By Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Sonoma county, California as the Kincade fire continues to burn thousands of acres.
After a brief break from howling gusts, residents and firefighters in Northern California’s Sonoma County braced for more ferocious “Diablo winds” Saturday, prompting new evacuations of at least 50,000 people near the roaring Kincade Fire.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office called the evacuations the biggest in the county in more than a quarter-century.
“We need our community members to take these warnings seriously … it’s time to drop things, pack and go,” said Healdsburg Mayor David Hagele, one of two towns on the evacuation list.
At a news conference, Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli called the rapid approach of wildfires “a life-threatening situation and a danger to our entire town.”
The 900 residents of Geyserville cleared out on Friday.
