Thanks Ed. Supposedly (and this is all just being reported through a network of friends) my kids’ schools are gone. Willi’s Wine Bar and John Ash are gone.
Friend in Healdsburg reporting lots of evacuations around the area - stores left to burn as firefighters need to instead evacuate hospitals (Sutter and Kaiser), etc.
Hoping we get news of Merrill and everyone soon - stay safe!
Hope everyone in the fire areas stays safe. We’ve had some big wildfires in the Bay Area over the years, including the 1991 Oakland Hills fire in my area, but these fires make those other ones look small in comparison.
I believe it’s actually 10 separate fires - my friend posted:
There are major, completely uncontained fires in every direction- Ukiah/Willits to the north, Lake County to the northeast, Calistoga and Napa to the east, Sonoma and Kenwood to the southeast, Santa Rosa and Windsor to the south, Petaluma to the southwest, Sebastopol and Forestville to the west.
Everything I’ve grown up and lived around for almost my entire life is on fire. I don’t know how to process this.
This is just a massive fire. I know many people who have lost their homes and/or businesses and hundreds more who have evacuated. It was a scary night, we douldn’t sleep. The smell of smoke and the high warm winds from the East. Our Son called at 2am and said Stagecoach Ranch was on fire. His Wife and Son evacuated to her Mom’s home in Moss Beach. My Daughter evacuated from Bennet Vlley to Santa Rosa near the JC and then d to evacuate from there. Many Sonoma County Schools are closed. Roads are a mess, traffic is at a standstill. Took my Wife nearly 2 hours to drive from Forestville to Rohnert Park to get to work.
The effect of this is going to be long lived. The loss of homes and businesses, the displaced residents. The economic hit to the area will be devastating. Still keeping me eye out the back door looking for embers but so far we’re safe in Forestville.
The Tubbs Fire in Calistoga burned all the way over the Mayacamas into Santa Rosa! Fountaingrove, Mark West, Montecito Heights, Coffey Park are all effected.
20,000 acres burned in Calistoga. Atlas Peak on fire. Silverado Country Club evacuated. Santa Rosa devastated. Fire near Sears Point Raceway. Total freakin’ disaster!