state, was destroyed on Monday.

In central California, the Creek Fire about 35 miles  north of Fresno tore through a forest killed by drought and bark beetles as military helicopters pulled campers, hikers and residents out of the area.

Robert Pylant, 65, locates his fire safe in the rubble of his mobile home, early Wednesday in Gates, Oregon. All the trailers in Oak Park Trailer Park were destroyed along with the majority of the homes along East Sorbin Avenue

Hundreds of homes including entire communities were razed by wildfires in the western United States on September 9 as officials warned of potential mass deaths under apocalyptic orange skies

At least five towns were ‘substantially destroyed’ in Oregon as widespread evacuations took place across the northwestern state, governor Kate Brown said

Oregon Governor Kate Brown called the extreme heat and wind a ‘once in a lifetime event,’ as climate scientists blamed human activities for higher average temperatures that have supercharged fires.

‘This is proving to be an unprecedented and significant fire event for our state,’ Brown told a press briefing.  

‘This could be the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state´s history,’ Brown said, without providing details. 

Officials said 64,000 people had been evacuated from their homes as 28 major fires raged across the most populated US state. 

Evacuations were ordered for a broad area around a massive 200,000-acre wildfire burning north of Sacramento. Residents of more than a dozen towns including the city of Oroville were either told to evacuate immediately or be prepared to go. 

The fire raged perilously close to the town of Paradise, which was burned to the ground in 2018 by a wildfire, killing 85 people. 

Climate scientists blame global warming for extreme wet and dry seasons in the West that have caused grasses and scrub to flourish then dry out, leaving abundant fuel for fires.

In California, all 18 national forests were closed due to ‘unprecedented and historic fire conditions’.

To the south, the Creek Fire, about 35 miles north of Fresno, tore through the Sierra National Forest, which was susceptible due to drought and bark beetle damage, destroying over 360 homes and structures. 

President Barack Obama tweeted his concern over the dangers of climate change and urged voters to vote 

People gather at Alamo Square under an orange and yellow overcast sky overlooking the The Painted Ladies

A view of Cupid’s Span, a sculpture by Claes Oldenburge and Coosje van Bruggen, in the foreground and the Ferry Building Clock Tower in the background under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in San Francisco

Traffic lights and car lights illuminate California Street during an orange overcast sky over the financial district in the afternoon in San Francisco. California wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere over the San Francisco Bay Area blocked the sunlight and turned the sky a dark orange and yellow shade for most of the day

Under darkened skies from wildfire smoke, a sailboat makes its way past the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and lights at Oracle Park Wednesday,

On Wednesday morning, people in San Francisco and elsewhere in California woke to a deep orange sky that triggered apocalyptic visions in a year already rife with disturbing events.

Skies so dark at times that it appeared more night than day were accompanied in some places with ash falling like snow, the cause being massive wild fires filling the air with smoke and cinders.

‘The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air,’ San Francisco Bay air quality officials said in a tweet.

‘These smoke particles scatter blue light and only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange.’

As smoke gets thick in some areas, it blocks sunlight causing dark skies, the officials explained.

Photos of the eerie scene, particularly of a San Francisco skyline fit for a dystopian science fiction film, spread quickly on social media.

‘Is there a word for ‘the apocalypse is upon us burnt sienna?’ read one tweet fired off by someone who felt using the word ‘orange’ to describe the sky was being too kind.

Others likened the scenes to planets other than Earth.

People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West

Looking down Lombard Street, Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill at right and the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, are darkened by wildfire smoke

Under darkened skies from wildfire smoke, a waiter carries a tray of Irish Coffee to people having lunch at the Buena Vista Cafe Wednesday in San Francisco. The photo was taken just after midday 

Lunchtime on Wednesday in San Francisco has an otherworldly glow about it thanks to the smoke from the states wildfires 

The sky was turned orange as hazy clouds of smoke lingered in the air all day long which saw the street lights remain on

California wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere over the San Francisco Bay Area blocked the sunlight and turned the sky a dark orange and yellow shade for most of the day on Wednesday

‘If literal fire skies don’t wake us up to climate change, then nothing will,’ tweeted YouTube influencer and Zadiko tea startup chief Zack Kornfeld.

‘Enjoy joking about how crazy this year is because we made this mess and it’s only going to get worse.’

Dark skies blocking the sun chilled temperatures at what has historically been the warmest time year in San Francisco.

‘Geo-color imagery shows a very thick multilevel smoke deck over much of California,’ the US National Weather Service said in a tweet.

‘This smoke is filtering the incoming energy from the sun, causing much cooler temperatures and dark dreary red-shifted skies across many areas.’ 

An orange sky in the early afternoon as seen from King Street in San Francisco

People sit at Alamo Square under an orange and yellow overcast sky overlooking the The Painted Ladies, the iconic row of historical Victorian homes with a downtown backdrop

An orange sky at Alamo Square Park in the afternoon in San Francisco, California

An orange sky in the early afternoon with the San Francisco Bay Bridge in the background as seen from King Street in San Francisco

Traffic lights and car lights illuminate an intersection under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in San Francisco

Smoke hangs over the San Francisco skyline on Wednesday as dozens of wildfires rage across California

A satellite image shows smoke from dozens of wildfires in California and Oregon billowing over the Pacific Ocean

Two of California’s largest wildfires are located just outside of San Francisco, which is seen covered in smoke on Wednesday

A frightening red haze has been cast over towns in Oregon as 35 wildfires rage around the state

Several Oregon residents shared photos of red-stained skies on social media. The photo above was taken in the middle of the day in Salem  

Similar red skies are seen in Northern California as the Creek Fire continues its path through Fresno County outside Yosemite

Smoke from California wildfires obscures the sky over Oracle Park as the Seattle Mariners take batting practice before their baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in San Francisco

Golfers warm up on the driving range during the preview day of the Safeway Open in Napa, California, on Wednesday

A man walks along the Redwood highway by the Pacific Ocean as smoke covers Orick, California, on Wednesday

A woman crosses a street as smoke from wildfires covers an area near Eureka, California, on Thursday

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday night declared a state of emergency as his hard-hit state struggled to beat back the blazes.

The Labor Day weekend heat wave fueled new fires that pushed the state to set a new record for number of acres burned with 2,178,015 as of Tuesday night.  

The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest fire in state history, the Camp Fire, which ripped through the town of Paradise and killed 85 people in November 2018.  

Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said the new record was especially alarming because of how early in the year it was set. 

‘It’s a little unnerving because September and October are historically our worst months for fires,’ Tolmachoff told AP. ‘It’s usually hot, and the fuels really dry out. And we see more of our wind events.’ 

Compared to last year, California has seen over 2,650 more fires and a nearly 2000 percent increase in the acres burned year-to-date (January 1 – September 7), across all jurisdictions, Cal Fire said. 

The state has seen 900 wildfires since August 15, many of them started by an intense series of thousands of lightning strikes in mid-August. There have been eight fire deaths and more than 4,300 structures destroyed as of Wednesday. 

Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region, warned that the blazes are expected to worsen in the coming days.  

‘The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously,’ Moore told AP. ‘Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire.’   

Law enforcement officers watch flames into the air as the Bear Fire continues to spread in Oroville, California, on Wednesday

A Butte County firefighter douses flames at the Bear Fire in Oroville, California, early Wednesday morning

Butte County firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck at the Bear Fire in Oroville, California, on Wednesday 

An orange glow hangs over Yosemite as the Creek Fire draws near, threatening evacuations 

Oregon family runs out of gas while fleeing fast-spreading wildfires during camping trip 

An Oregon family’s camping trip took a terrifying turn when their car ran out of gas as they fled from a raging wildfire.  

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly drove up to Detroit Lake State Park on Labor Day to go boating. 

Hours after they settled in for the night, the family was awoken by evacuation orders at about 1am on Tuesday as the Beachie Creek Fire encroached on their campgrounds. 

The Hargett family quickly hitched up their boat and packed up their car to drive to safety, following behind their friends, Tim and Adamma Dye.  

As they made the trek out of the evacuation zone, Allison filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky.   

The family made it about 20 miles before their car ran out of gas outside Mill City, trapping them in the Marion County evacuation zone. 

Thankfully, they weren’t alone on the road. 

‘[Our friends] were in front of us and saw that we pulled over and turned around, tossed their stuff in the back seat and told us to get in and let’s go,’ Allison told CNN on Tuesday.   

Despite being forced to leave behind their boat, car and much of their gear to fit into their friends’ vehicle, Allison said her family was grateful to have made it to safety.  

‘We completely ran out of gas and would’ve been stranded. They saved us,’ she said.  

On Tuesday night, Cal Fire said that the Creek Fire had worsened in the previous 24 hours owing to strong winds.

‘The fire continued to grow under extreme conditions,’ the agency said in an update. ‘The Red Flag Warning for strong winds will impact the fire in the early morning, with stronger winds to come. The fire made wind driven runs and increased spotting distance. 

‘Red Flag Warning in effect until 11 pm Tuesday for high temperatures, low humidity and high winds.’

The California National Guard (CNG) was called in over the weekend to rescue more than 400 hikers and campers who found themselves trapped in the mountains after roads were closed to the Creek Fire. 

More than 200 people were airlifted from Mammoth Lake over Saturday and Sunday – and another 148 were rescued from near Lake Edison and Chinese Peak early Tuesday morning, the CNG said.  

Officials said at least 65 more hikers could still be trapped in the Sierra National Forest as rescue efforts continue.    

One hiker had been confirmed dead from an apparent heart attack, and officials warned there may be multiple more casualties.   

In Southern California, fires burned in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, and the forecast called for the arrival of the region’s notorious Santa Anas. The hot, dry winds could reach 50 mph at times, forecasters said.

People in a half-dozen foothill communities east of Los Angeles were being told to stay alert because of a fire in the Angeles National Forest.

‘The combination of gusty winds, very dry air, and dry vegetation will create critical fire danger,’ the National Weather Service warned.

The US Forest Service on Monday decided to close all eight national forests in the southern half of the state and shutter campgrounds statewide.

Firefighters have made headway with one blaze in the area – the El Dorado Fire – which was sparked on Saturday by a gender reveal photoshoot, when a pyrotechnical smoke device sent sparks into the bone-dry brush.

The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 12,474 acres as of Tuesday night and is 18 percent contained. 

Officials said the family behind the gender reveal debacle could face civil or criminal charges for the fire. 

The threat of winds tearing down power lines or hurling debris into them and sparking a wildfire prompted Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest utility, to shut off power to 172,000 customers over the weekend.  

In Washington state, the town of Malden was almost entirely destroyed.

Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers said that 70-80 percent of homes in the town of 300 people have gone up in flames.

Local news network KREM showed pictured of the charred Malden post office, a fire still burning inside the gutted building.  

The fire station, city hall and other buildings were also consumed, Myers said.

‘The scale of this disaster really can’t be expressed in words,’ he said. ‘The fire will be extinguished, but a community has been changed for a lifetime. I just hope we don’t find the fire took more than homes and buildings. I pray everyone got out in time.’

Larry Frick, who lives in Malden, told KXLY that he spent three hours to save his house amid the flames.

‘It’s gone, brother,’ he texted his sibling after the fire swept through. ‘The entire town is gone. Everything from here to Pine City is gone. The scariest time of my life.’ 

KREM said that at least nine wildfires were burning throughout the Inland Northwest on Monday, amid dry and windy conditions.

Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz tweeted on Monday evening that, ‘Today alone, almost 300,000 acres in Washington have burned.’

‘Thousands of homes are without power. Many families have had to evacuate their homes and many homes have been lost,’ Franz wrote. ‘We’re still seeing new fire starts in every corner of the state.’

Governor Jay Inslee noted that more acres burned on Monday than in 12 of the last fire seasons in the state.  

‘We think all of these are human-caused in some dimension,’ Inslee said.

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly had driven up to the lake on Labor Day to go boating when they were suddenly awoken by an evacuation order at about 1am Tuesday as the Beachie Creek Fire encroached on their campsite.  

The Hargett family quickly hitched up their boat and packed up their car to drive to safety, following behind their friends, Tim and Adamma Dye.  

As they made the trek out of the evacuation zone, Allison filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky.  

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly (pictured together) were camping at Detroit Lake State Park when wildfire forced them to evacuate on Tuesday

The family made it about 20 miles before their car ran out of gas outside Mill City, trapping them in the Marion County evacuation zone. Thankfully, they weren’t alone on the road. 

‘[Our friends] were in front of us and saw that we pulled over and turned around, tossed their stuff in the back seat and told us to get in and let’s go,’ Allison told CNN on Tuesday.   

Despite being forced to leave behind their boat, car and much of their gear to fit into their friends’ vehicle, Allison said her family was grateful to have made it to safety.  

‘We completely ran out of gas and would’ve been stranded. They saved us,’ she said.  

The Beachie Creek Fire ignited on August 16 and has since torched more than 130,000 acres, according to local officials. It remains zero percent contained and is traveling at a rate of three acres per hour. 

High winds, dry conditions and a heatwave in the drought-stricken region helped fuel the fire over the weekend, prompting evacuations for several cities in Marion County, which includes Detroit Lake State Park.   

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released video of multiple structures on fire in Mill City on Wednesday night, hours after the Hargett family and their friends left the area. 

Neighboring Clackamas County declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as four active fires – including Beachie Creek – put several communities under threat. 

As her family fled from the Beachie Creek Fire early Tuesday, Allison Hargett filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky

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