There were varying reports on damage. Cal Fire said in a 7 a.m. update that the blaze, burning in an area where PG&E had shut off power Wednesday afternoon due to the onset of gusty winds and plummeting humidity, had damaged two structures. But social media posts from journalists in the area showed residences that had been destroyed in the fire. Cal Fire incident commander Mike Parkes said at a noon press conference that an undetermined number of structures have been destroyed but crews could not yet determine if they were residences or outbuildings.
Cal Fire responded by rushing bulldozers and strike teams to the area and ordering crews to be held on duty as forces were marshaled to try to slow the spread of the blaze. After first light Thursday, the agency began deploying air tankers to drop fire retardant in an effort to protect structures and slow the fire’s spread.
Cal Fire incident commander Mike Parkes said approximately 500 personnel from several different agencies are battling the blaze.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations for:
- All of the town of Geyserville
- Pine Flat Road
- Geysers Road to Highway 128
- Red Winery Road
- Alexander Mountain Road
- Highway 128 from Geysers Road to River Road including the the River Rock Casino
- All roads off River Road
Two evacuation centers were set up: the Healdsburg Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Avenue, and Windsor High School, 8695 Windsor Road. The Windsor location was shut down early Thursday as the school day began and evacuees were sent to the Healdsburg site.
The fire reportedly started near an electrical generating facility near Kincade Road, about 13 miles east of the town of Cloverdale. No cause had been determined by early Thursday.
That area, known as The Geysers, is the site of numerous geothermal generating sites. Calpine, perhaps the biggest operator in the area, said in an email morning that the blazed had “flashed” through a portion of its facilities late Wednesday.
“We believe there is relatively minor damage to our facilities and further threat has passed,” the Calpine statement said. The company said that it had shut down its power lines in the area before the blaze started “consistent with our fire prevention protocols.”
“We do not believe our facilities caused the fire,” Calpine said. “There are power lines operated by third parties across The Geysers.”
