Lightning Complex Fires Spread To Vacaville, Solano County

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — Thousands of Vacaville residents were among those who fled the North Bay Lightning Complex fires Wednesday as the Hennessey Fire spread from Napa County into neighboring Solano County.

The LNU Lightning Complex fires consist of at least eight wildfires that as of Wednesday evening had burned 124,100 acres in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties. At least 105 homes and other structures have been destroyed in the fires, and four people suffered burn injuries.

The Hennessey Fire, which started Monday morning on Hennessey Ridge Road near Lake Hennessey in Napa County, was 100,000 acres Wednesday night after it merged with the Gamble, Green and Markley fires.

As one vegetation fire was extinguished on Cantelow Road in Vacaville late Wednesday morning, another blaze on the southern side of the city near Highway 80 put more than 4,000 homes at risk, the city’s fire chief told reporters.

The Solano County Sheriff's Office took to Twitter to provide updates about evacuations. The first tweet went out at 3:10 a.m. Wednesday and said:

"An EVACUATION ORDER has been issued for residents in Solano County west of Blue Ridge Road to 505 and north of Cherry Glen Road to Hwy 128 due to wildfire. An evacuation order means there is immediate threat to life."

The county of Solano has set up a web page about evacuations and other local information surrounding the LNU Lightning Complex Fires.

Evacuation centers have been set up at the Ulatis Community Center at 1000 Ulatis Drive in Vacaville; and at McBride Senior Center at 91 Town Square Place, in Vacaville.

Large animals can be taken to the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo; small pets can be taken to the Solano County Animal Shelter, 2510 Claybank Road.

In a news conference late Wednesday morning, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Operations Chief Chris Waters said crews battling the Hennessey fire were focused Wednesday on protecting firefighter and members of the public and planning for evacuations.

If conditions permit, Waters said, crews also focus on measures that help protect homes and other structures from wildfires and work to fight the fire at its perimeter in an effort to slow its spread.

Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick, speaking for the sheriffs of Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake and Yolo Counties, said it is imperative that residents heed orders from officials and be prepared to evacuate when told to do so.

Deputies from all five counties affected by the complex of fires will use high-low sirens to alert communities of evacuation orders, Essick said.

"When your area is under evacuation, you will hear deputies with the high-low siren," he said. "The siren is unique; it means it's time to go. High-low means it's time to go."

A public information officer for the LNU Lightning Complex fires said over 10,000 lightning strikes in recent days led to 367 new fires, which crews have worked to extinguish over three days.

Officials said California is also working to overcome a lack of resources with a request for 375 out of state firetrucks and on-the-ground crews to assist the estimated 6,900 firefighters who worked to extinguish the fires on Wednesday.

The LNU Lighting Complex fire spokesperson said nearly all private on-demand firefighting aircraft in the western United States have been assigned to a California wildfire.

"The size and complexity at which these incidents are burning is challenging all aspects of emergency response," the spokesperson said. "It is critical that the community heeds the warnings of law enforcement and remains prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice."

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Napa County Hennessey Fire Burns 100,000 Acres: Lightning Complex
• Fire Shuts Down I-80 In Solano County: Severe Traffic Alert
• Thousands Flee Sonoma County Wildfires
• Wildfire Burns 800 Acres, Prompts Evacuation Warning In Marin
• 2 Wildfires Burn In Sonoma County; Mandatory Evacuations Ordered
• Napa County Lightning Complex Fires Latest: More Evacuations
• Napa County Hennessey Fire, Gamble Fire Char 3,000 Acres

#LNULightningComplex - Incident 7 p.m. update #CALFIRE#CALFIRELNU pic.twitter.com/xu4EZLZYCt
— CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) August 20, 2020

Patch will update this post throughout the day Wednesday as more information is gathered; please refresh the page for the latest.

Patch staffer Payton Potter contributed to this report.