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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is notifying customers across Lake County of another potential public safety power shutoff that could start this weekend, with the sheriff warning it could impact as many people – but last longer – than the Oct. 9 event.
PG&E is reporting that Lake County and many other counties across the region are under an elevated watch for a shutoff from Saturday through Monday.
A map of the potential outage area, which can be seen above and is available here, shows that most of Lake County will be impacted.
The news comes as the National Weather Service placed Lake County and a large swath of Northern California under high wind and fire weather watches.
The high wind watch is in effect for Lake County from 11 p.m. Saturday through 11 p.m. Sunday, and the fire weather watch is in effect from 11 a.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Monday.
PG&E President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson said the shutoff now being considered is about the same size as the Oct. 9 shutoff, but could last longer.
Customers began receiving calls, emails and texts on Thursday about the possibility of the shutoff.
While PG&E did not offer more specifics, officials from around the region were sharing the information they had about the potential shutoff.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said it received information that the proposed shutoff could affect 32 California counties and approximately 640,000 customer connections.
Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin also posted a video with details about the situation after emerging from a Thursday afternoon conference call with PG&E.
Martin said the shutoff, if it takes place, could begin on Saturday.
“The numbers that we’re getting are pretty concerning about the scope of this event,” said Martin.
He said the customer count numbers are pretty similar to the ones that impacted the entire county on Oct. 9.
“It’s likely to be a countywide event, again. So get ready,” he said.
The sheriff encouraged everyone to think of how the countywide event earlier this month impacted them: Did they have enough gas, water, food, medications and other necessities?
He also urged them to start preparations right away, as this may be a stronger and longer event because of the severity of the forecast winds and the potential for damage to power equipment, which could delay reenergization.
PG&E has established two community resource centers in Lake County, one at Twin Pine Casino and another at Konocti Vista Casino. Martin said both of those will be opened if a shutoff takes place.
He said he’s also asked for two more centers but doesn’t know if he’ll get them.
At a Thursday night briefing with reporters, PG&E Chief Meteorologist Scott Strenfel said the company’s teams are closely studying the forecast for the incoming weather system.
“We do think it will be the strongest offshore wind event this season by a large margin,” he said.
Indications are that there could be wind gusts averaging between 40 to 60 miles per hour, with 70- to 80-mile-per-hour gusts in some areas, he said.
The PG&E Web site states that the forecast indicates “a very rare and strong wind event” combined with very dry fuels that are highly susceptible to ignition.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Fire officials are investigating a Pacific Gas and Electric transmission line failure near the origin of the Kincade fire in northern Sonoma County.
The fire was first dispatched shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the area of John Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road in The Geysers geothermal steamfield.
On Thursday afternoon, PG&E said that it filed an electric incident report with the California Public Utilities Commission due to the discovery of a failed transmission line in the fire area.
At 3 p.m. Wednesday, PG&E had begun a public safety power shutoff covering portions of the North Bay including Lake and Sonoma in response to a red flag warning for heavy winds, as Lake County News has reported.
As part of that shutoff, PG&E said it turned off the power for safety to approximately 27,837 customers in Sonoma County, including Geyserville and the surrounding area.
PG&E said it deenergized power distribution lines in those areas; however, based on its protocols and procedures, the transmission lines in the same areas remained energized because the forecast weather conditions, specifically the wind speeds, didn’t meet the protocol.
Company Chief Executive Officer and President Bill Johnson explained in a Thursday evening briefing with reporters that protocols for shutoffs – which are based on years of data – call for sustained wind speeds of 45 miles per hour to shut off distribution lines and 55 miles per hour for transmission lines.
PG&E’s report to the CPUC said that at approximately 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, it became aware of a transmission-level outage on the Geysers No. 9 Lakeville 230kV line when the line relayed and did not reclose, deenergizing the line.
Firefighters would be dispatched about 10 minutes later, finding the fire had already burned a few hundred acres and was being pushed by high winds, Cal Fire Incident Commander Chief Mike Parkes of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said in a Thursday night briefing.
By Thursday morning, Cal Fire said the fire had burned 10,000 acres.
At approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday, a responding PG&E troubleman patrolling the Geysers No. 9 Lakeville 230 kV line observed that Cal Fire had taped off the area around the base of transmission tower 001/006 in the area of the Kincade fire, PG&E said.
Johnson said the 43-year-old tower had been inspected four times in the last two years. “It appears to have been in excellent condition, recently inspected.”
PG&E said the transmission tower was inspected earlier this year as part of PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Inspection Program.
On site Cal Fire personnel brought to the troubleman’s attention what appeared to be a broken jumper on the same tower, PG&E said.
Mark Quinlan, PG&E’s senior director of emergency preparedness and response, said the company is coordinating with Cal Fire on the event, and has had a management team working with Cal Fire since Wednesday night.
Johnson said that PG&E and Cal Fire are continuing to investigate the transmission tower failure.
He said that filing the report with the CPUC does not explain where or why the fire started, conclusions that he said, ultimately, will rest with Cal Fire.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The fire was first dispatched shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the area of John Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road in The Geysers geothermal steamfield.
On Thursday afternoon, PG&E said that it filed an electric incident report with the California Public Utilities Commission due to the discovery of a failed transmission line in the fire area.
At 3 p.m. Wednesday, PG&E had begun a public safety power shutoff covering portions of the North Bay including Lake and Sonoma in response to a red flag warning for heavy winds, as Lake County News has reported.
As part of that shutoff, PG&E said it turned off the power for safety to approximately 27,837 customers in Sonoma County, including Geyserville and the surrounding area.
PG&E said it deenergized power distribution lines in those areas; however, based on its protocols and procedures, the transmission lines in the same areas remained energized because the forecast weather conditions, specifically the wind speeds, didn’t meet the protocol.
Company Chief Executive Officer and President Bill Johnson explained in a Thursday evening briefing with reporters that protocols for shutoffs – which are based on years of data – call for sustained wind speeds of 45 miles per hour to shut off distribution lines and 55 miles per hour for transmission lines.
PG&E’s report to the CPUC said that at approximately 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, it became aware of a transmission-level outage on the Geysers No. 9 Lakeville 230kV line when the line relayed and did not reclose, deenergizing the line.
Firefighters would be dispatched about 10 minutes later, finding the fire had already burned a few hundred acres and was being pushed by high winds, Cal Fire Incident Commander Chief Mike Parkes of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said in a Thursday night briefing.
By Thursday morning, Cal Fire said the fire had burned 10,000 acres.
At approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday, a responding PG&E troubleman patrolling the Geysers No. 9 Lakeville 230 kV line observed that Cal Fire had taped off the area around the base of transmission tower 001/006 in the area of the Kincade fire, PG&E said.
Johnson said the 43-year-old tower had been inspected four times in the last two years. “It appears to have been in excellent condition, recently inspected.”
PG&E said the transmission tower was inspected earlier this year as part of PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Inspection Program.
On site Cal Fire personnel brought to the troubleman’s attention what appeared to be a broken jumper on the same tower, PG&E said.
Mark Quinlan, PG&E’s senior director of emergency preparedness and response, said the company is coordinating with Cal Fire on the event, and has had a management team working with Cal Fire since Wednesday night.
Johnson said that PG&E and Cal Fire are continuing to investigate the transmission tower failure.
He said that filing the report with the CPUC does not explain where or why the fire started, conclusions that he said, ultimately, will rest with Cal Fire.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Studies have shown that riding a school bus is the safest way for children to travel to and from school, and there are many rules and agencies involved in the effort to prepare bus drivers to get their precious cargo safely to class.
This week is National School Bus Safety Week, and officials are asking drivers to be extra careful around schools and watch for children boarding or exiting a bus.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a bus instead of traveling by car.
Agencies such as the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety are supporting efforts to promote the safety of children riding a school bus.
“The CHP’s oversight of school bus safety and enforcement is something we take very seriously each day,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Please do your part and join the Highway Patrol in our efforts to help keep children safe by being alert when approaching school buses and bus stops.”
“Children should feel safe getting onto or off the bus,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Drivers should always be watching for people walking or on a bike, but especially around schools and when children are at a bus stop.”
School bus safety is a high priority for the CHP, which launched the “Vehicles Illegally Passing a School Bus,” or VIPS, enforcement project in 2017. The OTS provides funding for the program.
While riding the bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, many drivers illegally pass school buses that are stopped with their red lights on.
According to a 2016 one-day survey of 137 school districts and nine school bus contractors, more than 26,000 drivers did not stop for a bus loading or unloading children.
California law requires drivers to stop in both directions when a school bus has flashing red lights on. A school bus will turn on flashing yellow lights to warn drivers to slow down and be ready to stop. Drivers must stay stopped until the red lights are off.
If the school bus is on a street with a raised or center median, or with more than two lanes in each direction, drivers on the opposite side of the street do not need to stop.
Drivers who illegally pass a bus face up to a $1,000 fine and could have their license suspended for one year.
During VIPS enforcement operations, CHP officers ride on school buses and patrol bus routes, watching for vehicles that do not stop for flashing red school bus lights. The VIPS project also encourages people to report drivers who illegally pass a school bus.
Since the implementation of VIPS, more than 150 statewide school zone safety operations have been conducted, resulting in nearly 1,200 citations being issued.
School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road, designed to be safer than passenger vehicles. The flashing red lights and stop-sign arms are crucial features.
More than 50,000 certified school bus drivers transport more than one million students each year in California, traveling approximately 243.5 million miles.
To help ensure the safety of the state’s students, the CHP inspects more than 20,000 school buses each year; California has not had a pupil passenger fatality since 1995.
Among Lake County’s six school districts, there are approximately 80 bus drivers, according to Officer Joe Wind of the Clear Lake Area office of the CHP.
The drivers, who usually start the hiring process at the school district level, are trained in the classroom and behind-the-wheel in a minimum 40-hour course by instructors who are certified to instruct by the State Department of Education, Wind said.
During this time – if not before – the driver applies with CHP to receive a special certificate, which is issued from the California Department of Motor Vehicles through the CHP.
“During this process, the driver is required to have, or be able to obtain, a Class B driver's license or permit with a passenger endorsement, a current medical examination report and certificate, have a current driving history report, as well as have a fingerprint submission for criminal background review,” Wind said.
Once they have fulfilled those requirements, Wind said the drivers must successfully pass a written test, first aid test, and a pre-trip inspection and driving test, which is overseen by the CHP.
“They can then be issued the special certificate to drive a school bus, and must renew it every five years,” Wind said. “The driver continuously receives training during this renewal period. The special certificate renewal testing process has the same criteria.”
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
This week is National School Bus Safety Week, and officials are asking drivers to be extra careful around schools and watch for children boarding or exiting a bus.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a bus instead of traveling by car.
Agencies such as the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety are supporting efforts to promote the safety of children riding a school bus.
“The CHP’s oversight of school bus safety and enforcement is something we take very seriously each day,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “Please do your part and join the Highway Patrol in our efforts to help keep children safe by being alert when approaching school buses and bus stops.”
“Children should feel safe getting onto or off the bus,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Drivers should always be watching for people walking or on a bike, but especially around schools and when children are at a bus stop.”
School bus safety is a high priority for the CHP, which launched the “Vehicles Illegally Passing a School Bus,” or VIPS, enforcement project in 2017. The OTS provides funding for the program.
While riding the bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, many drivers illegally pass school buses that are stopped with their red lights on.
According to a 2016 one-day survey of 137 school districts and nine school bus contractors, more than 26,000 drivers did not stop for a bus loading or unloading children.
California law requires drivers to stop in both directions when a school bus has flashing red lights on. A school bus will turn on flashing yellow lights to warn drivers to slow down and be ready to stop. Drivers must stay stopped until the red lights are off.
If the school bus is on a street with a raised or center median, or with more than two lanes in each direction, drivers on the opposite side of the street do not need to stop.
Drivers who illegally pass a bus face up to a $1,000 fine and could have their license suspended for one year.
During VIPS enforcement operations, CHP officers ride on school buses and patrol bus routes, watching for vehicles that do not stop for flashing red school bus lights. The VIPS project also encourages people to report drivers who illegally pass a school bus.
Since the implementation of VIPS, more than 150 statewide school zone safety operations have been conducted, resulting in nearly 1,200 citations being issued.
School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road, designed to be safer than passenger vehicles. The flashing red lights and stop-sign arms are crucial features.
More than 50,000 certified school bus drivers transport more than one million students each year in California, traveling approximately 243.5 million miles.
To help ensure the safety of the state’s students, the CHP inspects more than 20,000 school buses each year; California has not had a pupil passenger fatality since 1995.
Among Lake County’s six school districts, there are approximately 80 bus drivers, according to Officer Joe Wind of the Clear Lake Area office of the CHP.
The drivers, who usually start the hiring process at the school district level, are trained in the classroom and behind-the-wheel in a minimum 40-hour course by instructors who are certified to instruct by the State Department of Education, Wind said.
During this time – if not before – the driver applies with CHP to receive a special certificate, which is issued from the California Department of Motor Vehicles through the CHP.
“During this process, the driver is required to have, or be able to obtain, a Class B driver's license or permit with a passenger endorsement, a current medical examination report and certificate, have a current driving history report, as well as have a fingerprint submission for criminal background review,” Wind said.
Once they have fulfilled those requirements, Wind said the drivers must successfully pass a written test, first aid test, and a pre-trip inspection and driving test, which is overseen by the CHP.
“They can then be issued the special certificate to drive a school bus, and must renew it every five years,” Wind said. “The driver continuously receives training during this renewal period. The special certificate renewal testing process has the same criteria.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With Pacific Gas and Electric Co. considering conducting another public safety power shutoff from Oct. 26 through 28 due to a strong wind event, Lake County’s Public Health officer is recommending community members be prepared.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said preparation for the shutoffs is very important, especially if you are medically fragile. If you have major medical needs, it may be a good idea to leave the area to visit friends and family until the power comes back on.
Remember, get the essentials stockpiled before the power shuts off.
Medications:
· Many pharmacies were closed during recent events. Last time, only Lake, Lucerne and Moran’s Pharmacies were open.
· Keep at least a seven-day supply of essential medications in the house. Refill any medications that are low before the power goes out.
· If your pharmacy is closed, other pharmacies may be able to provide a small supply, or you may need to go out of the area to fill your prescription. Take your prescription bottle with you.
Medical equipment, especially oxygen:
· People who are dependent on electricity due to their medical condition should sign up with PG&E for their “Medical Baseline” program. Sign up at www.pge.com.
· If you are oxygen dependent, you need to have a plan before the power goes out: Consider going to stay with family or friends out of the area who have power; get a properly installed generator, if possible; during the day, you can go to the community resource center to plug in your equipment; fill extra tanks to give some reserve; contact your medical equipment provider if you have questions.
· Other equipment – CPAP, motorized scooters, nebulizers all require power and need similar planning as oxygen.
· For more ideas, check out: https://prepareforpowerdown.com/.
Hospitals and nursing homes:
· During the last outage, both hospitals were running on generators, but with some limitations in x-ray services.
· All three nursing homes were open and running on generators.
Outpatient medical providers:
· All outpatient clinics were closed throughout the last event.
· If you need some medical guidance, try calling your provider. No answer? Try calling your insurance company since some have on-call nurses to answer questions. Resources include Partnership HealthPlan, 24/7 call number: 866-778-8873. For other insurance: check your insurance card for advice numbers. Last event, both Sutter and Adventist hospitals had call centers open to answer medical questions for their patients.
· If you are having a medical emergency, go to the emergency room or call 911.
· Behavioral Health: If you are feeling significantly stressed, Lake County Behavioral Health has a 24 hour hotline: 1-800-900-2075.
Community resource centers:
· These were created by PG&E for people to come and plug in their devices, get bottled water, and other basic services. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Locations yet to be announced. CalOES’ Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOES/, publishes lists of these center location as available. You do not need to have a Facebook profile to access this valuable information.
General concerns:
· Gasoline/propane. Most suppliers were closed, people should fill their tanks before the power goes out.
· Food. Most grocery stores and restaurants were closed, so get food before the shutdown. If you do not have, a way to keep food cold, purchase non-perishables like canned and packaged goods. Use frozen gallon jugs of water or ice to help keep food cold and prevent spoilage. “When in doubt, throw it out.”
· Water. People on wells with electric pumps may be without water. Fill bathtubs or other storage tanks prior to the event.
· Temperature regulation. Electric heating and cooling may not work. Plan ahead to keep comfortable, especially when elders and children are in the house.
Additional information is available at PG&E’s Web site and Twitter pages (you do not need to join Twitter to access), the Lake County Sheriff’s Office site and the county of Lake.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said preparation for the shutoffs is very important, especially if you are medically fragile. If you have major medical needs, it may be a good idea to leave the area to visit friends and family until the power comes back on.
Remember, get the essentials stockpiled before the power shuts off.
Medications:
· Many pharmacies were closed during recent events. Last time, only Lake, Lucerne and Moran’s Pharmacies were open.
· Keep at least a seven-day supply of essential medications in the house. Refill any medications that are low before the power goes out.
· If your pharmacy is closed, other pharmacies may be able to provide a small supply, or you may need to go out of the area to fill your prescription. Take your prescription bottle with you.
Medical equipment, especially oxygen:
· People who are dependent on electricity due to their medical condition should sign up with PG&E for their “Medical Baseline” program. Sign up at www.pge.com.
· If you are oxygen dependent, you need to have a plan before the power goes out: Consider going to stay with family or friends out of the area who have power; get a properly installed generator, if possible; during the day, you can go to the community resource center to plug in your equipment; fill extra tanks to give some reserve; contact your medical equipment provider if you have questions.
· Other equipment – CPAP, motorized scooters, nebulizers all require power and need similar planning as oxygen.
· For more ideas, check out: https://prepareforpowerdown.com/.
Hospitals and nursing homes:
· During the last outage, both hospitals were running on generators, but with some limitations in x-ray services.
· All three nursing homes were open and running on generators.
Outpatient medical providers:
· All outpatient clinics were closed throughout the last event.
· If you need some medical guidance, try calling your provider. No answer? Try calling your insurance company since some have on-call nurses to answer questions. Resources include Partnership HealthPlan, 24/7 call number: 866-778-8873. For other insurance: check your insurance card for advice numbers. Last event, both Sutter and Adventist hospitals had call centers open to answer medical questions for their patients.
· If you are having a medical emergency, go to the emergency room or call 911.
· Behavioral Health: If you are feeling significantly stressed, Lake County Behavioral Health has a 24 hour hotline: 1-800-900-2075.
Community resource centers:
· These were created by PG&E for people to come and plug in their devices, get bottled water, and other basic services. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Locations yet to be announced. CalOES’ Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOES/, publishes lists of these center location as available. You do not need to have a Facebook profile to access this valuable information.
General concerns:
· Gasoline/propane. Most suppliers were closed, people should fill their tanks before the power goes out.
· Food. Most grocery stores and restaurants were closed, so get food before the shutdown. If you do not have, a way to keep food cold, purchase non-perishables like canned and packaged goods. Use frozen gallon jugs of water or ice to help keep food cold and prevent spoilage. “When in doubt, throw it out.”
· Water. People on wells with electric pumps may be without water. Fill bathtubs or other storage tanks prior to the event.
· Temperature regulation. Electric heating and cooling may not work. Plan ahead to keep comfortable, especially when elders and children are in the house.
Additional information is available at PG&E’s Web site and Twitter pages (you do not need to join Twitter to access), the Lake County Sheriff’s Office site and the county of Lake.
Amid utility-directed public safety power shutoffs, or PSPS, impacting residents across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday demanded that California’s independently owned utilities adhere to previously agreed protocols for their power shutoff decisions and coordinate with state and local officials to protect public safety and limit impacts during these events.
"Inconsistent application by all three of California’s Independently Owned Utilities (IOUs) of previously agreed protocols for PSPS actions, have undermined efforts to coordinate with first responders to protect public safety during these events," wrote Governor Newsom in a letter to Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Edison executives on Thursday. "Going forward, it is critical that your utilities adhere to the agreements and protocols to provide transparent and consistent notification to state and local government officials, to provide adequately resourced Community Resource Centers, and to plan for and meet the needs of your vulnerable customers."
In their previously agreed protocols, the utilities committed to providing at least 72-hours notice of a potential PSPS decision to state and local government emergency management officials, an appropriate level of detail on the location and duration of potential PSPS impacts in a universal format, and adequately resourced and accessible services for Californians to seek and receive information and basic access to energy sources.
In a letter to Pacific Gas and Electric CEO William Johnson earlier this week, the governor demanded that PG&E do more to provide information for customers and take action to reduce the number of customers impacted.
Earlier this month, the governor also urged PG&E to provide affected customers an automatic credit or rebate of $100 per residential customer and $250 per small business as some compensation for their hardships.
State and local governments have provided various technical and operational assistance to support Californians during these events.
That includes activating local government emergency operation centers, the dedication of state assets and personnel to ensure continuity of operations in services – including critical facilities and infrastructure operated by Caltrans, California Health and Human Services Agency, California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Cal EPA – technical assistance to PG&E by the California Department of Technology, air support from CHP to help get the power back on as safely and as quickly as possible, and standby support from the California National Guard.
Read the governor’s full letter to utility executives below.
"Inconsistent application by all three of California’s Independently Owned Utilities (IOUs) of previously agreed protocols for PSPS actions, have undermined efforts to coordinate with first responders to protect public safety during these events," wrote Governor Newsom in a letter to Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Edison executives on Thursday. "Going forward, it is critical that your utilities adhere to the agreements and protocols to provide transparent and consistent notification to state and local government officials, to provide adequately resourced Community Resource Centers, and to plan for and meet the needs of your vulnerable customers."
In their previously agreed protocols, the utilities committed to providing at least 72-hours notice of a potential PSPS decision to state and local government emergency management officials, an appropriate level of detail on the location and duration of potential PSPS impacts in a universal format, and adequately resourced and accessible services for Californians to seek and receive information and basic access to energy sources.
In a letter to Pacific Gas and Electric CEO William Johnson earlier this week, the governor demanded that PG&E do more to provide information for customers and take action to reduce the number of customers impacted.
Earlier this month, the governor also urged PG&E to provide affected customers an automatic credit or rebate of $100 per residential customer and $250 per small business as some compensation for their hardships.
State and local governments have provided various technical and operational assistance to support Californians during these events.
That includes activating local government emergency operation centers, the dedication of state assets and personnel to ensure continuity of operations in services – including critical facilities and infrastructure operated by Caltrans, California Health and Human Services Agency, California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Cal EPA – technical assistance to PG&E by the California Department of Technology, air support from CHP to help get the power back on as safely and as quickly as possible, and standby support from the California National Guard.
Read the governor’s full letter to utility executives below.
102419 Gov. Newsom Letter to Utility Executives by LakeCoNews on Scribd
Video of the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, California, on the night of Wednesday, October 23, 2019, taken from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Henry-1.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Kincade fire in Sonoma County continued to burn aggressively on Thursday, scorching thousands more acres, with hundreds more firefighters to respond to assist with controlling it as another high wind event is in the forecast.
The fire began shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Geysers geothermal steamfield, near the intersection of John Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road, just above the community of Geyserville.
The cause remains under investigation, however on Thursday, Pacific Gas and Electric reported that it has submitted a report to the California Public Utilities Commission related to a failure in a power transmission line in the fire area which hadn’t been deenergized as part of this week’s public safety power shutoff.
Cal Fire Incident Commander Chief Mike Parkes of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said Thursday night that the fire has so far burned 16,000 acres, with 5 percent contained.
He said the damage assessment – which is not yet complete – has so far identified 49 destroyed structures.
Parkes said that when firefighters arrived in the fire area Wednesday night, it was already a couple hundred acres and rapidly expanding.
“Because of the terrain of the area, the crews had a difficult time getting around it early on, and the fire grew much more quickly in size,” he said, adding that it was fueled by dry northern winds that were measured at 60 miles per hour and greater.
He said the winds pushed the fire out of The Geysers and down to just above Geyserville.
Parkes said resources have been brought in from all over California. As of Thursday, 1,300 firefighters are on the line, a number that’s expected to increase by up to 50 percent as early as Friday thanks to a significant order being placed Thursday night.
Other resources assigned on Thursday included 104 engines, 10 water tenders, 12 helicopters, 38 hand crews and 25 dozers, Cal Fire said.
Parkes said eight air tankers are working the incident, including the very large air tanker used on Thursday.
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said Thursday night that there are no reports of missing persons or fatalities.
Essick said all evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect. He said 2,000 people are impacted by the evacuation orders just for the town of Geyserville and the hills above it.
The specific evacuation areas are the town of Geyserville, Cloverdale Geysers Road, Geysers Road, Red Winery Road, Alexander Mountain Road, Pine Flat Road, all roads east of Highway 128 to Geyserville. Evacuation centers are open at the Healdsburg Community Center and the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has so far had no reports of looting in the fire area, a fact Essick attributed to the large law enforcement presence in the fire area.
All roads east of Highway 101 in the Geyserville area have been closed due to the fire, and on Thursday night Capt. Aristotle Wolf of the California Highway Patrol said those closures remain in effect. However, he added that there are no threats to Highway 101, which remains open.
Parkes said he’s concerned about the incoming weather for the weekend, which forecasters are predicting could be the strongest wind event of the season.
The significant resource order placed by Cal Fire on Thursday night is meant to boost the day shift for Friday and let them get ahead of the weather, he said.
“We absolutely are up against the clock,” with both dry fuel and more high winds in the forecast, Parkes said.
As a result of the forecast high winds for the weekend, PG&E said it considering still another public safety power shutoff that could impact a large portion of the region, including Lake and Sonoma counties.
That shutoff could begin on Saturday and continue through Monday before the all-clear is called for inspections in order to begin turning the power back on, the company said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
