Sonoma County Fires: Geyserville, Parts Of Sonoma Valley Ordered To Evacuate

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — As a red flag warning went into effect Wednesday for much of Northern California, more evacuation orders and advisories went out to residents in North Bay's Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. Since Sunday, more than 100,000 acres have been charred by wind-driven wildfires in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties in what can only be described as a firestorm. Cal Fire announced some containment Wednesday of the Atlas Fire burning in Napa and Solano counties but also an increase in acreage. As of Wednesday evening, the Atlas Fire was 42,349 acres and 3-percent contained. Among its sister fires in the Southern LNU Complex, the Carneros Partrick Fire was 9,523 acres and 2-percent contained and the Nuns Fire was 7,626 acres and 2-percent contained.

The Tubbs Fire in Napa and Sonoma was 27,363 acres and 10-percent contained Wednesday evening; its sister fire Pocket in the Geyserville area of Sonoma County was 4,000 acres. Combined into the Central LNU Complex fire, the two wildland blazes were still threatening at least 16,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. Also in Sonoma County, the Pressley Fire east of Rohnert Park was 473 acres; the Norrbom Fire east of Boyes Hot Springs was 1,831 acres; and the Adobe Fire near Kenwood was 8,202 acres. The 37 Fire off Highway 37 and Lakeville Highway in Sonoma County was 1,670 acres and 70-percent contained Wednesday.

As tens of thousands of residents remain evacuated from their homes, Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said in briefing Wednesday evening that the fires in Sonoma and Napa counties are the state's top priorities.

At 8:21 p.m. Wednesday, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for parts of eastern Sonoma Valley, including Castle Road north of Lovall Valley Road and 7th Street East north of Lovall Valley Road.

The sheriff's office had advised Rio Lindo Academy, a private boarding school in Healdsburg, to prepare for a potential evacuation in advance of an actual evacuation. The school and its surrounding residences were not under immediate threat as of 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff's officials said; the advisory notice was being given ahead of a time "as opposed to a normal residential property due to the logistical difficulties of moving the populace through difficult roadways in a potential emergency situation."

"... No other residents of the area should be unnecessarily alarmed at this time," sheriff's officials said of the notice for Rio Lindo Academy.

Sonoma State University said Wednesday evening in a Facebook post that although the campus in Rohnert Park was not under immediate threat, the decision has been made to close the campus.

Santa Rosa police issued an evacuation advisory Wednesday night for an area in the city of Santa Rosa spanning from Mendocino Avenue at Lomitas Avenue, south and east from Franklin Avenue (at Chanate Road) east to the city limits including Los Alamos Road, Melita Road and Montana Road, then from Chanate Road south to 4th street/Highway 12. (SEE BELOW MAP)

"This is a VOLUNTARY evacuation as the fire is not an imminent threat, but the conditions may change quickly," Santa Rosa police said at 8:52 p.m. "Please monitor the weather and stay alert. Time permitting, please turn off your home gas and water lines before evacuating."

Mandatory evacuations were issued at 6:14 p.m. Wednesday for Geyserville; the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office ordered the evacuations and said the evacuated area extends from Highway 128 east to River Rock Casino, and south on Highway 128 to Geysers Road up to Cal Pine.

Sonoma County's fire information hotline number is 707-565-3856 for any questions evacuees may have.

Wednesday afternoon, the city of Healdsburg advised certain residents on Fitch Mountain and other parts of the city to be ready to evacuate.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, Napa County officials said all residents of Calistoga needed to evaucate by 5 p.m.

Watch: California Wildfire Victims Return To Burned Homes

Sonoma County sheriff's officials also issued an advisory evacuation order for most of Boyes Hot Springs and the north side of the city of Sonoma around 3 p.m. The area includes Arnold Drive from Madrone Road south to Petaluma Avenue and east to East Napa Street and Lovall Valley Road. The best route out of the area is south toward Petaluma, according to the sheriff's office. Sonoma Raceway is offering space to meet the temporary needs of evacuees with recreational vehicles.

Residents in Agua Caliente, particularly Cavedale, Moon Mountain, Kearney, La Placita, Richards, Theodore, Hooker, Oak Tree, London and E. Agua Caliente roads were under voluntary evacuation Wednesday.

Cal Fire and city officials in Calistoga have issued a mandatory evacuation order Wednesday morning for some residents in the city due to changing fire conditions. Shortly after 3 a.m., Cal Fire and city officials in Calistoga ordered all residents north of Grant Street to evacuate. All other areas of Calistoga are under an advisory alert. Those residents can begin voluntary evacuations if they choose or wait until further notice, according to city and fire officials. Evacuees are advised to exit the city via southbound state Highway 29 or south on Silverado Trail to Zinfandel Lane, then west to southbound state Highway 29. Shelter is available at Napa Valley College at 2277 Napa Vallejo Highway in Napa.

The city of Petaluma updated its residents in a statement just after 4 p.m. Wednesday.

"Petaluma Emergency Operations Center is actively monitoring the fire activity. We want to remind you that there is an increased risk of fire affecting our area due to the red flag weather warnings issued for today. This is due to the fires located to the northeast of Petaluma, as well as the concern over the wind. This is NOT an evacuation order; however we want residents to be prepared if an evacuation order is given. Petaluma residents, especially on the east side of Sonoma Mountain Parkway, should be prepared to leave if an order is given. The shelters in Petaluma are nearing capacity, and can only accommodate an additional 300 people. The Petaluma EOC is currently working with the Sonoma County EOC to determine resources available in Marin County for shelters in case the need arises."

City of Rohnert Park officials said there were no active fires in Rohnert Park as of Wednesday afternoon. "Some residents in the G section may see heavy construction or mowing equipment behind the development. Fields are being mowed as a precaution to reduce high weeds and grass," city officials said.

Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday night for Geyerserville residents on Highway 128 and the Russian River. At 10:37 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff's officials said every residence between 1922 Highway 128 and the Russian River — Nutter Road, Sellers Road, River Road, Fay Ranch, Ridge Oaks, Fox Ridge, Vineyard and Woodridge roads, Deerpath Drive, Ram Hill, Rockmouth and Colony roads and Lakewood Lane — should evacuate immediately. Advisory evacuations, meaning residents should consider readying for evacuation should the situation worsen, went into effect for downtown Geyserville and Palomino, Asti Ridge and Highland Ranch roads.

Residents of the Annadel Heights area bordered north by Parktrail Drive and west by Summerfield Road were told just after 5 p.m. Tuesday they "need to evacuate now."

Earlier Tuesday, as the Nuns Fire was rapidly approaching the Oakmont retirement community in Santa Rosa, its residents were urged to evacuate. In an alert sent just after 2 p.m., Santa Rosa police said, "Oakmont is still under mandatory evacuation — all residents must leave now!"

The Nuns Fire north of Glen Ellen was threatening 5,000 homes, according to Cal Fire.

Sonoma police and sheriff's officials in alerts sent Tuesday afternoon said mandatory evacuations had also been put in place for Bennett Ridge, Sonoma Mountain and Enterprise roads in the Bennett Valley area.

Watch: Drone Footage Shows Wildfire Devastation In NorCal

"If you are in these areas, you need to leave immediately for your safety," Sonoma County sheriff's officials said.

"We are working with Santa Rosa police, beginning to evacuate the area east of the Bennett Valley Golf Course, west of Annadel Park," sheriff's officials said.

Additional mandatory evacuations were issued late Tuesday afternoon for Ida Clayton Road from Highway 128 to the county line because of fire northbound, sheriff's officials said.

Residents of the Pacific Heights neighborhood behind Molsberry Market in Larkfield were also ordered to evacuate late Tuesday afternoon, but Sonoma County sheriff's officials said in a later alert that the orders were issued by mistake because of a miscommunication.

"The area of Larkfield behind Molsberry Market was evacuated on Sunday night and remains closed," officials said. "It was incorrectly reported earlier today as a new evacuation area. The Larkfield area is still not open to the public."

The additional evacuations Tuesday came as another red flag warning was set to go into effect for much of Northern California. All Sonoma County residents are encouraged to sign up for SoCo Alert for possible emergency evacuations.

>> The latest list of confirmed evacuation areas in Sonoma County can be found here.

>> Click here for the latest Sonoma County evacuation center information.

>> Current Sonoma County road conditions can be found here.

A community meeting about the Sonoma County wildfires — which include the Tubbs, Nuns, 37 and Pocket fires — was held Tuesday at Santa Rosa High School.

Authorities have thus far confirmed 15 fatalities in Napa and Sonoma counties as a result of the wind-driven wildfires that broke out Sunday.

Thirteen of the fatalities have been in the Tubbs Fire burn areas, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner's Office. Two bodies were recovered from Angela Drive in Larkfield; two from Mark West Springs Road in Larkfield; one from Coffey Lane in Santa Rosa; one from Crystal Court in Santa Rosa; one from Mountain Home Ranch Road in Santa Rosa, near the Calistoga/County line area; one from Hemlock Street in Santa Rosa; one from Sundown Trail in Santa Rosa; and one from Wikiup Bridge Way in Larkfield.

"People were in bed, there was no time; some of the folks were sleeping at home in bed and had no idea because there was minutes, seconds warning," Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said in a news conference Tuesday. "This is just pure devastation."

There are currently 380 people missing in Sonoma County in the wake of the wildfires that have ravaged the northern and eastern areas of the county, Sheriff Rob Giordano said Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Giordano said 670 people were missing and 110 were found. He clarified the number of missing at a media briefing.

Giordano said the sheriff's office received 670 missing persons reports, but subtracting duplicate reports, the number of missing actually was 530 people. Since then, 150 people were located, leaving 380 people
unaccounted for.

"We may still have some duplicate reports in that number," Giordano said.

Sheriff's deputies and detectives have made house searches in cold areas but are not entering hot areas to sift through debris, Giordano said.

Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said a team of 30 detectives are making cursory searches of some homes.

The Mark West, Coffey Park, Glen Ellen and Kenwood areas have been the most challenging fire zones in the sheriff's office's unincorporated county jurisdictions, Giordano said.

A sheriff's deputy in the Mark West area remained with 40 people who sheltered in place in a field near a blocked road while fires burned around them, the sheriff said.

"I've heard some very harrowing stories," Giordano said.

Giordano said 20 of his staff members lost their homes in the Tubbs Fire that started in Calistoga Sunday night and was quickly swept by the fierce, window-rattling wind into Santa Rosa.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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

Main image: Sonoma being advised to evacuate south toward Marin, Oct. 11, 2017. A Sonoma sheriff's car with two officers use the car's loud speaker to tell residents along Church Street to leave. (Photo contributed by Al Francis)

Photo 2: A fire truck makes its way through the Chateau St. Jean winery, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Kenwood, Calif. Workers in Northern California's renowned wine country picked through charred debris and weighed what to do with pricey grapes after wildfires swept through lush vineyards and destroyed at least two wineries and damaged many others. (Eric Risberg/Associated Press)