California governor declares emergency in counties hit by Kincade and Tick wildfires
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties due to two large wildfires. The Kincade fire in the Bay Area has burned nearly 22,000 acres since it started Wednesday night; the Tick fire has burned 4,300 acres northwest of Los Angeles.
Both fires were only 5 percent contained as of Friday morning local time, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Kincade fire isn't expected to be fully contained until next Thursday. It has already caused the Air Quality Index in San Francisco to shift from "good" to "moderate." The National Weather Service is warning other Bay Area cities that air quality will continue to drop as smoke continues to move south.
The fire has been aided by dry conditions and gusty winds — and firefighters say the narrow roads and steep terrain of northern Sonoma County have impeded their efforts to combat the blaze.
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The power utility Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. told regulators that part of a transmission tower broke near the area of the Kincade fire shortly before it began. The company shut down power to distribution lines in the area because of potential fire danger posed by those lines. PG&E says weather predictions didn't reach the level that would have triggered a shutdown of the transmission lines.
The town of Geyserville has been evacuated. Cal Fire said that 49 structures have been destroyed, and over 700 more are threatened by the flames. Nearly 1,300 people have been assigned to fight the fire.
Newsom announced Thursday the state had received a grant from the federal government to assist fighting the flames.
"We are grateful for the swift approval of our request to ensure all resources are available to support the heroic work of our firefighters and first responders working to contain this fire and keep local communities safe," Newsom said.
In the south, firefighters in Los Angeles County continue to fight the Tick fire, which grew overnight to cover about 4,300 acres. High winds allowed the wildfire to jump a freeway and continue its spread.
Roughly 40,000 residents in the area are under evacuation order. Authorities say 10,000 structures are threatened by the fire. Cal Fire did not specify when they estimate to control the flames.
The two fires are the latest in California's 2019 fire season, which has resulted in over 185,000 acres of land burned and one loss of life.
Fire and safety officials have issued a red flag warning "throughout California" on Friday, citing gusting winds and very low humidity.
NPR's Colin Dwyer contributed to this report. Paolo Zialcita is an intern on NPR's News Desk.
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