Authorities have ordered at least 50,000 people in Northern California to evacuate on Saturday as a potentially “catastrophic” wind event could amplify the wildfires that have scorched the area.
The entire towns of Healdsburg and Windsor are set to evacuate ahead of strong winds that may lead to erratic fire behavior.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office expects to be the biggest evacuation in the county in over 25 years with Sheriff Mark Essick saying its the largest evacuation order he’s experienced in his 26-year career.
“This fire is very dangerous,” Essick said at a press conference Saturday.
Weather forecasts indicate that strong winds are set to impact much of the region over the weekend. Some gusts are projected to reach 85 mph and there’s a possibility of it being a record wind event, the National Weather Service warned,
“The winds are expected anywhere between 8 p.m. and midnight and from all reports they’re expected to be extremely strong,” said Brian Vitorelo with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Mayor of Windsor encouraged residents to get out quickly.
“This is a life-threatening situation and a danger to our entire town,” Foppoli told ABC News.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) confirmed it would initiate a mass power shut-off of nearly 940,000 customers on Saturday, with the total impacted rising from 2.5 to 2.8 million.