Parts of Santa Rosa that either burned or were in view of the burning three years ago were under mandatory evacuation orders Sunday night as more fast-moving fire spread into Sonoma County from Napa earlier in the evening. And more homes in Santa Rosa were burning once again.
After the Glass Fire ignited early Sunday morning and burned in the northern part of Napa Valley east of Calistoga, two more fires appeared Sunday evening to the south and west of that fire, the Shady Fire and the Boysen Fire. The Shady Fire spread quickly within a few hours, moving into the eastern portion of Santa Rosa and prompting widespread evacuation orders.
As the Chronicle reports, evacuation orders included a large senior community called Oakmont Village along Highway 12 in Sonoma County, south of Santa Rosa.
Gridlock was reported on Highway 12 for those trying to head west, toward the city of Santa Rosa, and evacuees were being warned to head east instead.
More than 10,000 residents of Santa Rosa were forced to flee the fire zone Sunday night and into Monday morning, as the Press Democrat reports. And high winds were forecast to continue for at least several hours.
Reportedly, houses were already burned Monday morning in the Skyhawk neighborhood, in Oakmont, and on Melita Road.
Homes burn off Hwy 12 near Oakmont during Shady fire @NorthBayNews pic.twitter.com/a634KSfDOr
— Beth Schlanker (@BethSchlanker) September 28, 2020
#ShadyFire crossing Highway 12 NW of Valero. #BREAKING #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/oXHsDkAm1k
— Anne Belden (@abelden) September 28, 2020
The Glass Fire continued to spread through Sunday and had consumed at least 2,500 acres as of midnight. Evacuation orders hit multiple areas in and around St. Helena, including the Meadowood resort. According to Cal Fire it was zero-percent contained as of Sunday night, and 865 fire personnel were fighting the blaze.
Thousands of residents were already evacuated on Sunday from St. Helena, including the St. Helena hospital.
Fire was also once again threatening the area of Paradise in Butte County, and meteorologist Daniel Swain reported on the painful coincidence that the areas of both the 2017 Tubbs Fire and the 2018 Camp Fire were under evacuation orders once again.
This is extremely hard to say, but within past hour Butte County & Sonoma County officials have *both* issued nighttime emergency evacuation orders for some of the same areas previous burned by the Tubbs Fire in 2017 & Camp Fire in 2018. Please be vigilant tonight. #CAwx #CAfire
— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) September 28, 2020
Shady Fire on Hwy 12 near Oakmont @NorthBayNews #shadyfire pic.twitter.com/j2xWeQDOc7
— Beth Schlanker (@BethSchlanker) September 28, 2020
Daylight and hopefully calmer winds will give a better idea of the damage, and the remaining areas of Sonoma, Napa, and Butte counties still under threat.