Sawmill Fire In Sonoma Co. Balloons To 1,500 Acres; Containment at 10% [UPDATE]

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – A wildfire in unincorporated Sonoma County has grown to 1,500 acres this evening, according to Sonoma County sheriff's officials.

The Sawmill Fire began around 11 a.m. and is located near Geysers and Geysers Resort roads, about 10 miles east of Cloverdale, Cal Fire officials said.

Twenty to 30 homes have been evacuated, and a shelter is set up at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 1402 University St. in Healdsburg, sheriff's officials said.

The fire was 10 percent contained shortly after 6 p.m.

At 4 p.m., the fire stood at 500 acres consumed.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered by the sheriff's office for the Cloverdale side of Geysers Road from Pine Mountain Road to Geysers Resort Road.

No injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged or destroyed, Cal Fire Capt. Tiffany Mercado said.

The cause is under investigation.

The American Red Cross opened the evacuation center at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg at 5 p.m. and will provide water, food and shelter.

"Residents in the surrounding Geysers area are urged to stay vigilant, and prepare for possible evacuation," the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said. "It is recommended that all residents prioritize their personal safety, and do not wait for an evacuation notification if they feel their safety is at risk."

The National Weather Service this morning issued a red flag warning for areas in the North Bay, adding that any fires that begin will likely spread rapidly.

A separate fire this afternoon in Santa Rosa burned five to seven acres in Annadel State Park. Firefighters with the Santa Rosa Fire Department tweeted at 2:18 p.m. that multiple resources had responded. By 3:39 p.m. the fire's forward progress had been stopped and firefighters had kept the fire to five to seven acres.
No one was injured and no buildings were damaged, Cal Fire officials said.

No evacuations were necessary. The cause is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

• Also see: Bulldozer Operator Injured In Soberanes Fire; Containment at 76%. The blaze in the Los Padres National Forest now ranks as No. 18 largest CA wildfire in recent history. See chart of Top 20 fires.

--Bay City News contributed to this report/Images via Cal Fire and Rancho Adobe Fire