California Wildfires Destroy ‘Hundreds of Homes and Many Hundreds of Other Structures’
Valley Fire wildfire grows to 246 sqkm destroying homes, communities, businesses, roads, public infrastructure…
Gov Brown declared State of Emergency on Sunday for Lake and Napa counties due to the effects of the Valley Fire, having issued an earlier Emergency Proclamation for Amador and Calaveras counties due to the devastation caused by Butte Fire wildfire.
“… this fire has destroyed multiple structures, including homes, and continues to threaten hundreds of homes, necessitating the evacuation of residents; [it] has damaged and continues to threaten critical infrastructure, and has forced the closure of major highways and local roads; … on January 17, 2014, I declared a State of Emergency based on the extreme drought that has caused millions of trees to die, and increased the severity and spread of the fires throughout the State; … as a result of the Valley Fire, combined with the drought conditions and other wildfires burning in the State, California’s air quality has significantly deteriorated and impacted public health; … the circumstances of this fire by reason of its magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single local government and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat …,” declared the Governor in his Emergency Proclamation.
Valley Fire wildfire continues to grow amid hot, windy conditions, said CalFire, reporting a civilian fatality in the fire area.
The raging blaze has destroyed at least 400 homes and about a thousand other structures, according to local reports.
“This is the worst tragedy Lake County has ever seen,” said Sheriff Brian Martin.
Additional mandatory evacuations were issued on Sunday. There have been an unconfirmed number of structures destroyed. 5000+ are without power, said CalFire.
The fire started in Lake County on September 12. At least 1,234 fire personnel were trying to contain the fire, as of posting.
On Friday, Gov. Brown declared a State of Emergency for Amador and Calaveras counties, after Butte Fire wildfire destroyed more than a hundred home, dozens of structures, and threatened thousands more, prompting authorities to order tens of thousands of residents to abandon their homes.
Butte Fire Wildfire Grows to 71,063 acres
Butte Fire started on September 9, 2015 east of Jackson, burning 71,063 acres (30% contained) in Amador & Calaveras Counties, said CalFire.
- Structures Threatened: 6,400
- Structures Destroyed: 135 residences, 79 outbuildings, 4 structures damaged
Evacuations: Mandatory Evacuation Orders:
San Andreas at Pope, West Murray Creek, Lewis, Miller, San Andreas Elementary, Goldstrike, Mountain Ranch East to Windmill, Wimbledon Drive, Forest Hill, and Turner Court. Please leave the area immediately.
[Additional Evacuation Details posted at http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1221 ]
Total Fire Personnel: 4,409
Rough Fire – Currently the Largest Active Fire in California
In addition to the Valley Fire and Butte Fire, dozens of wildfires were burning actively in the Golden State. The largest fire, Rough Fire, has scorched 138,053 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada since July 31, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
New mandatory evacuations and warnings for the Rough Fire were issued on September 12, 2015. There are 3,229 personnel currently assigned to the Rough Fire. Containment remains 40%.
The Rough fire is one of about 250 fires ignited by lightning in late July according to the Forest Service.
Related Links
- Raging Wildfires Destroy Communities in California September 13, 2015
- State of Emergency Declared in California Counties due to Wildfire September 13, 2015
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