Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire moving through The Geysers in northeastern Sonoma County last reported to have reached 1,500 acres, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department said.
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The fire started shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday off Big Geysers Road and Geysers Resort Road, but spread from 75 acres amid hot and dry weather conditions. It is being called the Sawmill Fire.
The Red Cross has opened an evacuation center at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg.
The Sawmill Fire grew quickly in rural Sonoma County about 10 miles.
“Our remaining plants at The Geysers continue to operate normally, and our team is constantly assessing the situation and will take all steps necessary to ensure the safety of employees and the preservation of our facilities”, said spokesman Brett Kerr.
About 20 to 30 homes have been evacuated, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said. The cause is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire, which is burning east of Cloverdale, is now under investigation. The area is under a red flag warning and some residents ABC7 News spoke with said they are nervous. “It’s very scary when you see it right at your back door”, Cloverdale resident Brad Pitkin said. Gusty winds and low relative humidity made for “critical fire weather conditions”, forecasters with the weather service said in the alert.
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Firefighters were battling the blaze in steep terrain, temperatures in the high 90s, and strong winds in the higher elevations of northern Sonoma and northern Napa counties.
