SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — An explosive wildfire that started Saturday afternoon in Lake County and spread to Napa County later in the day has destroyed structures and charred nearly 40 square miles in several hours, chasing thousands of people from their homes and sending four firefighters to the hospital with second-degree burns, according to Cal Fire and the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
The fire erupted in Lake County Saturday at 1:20 p.m. and rapidly chewed through brush and trees parched from several years of drought, fire officials said.
An unconfirmed number of structures were destroyed and entire towns and residents along a 35-mile stretch of highway were evacuated, ultimately burning through 40,000 acres in less than 24 hours and, according to PG&E, leaving 9,000 customers in the area without power.
The firefighters, all members of a helicopter crew, were airlifted to a hospital burn unit, where they were listed in stable condition, department spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
To the east, firefighters battled a blaze about 70 miles southeast of Sacramento that exploded to more than 101 square miles in four days, turning the grassy, tree-studded Sierra Nevada foothills an eerie white.
“Our hearts are breaking right now,” Lake County OES spokeswoman Jill Ruzicka said. She said some people in the emergency operations center had to leave to take care of loved ones.
Evacuations are in effect for residents in areas of Lake and Napa counties. An evacuation center is open at the Napa County Fairground in Calistoga. A center at the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church cannot accept any more people, Lake County officials tweeted at 10:29 p.m.
Additional mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Lake County from state Highway 29 and state Highway 175 to Seigler Canyon Road and for state Highway 29 at state Highway 175 toward Cobb and Red Hills Road to state Highway 29.
More than 1,000 firefighters are fighting the fire and getting people evacuated from the area.
Areas of Napa County are under advisory and could be under mandatory evacuations later today.
Evacuated my family and animals to my grandparents in Kelseyville last night around midnight. Photos from this morning: cars muddy with ash. So scary to have to pick what’s important and to take. I’ve been going to Middletown from k-12 and I graduated from Middletown high school in May and I can’t believe it’s all gone now. At least 9 of my close friends and past teammates homes are burned to nothing on Cobb mountain. About 5 families that I know lost their homes in hidden valley area. One couple we know is expecting a baby girl pretty soon and they watched their home burn down from their arena shortly after preparing the nursery. Devastating. Praying for friends, family. ~~KRON viewer Ashley Hadley
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said a combination of wind and the “tinder dry” grass, brush and trees caused the fire to spread so rapidly. “The dry conditions are playing a huge role,” he said.
Crews increased containment to 15 percent despite a thick layer of smoke that kept air tankers and helicopters from flying Saturday.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, destroyed 86 homes, 51 outbuildings and was threatening about 6,400 more.
“I lost my business — it’s all burned up — my shop, my house, 28 years of living,” said Joe Thomas, who lives near the community of Mountain Ranch. “I got to start all over. It’s depressing.”
Thomas, who runs a tractor dealership and repair business, said he and his wife grabbed papers, his work computer, photos and their four dogs. But they left a goat, five ducks, six rabbits and more than 30 chickens behind.
“I turned the pens open and turned them lose. I just couldn’t gather them up,” he said. “All we want to do is go home. It’s miserable.”
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, helping free up funding and resources in the firefight. More than 3,850 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, and more we expected to join the firefight. Its cause is under investigation.
Meanwhile, new evacuation orders were issued Saturday for the largest wildfire in the state, threatening to sweep through an ancient grove of Giant Sequoia trees. The fire, sparked by lightning on July 31, has charred 201 square miles, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Firefighters cleared brush around the Grant Grove and set prescribed burns to keep the flames from overrunning it. By Saturday, the backfiring and monitoring efforts appeared to have helped protect the treasured trees, the Fresno Bee reported.
The grove is named for the towering General Grant tree that stands 268 feet tall. There are dozens of Sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada, and some trees are 3,000 years old.
