More Evacuations Ordered In Sonoma County Lightning Complex Fires

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Cal Fire issued more mandatory evacuation orders Friday in the Walbridge Fire near Healdsburg, one of the larger blazes within the LNU Lightning Complex of wildfire burning in five counties. The Walbridge Fire had spread to 43,286 acres by Friday evening.

Evacuation orders were issued Friday for Evacuation Zone Grid 2A3 in Sonoma County, which includes:

• North of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road to the eastern edge of Lake Sonoma; and
• Everything west of the eastern edge of Lake Sonoma to the western boundary that runs north along the ridgeline from the intersection of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road at Old Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road to the intersection of Rockpile Road at Cooley Ranch Road, north to the Mendocino county line

Sonoma County Grid 4B1, which includes all areas south of River Road from Martinelli Road; to the intersection of River Road at:

• Trenton Road
• West of Coved Road
• North of Front St./ state Highway 116
• East of Martinelli Road

The group of North Bay fires known as the LNU Lightning Complex had burned 302,388 acres by Friday evening and was 15-percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday the North Bay group of fires make up the 10th-largest wildfire in state history. The fires were among 568 sparked as California experienced 12,000 lightning strikes within 72 hours, the governor said.

But as of Friday night when North Bay wildfires of the LNU Lightning Complex surpassed 300,000 acres, it became the second-largest fire in California history.

• ALSO SEE: More Air Tankers Brought To Fight Walbridge Fire In Sonoma County

Four people have died in the blazes — three in Napa County and one in Solano, Cal Fire said Thursday night. Another four were injured when they suffered burns in Napa County earlier this week.

The complex of wildfires has destroyed at least 480 structures, damaged 125, and was still threatening 30,500 more as of Friday.

The fires were expected to spread and many blazes had merged on the north side of Lake Berryessa into the Hennessey Fire. The blazes were spreading into large wooded areas Friday as the Hennessey Fire reached 256,102 acres.

The Walbridge Fire raging in Sonoma County and threatening the Russian River communities of Guerneville and Rio Nido and, to the northeast, Healdsburg, are the second-largest in the complex of fires, burning more than 43,000 acres.

The county of Sonoma is updating its website with information about fire-related evacuations and road closures.

WATCH: California Gov. Gavin Newsom gives update Friday on California wildfires:

RELATED COVERAGE:

• LNU Lightning Complex Fires: Sonoma County Latest
• 4 Fatalities Reported In Napa Lightning Complex Fires
• PG&E Employee Dies Assigned To LNU Lightning Complex Fire
• Lightning Complex Fires Spread To Vacaville, Solano County
• Napa County Hennessey Fire Burns 100,000 Acres: Lightning Complex
• Thousands Flee Sonoma County Wildfires
• 2 Wildfires Burn In Sonoma County; Mandatory Evacuations Ordered
• Napa County Lightning Complex Fires Latest: More Evacuations

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.