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In California Fires, Thousands Evacuate, Millions Under Blackouts

Associated Press

   SAN FRANCISCO - A Northern California blaze forced evacuation orders
   and warnings for nearly all of Sonoma County stretching to the coast,
   with forecasts of strong winds prompting officials to start cutting
   electricity for millions of people in an effort to prevent more fires.

   Pacific Gas & Electric started shutting off power about 5 p.m. Saturday
   for an estimated 2.35 million people across 38 counties. About 90,000
   residents were ordered to evacuate towns near the 40-square-mile
   (104-square-kilometer) fire.

   Saturday night's evacuation order encompassed a huge swath of wine
   country stretching from the inland community of Healdsburg west through
   the Russian River Valley and to Bodega Bay on the coast, Sonoma County
   Sheriff Mark Essick said. An even broader area was put under a warning
   for residents to get ready to leave at a moment's notice.

   Some weekend gusts might reach 75 mph (120 kph) or higher in a
   historicwind event, the National Weather Service said. Winds could lead
   to "erratic fire behavior" and send embers for miles, warned the
   California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

   Concern that gusts could knock down power lines and spark devastating
   wildfires prompted two blackouts in recent weeks.

   The wind event expected to peak early Sunday would likely be the
   strongest in several years, said PG&E meteorologist Scott Strenfel. He
   said Saturday that falling trees and breaking branches were likely.
   Relative humidity will dip into single digits.

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