The death toll in what continues to be a group of disconnected, simultaneous wildfires in multiple counties stands at 10 as of late Monday afternoon, though that number is likely to rise homes are inspected and damages continue to be assessed.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reports that seven people in neighborhoods in northern Santa Rosa are confirmed dead, as the Press-Democrat reports. The Tubbs Fire broke out there and quickly spread in a densely populated area adjacent to Highway 101.
Add to that two confirmed deaths so far in Napa County, where the Atlas Fire on Atlas Peak has scorched upwards of 25,000 acres, though Cal Fire's last update on that blaze was before noon. That comes via state fire officials, reported by the Chronicle and now national outlets like the Washington Post.
Earlier in the day we learned of one confirmed death in Mendocino County where several smaller fires have combined into the Redwood Complex Fire. That fire has also caused two injuries, and had consumed over 10,000 acres as of 4:19 p.m.
The swarm of fires, which some are already speculating may have been caused by power lines sparking as they got knocked by trees during 50-70 mph winds Sunday night, and were then quickly stirred up by those winds, spreading with ferocity during the early morning hours. Jonathan Cox, a battalion chief and spokesman for Cal Fire, tells the Washington Post that a fire spreading to 20,000 acres in 12 hours is "a phenomenal rate of growth," and that is what has happened in the case of the Tubbs and Nun fires.
Additionally, countless businesses and homes have been destroyed or damaged, including about a dozen wineries that we know of so far, and at least 1,500 homes.
None of the fires have reached any level of containment, according to Cal Fire, and high winds are expected to pick up again Monday night.
We'll update you as we learn more.
Previously: North Bay Wildfires Destroy Countless Homes & Businesses; Power Lines & High Winds Could Be To Blame
[Update] Major Wildfires Spread Through Bay Area Wine Country Filling SF Skies With Smoke