Firestorm Kills 10, Destroys 1,500 Structures in California

Ferocious fires ravaging multiple parts of California forcing mass evacuations

Deadly blazes in Northern California have scorched 75,000 acres.

• Fanned by 60mph winds, 14 blazes are ravaging eight counties throughout Northern California.
• The raging fires have killed at least 10 people and destroyed at least 1,500 homes, businesses and other structures.
• About 75,000 acre were scorched in just a few hours, prompting mass evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents.

Anaheim Fire

Meanwhile,  a brush fire broke out in Anaheim Hills, prompting mandatory evacuations on Monday.

The fast-moving fire, dubbed Canyon Fire 2, grew to about 5,000 acres prompting Orange County fire officials to  evacuate thousands of residents from 1,100 homes. Air quality warnings have been issued in parts of Los Angeles County.

Many of the #NorthBayFires can be seen on the GOES 16 fog product.#cawx pic.twitter.com/2xWlKo9WP4

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 10, 2017

October Fires

The most destructive blaze in recent California history, the Cedar fire in San Diego County in 2003, destroyed more than 2,800 homes. The Witch fire, also in San Diego County, destroyed more than 1,600 homes in 2007. In 1991, Tunnel fire in the Oakland Hills, killed 25 people and raze 2,900 buildings. All of those fires were sparked in October.

Satellite imagery of the #wildfires in #California today captured by the VIIRS instrument DayNight Band. More info @ https://t.co/MPP390W64K pic.twitter.com/7KAvRMh9uT

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) October 9, 2017

The Red Flag Warning continues for the North and East Bay Hills and Valleys + the Santa Cruz Mountains through tomorrow am. #cawx pic.twitter.com/NpGNIIW2yW

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 9, 2017

GOES 16 satellite imagery showing North Bay areas covered in smoke as multiple fires continue to burn.#cawx pic.twitter.com/I6UXBtcjf4

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 9, 2017

#GOES16 satellite update: around 3 am Monday morning. Satellite continues to show multiple wild fires across the North Bay, and a new fire start has been detected just to the east of Cloverdale. Strong and gusty northeast winds will continue through at least mid morning. #cawx pic.twitter.com/jufkkU38wZ

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) October 9, 2017

Raging Wildfires Destroy Communities in California

Valley Fire wildfire burns more than 40,000 acres in 16 hours

The Valley Fire wildfire is burning uncontrollably south of Clear Lake in Lake and Napa counties. The fire has consumed more than 40,000 acres in less than a day, said CalFire.

Much of Middleton, a small community in Napa Valley , is being consumed by the raging fire, according to local reports. Some 1,600 or so residents had already abandoned their homed under mandatory evacuation orders.

Evacuations:

Mandatory evacuations –Hwy 29 (Kelseyville) at Hwy 175 south on Hwy 175 towards Cobb, Red Hills Road to Hwy 29, Hwy 29 X Hwy 175 south to Seigler Canyon Road (south side of Hwy 29), Hwy 29 Tubbs Lane (Calistoga, Napa County) to Hwy 29/Hwy 53 (Lower Lake, Lake County) Butts Canyon Road to Napa County Line, including Berreyssa Estates, Butts Canyon Road to Pope Valley. Communities of Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lakes.

Advisory Evacuation:

Livermore Road, Summit Lake Road and north of the community of Angwin.  [CalFire]

The fire is “easily detectable from space, even through cloud layer,” said the National Weather Service (NWS).

Valley Fire Incident Information
Last Updated: September 13, 2015 6:40 am
Date/Time Started: September 12, 2015 1:24 pm
Acres Burned – Containment: 40,000 acres
County: Lake County
Location: off High Valley Road and Bottle Rock Road in Cobb

Fire Conditions

The Valley Incident has grown to 40,000 acres, 0% containment. The fire is burning in a south east direction from the Community of Cobb towards the communities of Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake. The fire is also burning north east from the Community of Cobb near the Community of Loch Lomond to Seiglar Canyon Road.There have been an unconfirmed number of structures destroyed. There are over 5000 residence without power. During initial attack four members of Copter 104’s crew suffered burn injuries and were transported to an area burn center. Additional resources are on order and responding to this incident. See below for Mandatory Evacuations and Road Closures . [CalFire]

Total Fire Personnel: 1,000

Related Links

• State of Emergency Declared in California Counties due to Wildfire September 13, 2015

Massive Wildfire in California’s Wine Region Threatens Hundreds of Homes

EXTREME CLIMATE HAZARDS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE
MASS EVACUATIONS
SCENARIOS 111, 101, 03
.

Butts fire in Napa County grows to 4,300 acres

• Acres burned: 4,300
• Structures Threatened: 380
• Structures Destroyed: [at least] 2 residences, 7  outbuildings
• Fire started: Date/Time Started: July 1, 2014 12:08 pm
• Location: Napa & Lake Counties
• Evacuation: At least 2,000 people evacuated [FEWW estimate]

The fire is burning in a mix of grass, brush, oak and pine trees in steep, rugged terrain in a rural area of Lake and Napa Counties amid  extreme conditions, high heat, humidity, with the potential for erratic winds, said  Cal Fire.

U.S. Recent Wildfires

• 500 Homes Evacuated in California amid Raging Wildfire June 16, 2014
• Emergency Conflagration Act Invoked in Oregon amid Wildfires June 10, 2014
• Wildfire in Southern Colorado Prompts Mass Evacuations June 2, 2014
• California Wildfire Threatens 100 Homes May 28, 2014
• Major AZ Wildfire Threatens Hundreds of Homes May 23, 2014
• Wildfire Destroys Dozens of Homes in Carlsbad, Calif. May 15, 2014
• 20,000+ Homes Evacuated as San Diego Wildfire Spreads May 14, 2014
• TX Wildfire Destroys 100 Homes, Threatens 1,000+ Others May 12, 2014
• Deadly OK Wildfire Destroys Homes Forces Mass Evacuation May 6, 2014

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – Nov. 22, 2013

32 dead, dozens buried after Latvia mall collapse

At least 32 people have reportedly been killed and dozens more trapped in the rubble after the roof of a shopping mall collapsed in Riga, the Latvian capital.

More than 500 square meters of the roof collapsed at the ‘Maxima’ building in Riga in two separate stages, with the second collapse killing several rescue workers, according to reports.

“At least 70 people may still be trapped in the rubble, according to the latest data,” Riga’s mayor told reporters.

Large sections of the roof collapsed at Maxima shopping center on Priedaines Street in Riga. Photo credit:@SergioYurtaev)

Pipeline explodes killing 22 in E China

At least 22  people were killed after a leaky pipeline caught fire and exploded Friday morning in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province, officials said.

Original caption: Photo taken with a mobile phone shows the site of a pipeline explosion in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, Nov. 22, 2013. A fire broke out and the blast occurred around 10 a.m. in the Huangdao District when workers were repairing a petroleum pipeline which broke and resulted in an oil leakage around 3 a.m. (Xinhua)

Fog stops ships on Houston Channel: U.S. Coast Guard

Sea fog reduced visibility to unsafe levels along the Houston Ship Channel, forcing vessel pilots to stop steering all ships early Friday (UTC), said the U.S. Coast Guard, Reuters reported.

Pilots stopped steering ships along the 53-mile (85-kilometer) channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the busiest U.S. petrochemical port, said the report.

High winds kill two, leave thousands without power in San Francisco area

“The Napa County Sheriff’s Office ordered an unknown number of people evacuated after a fallen power line sparked a wildfire that grew to between 100 and 200 acres, a dispatcher said,” Reuters reported.

There may have been some gusts in the 50- and 55-miles-per-hour range closer to the coast, but the very strongest winds, including one gust of 120 miles per hour, were in the high terrain of the Sierra Nevada,” said a meteorologist at NWS.

Dangerous Sierra Wind Storm Friday Night through Early Saturday

The National Weather Service (NWS)in Sacramento has issued a High Wind Warning: “Strong high pressure building into the Pacific Northwest
combined with a deep low pressure system off the southern California coast will bring strong east winds to the Sierra and Coastal Mountains … The strongest winds are expected Tonight.”

This post would be updated throughout the day, if additional information becomes available.