Fire crews mostly stopped the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County from spreading further amid calm weather conditions in the hours from Monday night into Tuesday morning, Cal Fire officials said.
As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the fire had burned 75,415 acres, up only slightly from the 74,324 acres that had burned as of Monday evening. The blaze, which started last Wednesday night near Geyserville and was only 5 percent contained over the weekend, is now at 15 percent containment.
At least 124 structures have been destroyed, 23 are damaged and more than 90,000 remain threatened, according to Cal Fire.
The firefighting efforts came during a respite from the windy weather that tore through Northern California last weekend. Cal Fire officials said favorable weather conditions will continue Tuesday morning but northeast wind gusts are expected to pick up later in the day.
Fire officials stress that the next 24 hours are crucial as crews attempt to control the fire raging through “critically dry” fuels.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the North Bay mountains above 1,000 feet starting at noon Tuesday and running through 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The expected windy weather has prompted PG&E to implement yet another Public Safety Power Shutoff that will affect more than 270,000 customers in the Bay Area.
Fire officials said that one firefighter who sustained burns and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment is in stable condition. A second firefighter was also injured but had been transported for treatment by ground. No other injuries have been reported as of Tuesday.
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said during a press conference Tuesday morning that the National Guard is working with local law enforcement to keep evacuated neighborhoods safe from looting. Essick said Monday night was “quiet,” and there were no arrests or incidents to report.
Officials are continuously monitoring weather and fire conditions to determine if additional evacuations are needed. The areas of concern stretch across Sonoma, Lake and Napa counties.
Essick said:
“I think everyone living Sonoma County should be prepared.”
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