The blaze, dubbed the Rocky Fire, has scorched a few 62,000 acres and destroyed more than 50 structures since erupting last week in the canyons and foothills along the inland flanks of California’s North Coast Ranges, quadrupling in size over the weekend.
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Marin County fire Chief Jason Weber said 47 county firefighters and 56 from local city and district agencies have been deployed, with crews including personnel from the Novato, Marinwood, San Rafael, Ross Valley, Kentfield, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Mill Valley and Southern Marin fire departments. Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter >>.
Crews fighting the largest California blaze created buffers between some homes and the fire at its northern end, a rural area of grasslands and steep hills where numerous 6,300 threatened properties are situated.
The largest California wildfire is raging in the Lower Lake area north of San Francisco, the Associated Press reports. So far, 24 houses have been destroyed by the fire since it began on July 29; Cal Fire estimates it will be at least another week before the fire is contained.
The northern part of the state is the worst-hit by fires, where forests were completely engulfed by the infernos, and several stretches of highway were forced closed.
“Many traditional water sources have dried up or are too shallow”, said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Christopher Martin, Connecticut Director of Forestry said, “They’re still trying to figure out where they’re going to send people”. The wind pushed the flames up a hillside and away from the highway.
Evacuation orders were in place for thousands of people as the fire threatened areas near Clear Lake, where many California tribal communities are situated.
“Unfortunately, I think just beginning”, Ohs said. Then Cook packed her own bags. Ash and smoke have periodically descended on the small town, depending on the direction of the wind. Almost 3,000 firefighters were working tirelessly to contain the massive fire.
Additional evacuations have been ordered Monday morning to residents in Lake, Yolo and Colusa Counties.
In an update Monday night, CALFIRE said the threat of new fires being ignited by lightning from passing thunderstorms remains high.
“We’ve had lightning throughout the state”, said Lynne Tomachoff, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, “but Southern California has seen a little bit more precipitation, which helps”.
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Engine Capt. David Ruhl, a South Dakota firefighter, was killed battling a fast-moving blaze that broke out in the Modoc National Forest. He became trapped and died after erratic winds whipped the blaze and it suddenly expanded, a Forest Service spokesman said. Given the location and the intensity of the fires, officials and firefighters are at their wits’ ends on how to contain the fire and secure homes. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family”.
