Nuns Surpasses Atlas as largest active fire. Firefight focused on protecting Kenwood, Oakmont & Rutherford/Oakville area (Updated 8:27 a.m., Oct 17).

See previous coverage here:

• N. Calif wine country wildfire situation expected to intensify as wind picks up.
• Fires continue to grow; Red Flag Warning Tonight + Today’s current fire maps and status updates – Updated 6:26 am PDT 10/13/17
• Fire pushes into City of Sonoma’s NE corner driven by Red Flag winds. Containment advances on other fires. Death toll rises — Updated 5:36 pm PDT 10/14/17
• Favorable winds make for progress in wine country fires fights but Nuns Complex flares in Kenwood & City of Sonoma. Death toll hits state record. Updated 9:11 a.m. PDT 10/15/17
• Truck driver hauling water to firefighters killed – Newest fires strike Sugarloaf area, Rutherford as Nuns Complex spreads over the Mayacamas. Sonoma City battle eases – Updated 8:19 a.m. PDT 10/16/17

ALSO SEE: Status on 86 wineries (and wine businesses): Good, bad or gone – UPDATED 2:27 p.m., Oct. 16

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By Lewis Perdue, Wine Industry Insight Executive Editor/Publisher

SUMMARY:

The Oakmont fire adjacent to the Nuns Complex nearly doubled in size overnight as firefighters struggled to keep hot spots from spreading on both sides of the Mayacamas.

At risk are areas west of the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville/Rutherford, the Oakmont retirement community and the valley floor areas of Kenwood.

Satellite data (maps below) indicate that area, and the Pocket Fire near Geyserville, are the only blazes showing new hot spots. However, satellites only view the area every 12 hours, so current conditions on the ground will inevitably vary.

The absence of Red Flag winds has allowed firefighters an opportunity to make continuing progress on fire line containments.

Many evacuation orders have been lifted allowing some people to return. However Cal Fire warns that while the fight as turned a corner, it is not out of the woods (literally and figuratively.)

TODAY’S STATUS UPDATE:

• Death toll*: 35 (Sheriffs statements – Sonoma County: 22, Mendocino County:9, Napa County: 6)
  
• Containment (CalFire): Tubbs at 82%, Atlas at 77%, Nuns at 68%
• Acres Burned (CalFire): 193,516  Scroll down for containment and detailed fire-by-fire info, below maps.
• Wineries damaged or destroyed (click here for updates)
• People Evacuated: 90,000+ many returning, but data is unavailable. (Sheriffs)
• People without power: was 20,000 but PG&E promised 94% would be restored by end of yesteday. Thios will be updated.
• Structures damaged: 5.700+ (A deliriously optimistic understatement from officials since no one really knows yet)
• Weather: There are currently no watches in effect. 16 Oct 5:35 am PDT – National Weather Service: Today, areas of smoke. Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Areas of smoke. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. West southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

* According to Cal Fire, the current fires have caused the largest death toll of any wildfire since accurate records were kept: California wildfires.

 

In addition, the death toll has exceeded the Griffith Park Fire which is considered the state’s largest single deadly fire with an official toll of 29.

 

Additional deaths in current fires in Yuba and Butte Counties have pushed the overall Northern California wildfire death toll to at least 40.

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INCIDENT NOTICES: Go to Nixle and get local push alerts: text your zip code to 888777

Also see the latest Cal Fire Incident Update for more information.

 

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Satellite data show Kenwood/Sugarloaf/Rutherford hot spots remain as stubborn threats

Above, an updated map from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

Click here for the interactive version.

Right-click maps to view larger images.

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DETAILED FIRE INFO FROM CAL FIRE

 NOTE: The overall total of acreage burned as reported by Cal Fire has decreased from yesterday despite the doubling of the Oakmont fire. Tis may be due to more accurate assessments. More when we learn more.

Also, these numbers are the most recent at this time, but will be updated around 8 a.m. Check back here after 9 a.m. when new numbers are likely to be available.

 

Tubbs Fire (Central LNU Complex) Updated: October 17, 2017 7:18 am
County: Napa County
Location: off of Hwy 128 and Bennett Ln, Calistoga
Acres Burned – 36,432 acres – 82% contained

 

Pocket Fire (Central LNU Complex ) Updated: October 17, 2017 7:29 am
County: Sonoma County
Location: off of Pocket Ranch Rd and Ridge Ranch Rd, Geyserville
Acres Burned – 12,430 acres – 58% contained

 

Atlas Fire (Southern LNU Complex) Updated: October 17, 2017 6:01 am
County: Napa County,Solano County
Location: off of Altas Peak Rd, south of Lake Berryessa
Acres Burned – 51,064 acres – 77% contained

 

Nuns / Adobe / Norbbom/ Pressley / Partrick Fires (Central LNU Complex) Updated: October 17, 2017 7:37 am
County: Sonoma County
Location: Hwy 12, north of Glen Ellen
Acres Burned – Containment – 52,894 acres – 68% contained

 

Oakmont Fire (Central LNU Complex): Updated: October 17, 2017 8:25 am
County: Sonoma County
Location: east side of Highway 12 near the Oakmont community southeast of Santa Rosa
Acres Burned: 1,029 acres – 27% contained

 

Redwood Valley Fire Complex (Mendocino Lake Complex) Updated: October 17, 2017 7:37 am
County: Mendocino County
Location: North of Hwy 20, west of Mendocino National Forest, south of Black Bart
Acres Burned: 35,800 acres – 60% contained

 

Sulphur Fire (Mendocino Lake Complex) Updated: October 17, 2017 8:02 am
County: Lake County
Location: off Hwy 20 and Sulphur Bank Road, Clearlake Oaks
Acres Burned: 2,207 – 92% contained

 

37 Fire: Updated: October 12, 2017 9:02 am
County: Sonoma County
Location: Hwy 37 & Lakeville Highway
Acres Burned – Containment: 1,660 acres – fire out.

 

Information Links

NAPA COUNTY

Napa County Sheriff’s Office:

SONOMA COUNTY

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office

SONOMA CITY

City of Sonoma — A mostly poorly done effort with incomplete data and lacking both timeliness and specific information.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

LAKE COUNTY

Lake County CA Sheriff’s Department

SOLANO COUNTY

Fairfield, CA Police

Solano Sheriff

Twitter accounts & #hashtags

#sonomafire

Santa Rosa

@ MendoSheriff

@ CityofNapa

#GOES16

@ NWSBayArea

From Sonoma County

News Links

• ABC7
• NBC
• KPIX-CBS
• KRON4.com (CPU overload with too many crappy flash and animations running.)