California’s latest wildfire, the Kincade Fire, consumed parts of Sonoma County Wednesday night, rapidly growing to burn 10,000 acres. And the fire is entirely uncontained as of Thursday morning, meaning things are likely to get worse.
Officials have called for the evacuation of the entire community of Geyserville, located 22 miles north of Santa Rosa. As of 10 a.m. ET, Cal Fire officials that just two structures had been damaged, but the fire was being stoked by winds blowing between 40 mph and 60 mph. (Unofficial Twitter reports did say some houses were starting to burn by mid-morning Thursday.)
The Kincade Fire could soon threaten the Alexander Valley, a winery-rich area. The vineyards could act as a natural firebreak, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said on Twitter.
What’s worrisome about Kincade is how fast it has grown. In just three hours, it grew from a small brush fire (the origin is still undetermined) to a 5,000 acre fire. By Thursday morning, it was the state’s largest wildfire.
The #KincadeFire is burning on both sides of Geysers Road and has already consumed over 10,000 acres. Homes are starting to burn along Red Winery Road. @GettyImagesNewspic.twitter.com/xWcts5xWIB
— Justin Sullivan (@sullyfoto) October 24, 2019
**BREAKING** The #KincadeFire burning in northern Sonoma County has exploded overnight to 7,000 acres with no containment. Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place near Geyserville, high fire danger continues with gusty offshore winds. #cawxpic.twitter.com/alV8bMyo9a
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) October 24, 2019
The new normal.
The new California sunrise.
Vineyards.
Smoke.
Ash.
No electricity.#KincadeFirepic.twitter.com/qivUPxi5sb
— Matthias Gafni (@mgafni) October 24, 2019
The fire comes despite a series of planned power outages from PG&E to prevent wildfires. PG&E has shut off power to 17 counties in the latest round, with weather conditions increasing the risk for extreme fire.