Deadly wildfires stretch across 100 miles
WILDFIRES HAVE raced toward wineries and the historic town of Sonoma in northern California, chasing hundreds more people from their homes and threatening to roll back firefighters’ modest gains against fires that stretched across a 100mile swathe of the US state.
Propelled by strong winds, the fires damaged or destroyed several buildings in the middle of the night before crews halted their advance at the edge of Sonoma, where firefighters spent days digging firebreaks to keep flames from reaching the city’s historic central plaza built centuries ago when the area was under Spanish rule.
For those living in the huge fire zone, it was another night spent watching, waiting and fearing the worst.
John Saguto said he awoke several hours before dawn at his home in east Sonoma to see flames “lapping up” 300 to 500 yards away. He and his neighbours evacuated as firetrucks raced up and down the streets and hot embers flew over their heads.
The fire made “a strong run” into Sonoma and damaged or destroyed additional buildings before firefighters stopped it, said Dave Teter, deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Several homes and other structures near a vineyard east of downtown were in smouldering ruins.
Nearly a week after the blazes began, the fires have left 40 people dead and destroyed at least 5,700 homes and businesses, making them the deadliest and most destructive group of wildfires in California history.
“It’s a horror that no one could have imagined,” Governor Jerry Brown said, after driving past hundreds of “totally destroyed” homes with Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.
Mr Brown, 79, and Ms Feinstein, 84, said the fires were the worst of their lifetimes.