At least 17 dead as firefighters struggle to contain California fires
11 Oct 2017 9:57 PM IST
HEALDSBURG: A series of deadly Northern California wildfires regained momentum on Wednesday as winds whipped back up, pushing blazes through parched hills and vineyards and prompting additional evacuations from an arc of flames that has killed at least 17 people, destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and battered the region's renowned wine-growing industry.
Local officials ordered a fresh round of mandatory evacuations in flame-battered Sonoma County, where at least 11 people have died and about 180 remain missing. One of the massive fires that has been ravaging the region since Sunday advanced overnight toward populated areas, prompting the additional evacuations, Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff Brandon Jones said.
The two biggest wine-country fires, known as Tubbs and Atlas, grew overnight as conditions worsened and had torched a combined 54,000 acres by Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.
The fast-moving flames have swept through densely populated neighborhoods in California's wine country over the past two days, causing residents to flee from homes in the middle of the night as smoke filled their rooms.
One couple had to jump into their pool as flames rushed across their land, taking occasional gasps for air as flames lapped at their backs.
High winds that whipped up 17 large fires had faded earlier Tuesday and humidity increased, assisting an operation that has drawn resources from throughout the state and neighboring Nevada. But officials warned that the sharp northern wind, known as a Diablo, would return, allowing only a brief window for firefighters to carve clearings in place to stop the fires from spreading to vulnerable populated areas.
That wind returned Tuesday night, along with lower humidity levels.
The National Weather Service expects these "red-flag" conditions — including wind gusts up to 40 mph — to remain until Thursday in the North Bay Area, which includes Sonoma and Napa counties.
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