California Fires Force Tens of Thousands to Flee Near Los Angeles as Fires Rage Across the State

The Tick Fire in Santa Clarita, just outside of Los Angeles, continued to expand overnight after it jumped State Road 14. The expansion forced additional evacuations in the Sand Canyon area and closed of portions of the highway.

10,000 structures are threatened by the fire, which already burned structures Thursday afternoon and triggered evacuation orders for 40,000 people.

Residents near the blaze quickly scrambled to evacuate their homes as the fire burned down hillsides and threatened to torch subdivisions.

(MORE: Power Cut to More Than 180,000 Californians as Extreme Fire Risk Continues)

About 10 miles west of the Tick Fire, another blaze was sparked Thursday afternoon near the 5 Freeway in Castaic. Named Tick Branch 10, this inferno burned about 10 acres of brush near a neighborhood adjacent to the freeway; at least one home suffered fire damage, and the freeway was shut down as crews attempted to get the blaze under control.

No injuries were reported in either fire near Santa Clarita.

Several other large wildfires were burning across the state on Thursday as hot, dry, windy conditions prevailed.

All told, an estimated 50,000 Southern Californians were forced from their homes because of the aggressive fires, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The town of Geyserville in Sonoma County was ordered to evacuate about 6:30 a.m. Thursday after the Kincade Fire grew rapidly overnight amid strong winds.

At least 49 structures were destroyed by the fire, which was 5% contained as of Thursday evening, according to Cal Fire.

"We expect the fire to grow," Mike Parkes, a Cal Fire deputy chief, said at news conference at noon Thursday.

(MORE: Kincade Fire Threatens Wineries in Alexander Valley)

Altogether, about 2,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes in the wine region county about 80 miles north of San Francisco. Residents in the northern part of Healdsburg, California, were under an evacuation warning, meaning the order to leave could come at any minute.

The Kincade Fire was first reported near Geyserville shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday evening and exploded in size to over 25 square miles by Thursday night, according to Cal Fire. Geyserville has a population of about 900.

"The Kincade Fire has crossed Highway 128 near Moody Lane and is heading west," the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office warned. "If you’re in Geyserville, leave now."

“It’s outpacing us,” Amy Head, a Cal Fire battalion chief, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re just trying to keep up with it and bump ahead of it. It’s growing very rapidly in a short amount of time.”

About 1,300 fire personnel responded to the conflagration, Cal Fire said.

Nancy Aguirre, 16, fled her home south of Healdsburg, with her mother and brother. She said her father stayed behind to help neighbors load their horses into trailers.

“The flames were like very, very close, only a couple of miles away, and there were really, really strong winds,” Aguirre told the San Francisco Chronicle. “The horses were really freaking out and, at the same time, my parents were kind of worried about me. I was stressing out.”

(MORE: Extreme Wildfire Danger in California Through Friday, Then Possibly Again Sunday and Monday)

In addition to Geyserville, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office ordered evacuations for Pine Flat Road, Geysers Road to Highway 128, Red Winery Road, Alexander Mountain Road, Highway 128 from Geysers Road to River Road including the the River Rock Casino, and all roads off River Road.

Several school districts announced they had closed all schools as a cautionary measure because of the fire threat.

The fire destroyed or damaged at least a dozen homes and other structures along Geyser Road, including at least two large buildings at Crazy Creek Vineyards in the Alexander Valley, according to the Chronicle.

Because Highway 128 was closed, some wineries in the Alexander Valley closed their tasting rooms.

The cause of the wildfire was not immediately known. Pacific Gas & Electric spokeswoman Karly Hernandez said the fire was burning “near the (shut-off) footprint and we are working to gather additional information.”

Distribution lines were shut off before the fire began, but high-voltage transmission lines still had power in the area, according to the Chronicle. In a report released Thursday, PG&E admitted a conducting wire malfunctioned on a transmission structure owned by the company, but an official cause has not yet been declared.

“We are investigating the potential impact on our equipment,” PG&E spokesman Paul Doherty said in an email. The company said its criteria to shut off high-voltage lines, the type of equipment that started last year’s deadly Camp Fire, was not met.

The utility shut off power to about 179,000 customers in parts of 17 counties because of the threat of wildfire, but was beginning to restore power to some areas Thursday afternoon.

During a news conference, Parkes said wind speeds of 60 mph prevented aircraft from effectively dropping water or retardant Thursday morning.

“When you have that kind of wind speed, similar to what we had two years ago, the resistance to control is at a level well beyond our capabilities,” said Parkes.

In October 2017, the Tubbs Fire burned nearly 58 square miles in parts of Napa and Sonoma counties. The fire killed 22 people and destroyed 5,636 structures.

Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat an ember was blown about a mile from the fire front onto a home off Red Winery Road.

“We lost a house out here, saved a barn,” Baxman said. “The fire brand came from the sky, the wind was blowing that intense.”

Smoke from the fire was beginning to affect the San Francisco Bay Area. Officials issued a Spare the Air Alert for smoke Thursday.

“We’re expecting impacts in the Bay Area regionwide,” Sarah Zahedi, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, told the Chronicle.

She said strong winds from the northeast will push smoke over the North Bay and further south Thursday and Friday.

The Old Water Fire began about 2 a.m. Thursday in the Old Waterman Canyon near Highway 18 and quickly grew to 75 acres. It has great potential to spread as Santa Ana winds pick up, the Forest Service said.

It was moving southward and to the northeast in the Coldwater Canyon area leading to Highway 18 and Highway 138 being closed.

The fire was burning about 4 miles east of California State University, San Bernardino, KCBS reported, but the campus had announced Wednesday that it would be closed Thursday because of high winds and possible power outages.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents on Arrowhead Road, David Way north of 40th Street and all connecting streets including Mariposa Drive.

That order was lifted about noon when the fire was 30% contained.

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