UPDATE: Wildfires Prompt New Evacuation Orders In Rural West Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Evacuation orders were expanded in western Sonoma County Tuesday afternoon because of separate fires in a rural area in the hills west of Healdsburg, according to county officials.

The fires have been added to the group of lightning-caused wildfires in the North Bay called the LNU Lightning Complex fires.

New mandatory evacuations as of 4 p.m. include areas:

• West of Meyers Grade Road to the coast
• South of Fort Ross Road
• North of the intersection of Meyers Grade Road at Highway 1

Evacuation orders were already in place:

• North of Austin Creek Recreational Area
• East of The Cedars
• Mill Creek Road west of the intersection of Puccioni Road
• South of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road

In addition, officials announced several school districts in Sonoma County will be closed on Wednesday because of the fires and evacuations. They are:

• Monte Rio
• Guerneville
• Ft. Ross
• Kashia-Rancheria
• Montgomery

Parents were being asked to consult their school district's website for new updates.

County officials initially posted an evacuation warning at around 12:40 p.m. The Sonoma County Sheriff also tweeted about the fire. A Nixle alert was issued shortly before 1 p.m.

The Santa Rosa Fire Department Twitter account also posted about the fire, reassuring residents that it was not threatening Austin Creek in Skyhawk or the city of Santa Rosa.

In:
• Wildfires
• Sonoma County