5 p.m. update:
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. -- Sonoma County officials are holding a joint press conference to discuss the latest on the Glass Fire.
3 p.m. update:
Another evacuation order in Sonoma County is being reduced to a warning.
The mandatory evacuation North of Nelligan Road/Nuns Canyon Road, East of Highway 12, West of the Napa County line, and South of Goff Road and the burn scar is now under an evacuation warning.
Cal Fire notes that Highway 12 is still under infrastructure repair and those wishing to return to the area should plan alternate routes when coming from Santa Rosa.
12:00 p.m. update:
Cal Fire provided updates on the Glass Fire at a press conference.
Sean Norman, Operations Sections Chief, pinpointed Calistoga Road as a heavily impacted area, especially around St. Helena Road. Norman said there was a lot of fire activity going on in that area, whereas other areas have largely been kept in check.
Another area that has been a challenge to firefighters is just above Calistoga up to St. Helena. A wind shift prompted crews to change their approach as they attempted to drive the fire back toward the Hennessey Fire burn scar. Norman says multiple contingency lines are being put in there.
Incident Meteorologist Tom Bird says by Wednesday, Sonoma and Napa County should start to see cooler temperatures, but there is not much luck for the incoming rain to be significant enough to end the fire season. However, Bird had some good news for the severe weather the area has seen in the last week.
“I think with pretty high confidence we can say that we have gotten past the peak of the most extreme conditions that we’ve seen across the fire since its initiation a week or so ago,” Bird said.
Brian Newman, Cal Fire fire behavior analyst, echoed these sentiments when it comes to rainfall.
“Due to the fact that this is not a season ending event, our fire danger is going to remain very high,” Newman said.
Original story:
The Glass Fire, which exploded in Napa and Sonoma County over the last week, is now 30 percent contained at 65,580 acres.
Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit has made some steady progress on containment, but says that "overnight, the Glass Fire burned actively due to poor humidity and above average temperatures" in an incident report.
The fire has destroyed a number of single family homes. In Sonoma and Napa County, that combined total has jumped to 486 as of Monday morning. Businesses have also been destroyed, especially in Napa, where the number of "commercial property" has reached 304 destroyed. 21,785 more structures are threatened by the blaze.
Cal Fire LNU says crews are completing "aggressive mop up and tactical patrol" in areas where the fire has stopped moving forward.
Some evacuation orders have been downgraded, however, Cal Fire is urging caution to those repopulating fire-affected communities. Emergency services are still at work in those areas.
Evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings for parts of Santa Rosa, Napa County, and Sonoma County. There are still several evacuation orders still in place.
Evacuation information:
Evacuation Centers:
- Cross Walk Church, 2590 First Street, Napa
- Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds (accepting sheltering in cars and RVs. Not ready for congregant sheltering at this point.) 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Peteluma
- Petaluma Veteran’s Building (Temporary Evacuation Point and shelter) 1094 Petaluma Blvd. South, Petaluma
- Petaluma Community Center (shelter), 320 N McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
- Rohnert Park, Sonoma State University (congregate shelter and non-congregate dorms—priority given to COVID-19 vulnerable residents) Parking Lot G, Gymnasium, 1801 East Cotati Avenue
- Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building (Temporary Evacuation Point and shelter), 1351 Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa
- Sonoma Raceway (Temporary Evacuation Point, car sheltering and camping) 29355 Arnold Drive, Sonoma
MAPS
An evacuation map and details on evacuations and evacuation shelter for the Glass Fire are available on the Napa County website HERE or on the map below.
A Sonoma County evacuation map is available below.
WILDFIRE PREPS
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. A defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris is completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans to best prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.