Local first responders assist with Kincade Fire
Two Lodi police officers and four firefighters are helping in Sonoma
GEYSERVILLE — Police officers and firefighters from various local agencies, as well as deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office are currently assisting first responders to ensure safety nearly 100 miles to the west.
Deputy Andrea Lopez, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff ’s Office, said a team of eight law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County Sunday to help with traffic and evacuation efforts.
The team, which includes a deputy sergeant, three deputies and two officers from both Lodi and Manteca police departments, was relieved Tuesday, she said.
“What they’re doing is assisting with road closures and patrols, but the areas they’ve been assigned to are evacuated areas,” Lopez said. “But they can also assist with calls for service if needed. They could assist in evacuation, traffic control and anything else the coordinator needs.”
The Kincade Fire started at about 9:30 p.m. last Wednesday just northeast of Geyserville in Sonoma County. As of Tuesday, the blaze had grown to 75,415 acres and was just 15 percent contained, according to CalFire.
Authorities have closed off Highway 128 from Geyserville, located north of Healdsburg, to the community of Woodleaf, located just northwest of Calistoga.
Lopez said the deputy sergeant has reported the fire is moving northeast toward Clearlake in nearby Lake County.
According to CalFire, evacuation orders have been issued for the towns of Healdsburg, Windsor, Forestville and Geyserville, as well as the city of Santa Rosa.
Evacuation warnings have been made for Calistoga, northern Napa County and areas located all the way to Bodega Bay, among others, CalFire said.
The San Joaquin County team is currently stationed west of the ridge where Highway 128 is located, Lopez said, and all of them are wearing masks over their mouths because of the excessive amount of smoke in the area.
Lopez was dispatched to the 2015 Butte Fire in Calaveras County, and recalled how commanding officers cautioned outside first responders to pay close attention to where they were.
She said one moment you could be on a road, and the next moment the road was gone.
“It’s very intense over there,” she said. “We’re sending people into Sonoma and Napa counties, which are areas they are not very familiar with. It can be challenging.”
California Highway Patrol officer Scott Siria said he and seven of his colleagues from the Stockton office were also dispatched to the fire to assist with evacuation and traffic control efforts.
Siria said he was in Windsor on Saturday, going door-to-door to make sure residents in the small community of about 27,000 had evacuated.
“We always get letters from other agencies we’ve helped thanking us for being there and helping them out. I know if we ever need favors or assistance with a similar situation — and I hope we never have one — we’ll have plenty of trucks and engines backing us up.” LODI FIRE CHIEF GENE STODDART
By Sunday, he said the team was conducting road closures in both Windsor and Healdsburg.
“I was sitting on a road closure for about 13 straight hours,” he said. “There is not a whole lot to do because everyone had been evacuated. There are some people who try to get back in, so we have to make sure they don’t.”
Siria said the area was very smoky, but he had the sense that the fire itself isn’t as bad as last year’s Paradise Fire in Butte County, where he and other CHP officers were also dispatched to assist.
“Last year, that fire devastated the town immediately,” he said. “Even though this is a very big fire, everything that’s happening seems to be more controlled, and things are moving slower than what happened last year.”
A total of 4,548 total personnel from multiple agencies are currently battling the Kincade Fire with 549 engines, 42 water tenders, 27 helicopters and 66 bulldozers being utilized, according to CalFire.
Four of those firefighters are members of the Woodbridge Fire District, who are stationed along Highway 128 as part of the county’s Office of Emergency Services strike force, interim chief Darren Downey said.
“They’re all doing well, they’re working their shifts,” he said. “There’s no time frame on when they’re going to be back. It’s a 14-day commitment, so they’ll be out there for two weeks.”
Lodi Fire Chief Gene Stoddart said four of his firefighters are also in Sonoma County as part of the OES strike force.
He said Lodi firefighters are performing reconnaissance and structure defense, making sure embers from the frontline of the blaze do not jump into unaffected areas. Stoddart was unsure exactly where his firefighters were stationed in Sonoma County, and did not know if they would return later this week.
He said his department was happy to help Sonoma County first responders battle the blaze.
“We always get letters from other agencies we’ve helped thanking us for being there and helping them out,” he said. “I know if we ever need favors or assistance with a similar situation — and I hope we never have one — we’ll have plenty of trucks and engines backing us up.”
As of Tuesday, CalFire reported that a total of 124 structures had been destroyed, including 57 homes and five commercial businesses.
Another 23 structures have been damaged, including 15 homes. More than 90,000 are threatened by the blaze, including 780 businesses and 80,435 homes, according to CalFire.
Full containment is expected by Nov. 7. The cause of the fire remains unknown.