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.
