[UPDATE 9:00 p.m. Evacuation Expanded to the Coast] Kincade Fire is Forcing Evacuations in Healdsburg and Windsor as the Power Shuts Down

Screenshot of Caltrans' Quickmap as of 2:37 p.m.

Screenshot of Caltrans’ Quickmap as of 2:37 p.m. Red lines and triangles indicate areas with challenging traffic conditions.

The information here comes after a reader posted, “My daughter just telephoned, in tears, from Santa Rosa saying that Healdsburg and Windsor are on alert to evacuate – and that 20,000 acres have burned.”

A quick google search revealed that residents are getting emergency alerts, some with orders to evacuate immediately.

EVACUATION ORDERS
The following areas are under an evacuation order.  This is mandatory.  Please be out of the following areas by 4 PM today. This is a large area. See the map to confirm if you are under evacuation orders.
Zone 2- Highway 128 North Knights Valley area to the Napa County line.
Zone 3- Highway 101 corridor from Geyserville south through the Town of Windsor. This includes the entire City of Healdsburg, the Town of Windsor, and all areas east of Chalk Hill Road area.

Others are under warning they may have to evacuate soon.

EVACUATION WARNING
These areas are under an evacuation warning.  This means you need to be ready to evacuate.  This is a large area. See the map to confirm if you are under an evacuation warning. If you feel unsafe, evacuate.
Zone 4- The Dry Creek Valley west to Forestville.
Zone 5- Larkfield and Mark West Drainage.
NEW Zone 7 – West of Sebastopol to the coast, north of Bodega Highway, and south of Stewarts Point/Skaggs Springs Road.

The directions being given to those under [the first] evacuation orders and warning in Sonoma County are:

[Orders for the enlarged area are below in the UPDATE.]

INSTRUCTIONS
Highway 101 is open in both directions right now.  Evacuation centers are the Santa Rosa Vets Hall, Petaluma Vets Hall, or the Petaluma Fairgrounds. The Sonoma County Fairgrounds are open to large animals only.
If you can’t evacuate due to medical conditions or advanced age, call 911 for help.
If you have questions, call 211.
Follow the Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.

Transportation support for people without cars was provided until 3 p.m. this afternoon for the first evacuation.

If you have mobility issues and need transportation, call the Community Center at 707-431-3301 by 3 PM today. For able-bodied folks who need a ride: We will have buses staged at the City Hall parking lot, 401 Grove St., to take you out of town. The last bus leaves at 3 PM today,

[UPDATE 9:00 p.m.] The evacuation area grew about an hour ago.  70 to 80 mph winds are expected in the area.  The Kincade Fire is only 11% contained.

This is an Alert issued by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at 8:21p.m.

New evacuation order announced at press conference for west of Sebastopol to the coast.

NEW evacuation order announced at press conference.
Effective Immediately – See attached map or visit socoemergency.org/maps.

This is the mandatory evacuation order announced at the press conference. Everyone west of Sebastopol, north of Bodega Highway, and south of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road must leave. This is a large area. See the map to confirm if you are under evacuation orders. It includes these communities:
Dry Creek Valley
Mark West/Larkfield area
Fulton
Forestville
Guerneville
Occidental
Jenner
Bodega Bay

If you can’t evacuate due to medical conditions or advanced age, call 911 for help. If you have questions, call 211 or visit socoemergency.org. Follow the Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.

Instructions:

Evacuate now if you are in the evacuation zone.

Incident Update for the Kincade Fire as of 7.pm.

vital public information

page 2

Shelters are available in Petaluma for evacuees.

PETALUMA SHELTERS OPENING TO SUPPORT MANDATORY EVACUATIONS FOR TOWN OF WINDSOR AND CITY OF HEALDSBURG

Due to concerns about the Kincaide fire growing during tonight’s anticipated wind event, the County Sheriff has issued a mandatory evacuation for residents living in the Town of Windsor and the City of Healdsburg. The Sheriff also announced evacuation warnings for additional areas.  See the Sheriff announcement for additional info about evacuation warnings.

To support evacuees, Petaluma has opened shelters at the following locations:

  • Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive
  • Petaluma Community Center, 320 N McDowell Blvd

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Petaluma People Services will be coordinating volunteers and donations.  While we understand that Petalumans stand ready to help, we ask that you stay home and take care of your family, neighbors, and friends.  As soon as we need volunteers or any donations, we will send out additional information.  To sign up to volunteer please send an email to [email protected]g or call 707-529-1201.  At this time, we do not need donations, however, if you would like to donate new, unused items, please take them to Kenilworth Teen Center located at 150 Fairgrounds Dr.

The San Francisco Chronicle more detailed coverage.

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11 Comments
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shak
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shak
4 years ago

😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

Dude
Guest
Dude
4 years ago

This shit going to burn to the beach???? Those are big towns. Scary as fuc. Everybody be safe don’t do stupid shit please.

Lynn H
Guest
Lynn H
4 years ago
Reply to  Dude

I’m sure they want to get people out of the western areas as those roads are windy and very slow and there are few roads. If they wait too long to evacuate people could be trapped in traffic. If you were on the beach smoke inhalation could be very bad. I think they are not takng chances.

It’s almost 8PM and my friends there are collecting stuff in order to leave now. They had very little notice. She says all shelters and motels are full- she was working to place people with medical needs earlier today, but she herself has no place to go and has medical needs.

Lynn H
Guest
Lynn H
4 years ago

Thank goodness they have buses stationed to evacuate people. Something to think about up here where there aren’t any to get ready for emergencies.

notes for later
Guest
notes for later
4 years ago
Reply to  Lynn H

Good thought.
We have school buses, but hta buses are made for people who dont do stairs well.

researcher
Guest
researcher
4 years ago

They’ve now made it mandatory.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE
CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CA
734 PM PDT SAT OCT 26 2019

THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE SONOMA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.

AN EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS. DRY
CREEK VALLEY, MARK WEST, LARKFIELD AREA, FULTON, FORESTVILLE,
GUERNEVILLE, OCCIDENTAL, JENNER, BODEGA BAY. THIS INCLUDES ALL
AREAS WEST OF SEBASTOPOL NORTH OF BODEGA HIGHWAY AND SOUTH OF
STEWARTS POINT SKAGGS SPRINGS ROAD.

YOU NEED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
4 years ago
Reply to  researcher

Holy crap! PG&E is toast.

researcher
Guest
researcher
4 years ago

I can only assume that they are expecting the fire to jump 101. West of 101 is mountainous dense forest. If the winds reach levels expected the potential for a crown fire is very real, and yes, could travel to the coast in a short period of time. A crown fire can move at speeds close to the sustained speed of the wind. I should say that it can’t maintain that speed, sustained speed would be 10 to 20 mph.

It’s gonna be a long demanding night for fire fighters and the local population. Pray it doesn’t get across 101.

researcher
Guest
researcher
4 years ago

I’ve only been in them a number of times, but the forests west of 101 are some of the most beautiful 2nd growth redwood forests we have left, as there are fewer acres of 2nd growth redwood left than there are old growth. Please keep them safe God.

And I worded the above wrong and worse than it is. A crown fire can move at speeds 10 to 20 mph when all aspects are perfect but only briefly. 3 to 5 mph spread is more common. That still puts the coast close.

Ravynn
Guest
Ravynn
4 years ago

A good site to check on there conditions.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
Eureka, CA

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Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Eureka, CA

Home | Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | Print | Product List | Glossary Off
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000
FXUS66 KEKA 262156
AFDEKA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
256 PM PDT Sat Oct 26 2019

.SYNOPSIS…Strong east-northeast winds will support critical fire
weather conditions across portions of southeast Humboldt, southern
Trinity, and interior Mendocino counties tonight through early
Monday morning. Otherwise, an upper ridge centered offshore will
favor mild and dry weather during the next seven days.

&&

.DISCUSSION…Forecast thinking is largely unchanged this afternoon
as a potent shortwave trough dives southward through the Cascades,
setting up a potentially significant wind event and subsequent
critical fire weather concerns to commence late this evening across
portions of northwest California.

Model cross sections and forecast soundings continue to support
mountain wave development along the lee slopes of ridges as the
shortwave moves south across the area tonight. Mountain wave
development would further augment synoptic scale east-
northeasterlies, resulting in peak gust potential from 60 to 80 mph.
This will be particularly true downwind of the higher ridges late
tonight into early Sunday morning. The High Wind Watch has thus been
upgraded to a warning across portions of southeast Humboldt,
southern Trinity, and interior Mendocino counties as model guidance
and observational trends continue to point to a high-end wind
event along area ridges. Critical fire weather conditions are
expected as well in association with the strong winds and a very
dry air mass in place across the region (see the fire weather
discussion located below for more information).

It should be noted that although breezy conditions are also
expected along the coast from this afternoon into this evening,
these winds will remain well below the warning level winds
expected along and downwind of some of the inland ridges. Coastal
winds will generally max out in the 15 to 25 mph range, perhaps
with some gusts to around 35 mph this evening.

Otherwise, no rain is expected during the next seven days due to
persistent upper-level ridging occurring in the vicinity of the West
Coast. In addition, mild afternoon conditions are expected through
next week, though morning temperatures near freezing may occur
across interior valleys as cold dry continental air drains south and
west across the area Saturday night and Sunday night. Due to the
expected winds, the coldest temperatures will mainly be confined to
the deepest valleys. Locations just inland from the Redwood Coast
will see nighttime temperatures drop into the upper 30s. Gradual
airmass modification/moderation is then expected to occur during
the remainder of next week.

Another trough dropping into the Great Basin next week will bring
the potential for another round of gustier winds in the
Tuesday/Wednesday time frame, however at this time winds look to
be significantly weaker than with this weekend`s event, with the
greater impacts displaced well to the south and east of NW
California.

CB/JMG/SEC

&&

.AVIATION…Low ceilings at the coast quickly dissipated this
morning and were replaced with widespread VFR conditions and strong,
gusty northwesterly winds along the coast. These winds are expected
to persist along the coast through this afternoon then significantly
weaken this evening. There is potential for marginal low level wind
shear along the coast this evening as the lowest level of the
atmosphere decouples from strong northeasterly winds present aloft.
However if it develops this threat should be short lived, as the
altitude of the nighttime inversion quickly increases later this
evening, pushing the northeasterly wind core aloft well above 2000
ft AGL. Conditions remain VFR across the interior for the next TAF
period, however LLWS is possible early tomorrow morning, dependent
on if the air in the lowest levels of interior valleys decouples as
well. /TDJ

&&

.MARINE…Satellite scatterometer wind data currently is showing
solid gale force winds present across the outer waters. These are
expected to peak in strength this afternoon before slowly weakening
overnight. Model guidance indicates localized gale force gusts
will also be possible downwind of Cape Mendocino and near Pt St
George inside 10nm, however the main threat will be large steep
hazardous seas propagating nearshore, generated from the stronger
wind cores offshore. Winds and seas will start to settle down on
Sunday, though steep northerly waves will probably persist in the
outer waters through the day as winds shift around to the east-
northeast. Otherwise, lighter winds and lower seas can be expected
over much of the forecast area early next week. /JT&TDJ

&&

.FIRE WEATHER…A midlevel shortwave trough is forecast to move
south across northern California tonight. As that occurs, a
strong area of surface high pressure will spread south over
northern California and the adjacent Great Basin. Intense east-
northeast flow at or above 50 kt will develop over ridges. In
addition, model forecast soundings indicate a stable layer will be
located near 3000 feet MSL. The combination of intense cross
barrier flow, a ridge top inversion, and a critical level
associated with flow reversal aloft with the mid-level shortwave
will favor the development of highly amplified mountain wave
structures supportive of peak wind gusts from 60 to 80 mph
downwind from higher ridges. In addition, northeast winds will
usher in a critically dry boundary layer airmass across northwest
California tonight through Sunday.

The combination of strong winds and low humidity values will
favor the potential for fast moving wildfires across areas of dry
fuels. The inherited Red Flag Warning remains in effect for
elevations above 1500 feet in southeast Humboldt, southern
Trinity, interior Mendocino, and northern Lake counties. In
addition, the Red Flag Warning start time has been changed to 10
PM Saturday based on the onset of strong ridgetop winds depicted
in hi-res model guidance.

JMG/SEC

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES…
CA…High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to midnight PDT Sunday
night for CAZ105>108-110-111-113.

Red Flag Warning from 10 PM this evening to 6 AM PDT Monday for
CAZ212-276-277-283.

NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS…Gale Warning until 9 AM PDT
Sunday for PZZ470-475.

Small Craft Advisory until 9 AM PDT Sunday for PZZ455.

Gale Warning until 4 AM PDT Sunday for PZZ450.

&&

$$

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Lynth
Guest
Lynth
4 years ago

Thank you for the summary!