Fires in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa counties immediate evacuations

Residents of several Bay Area counties fled their homes on Monday under mandatory evacuation orders as inland temperatures rose above 100 degrees and firefighters battled a series of fast-spreading forest fires sparked by lightning storms – with the risk of more on top of that Are gone.

The National Weather Service warned of red flags in Northern California through Monday evening as extreme weather conditions increased the risk of wildfires across the area. An excessive heat warning should stay in place through Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the state, temperatures reached even more astonishing levels – in Death Valley, temperatures hit 130 degrees on Sunday, possibly the hottest global temperature ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service.

The chief of California’s primary power grid manager warned that rolling blackouts were imminent on Monday, but later said they weren’t needed. Grid managers blamed the electricity shortage on several factors, most important of which was the extreme and widespread nature of the heat wave, forcing brooding households to crank up energy-efficient air conditioning systems.

“We will see more thunderstorms across the region,” said Brian Garcia, a meteorologist with the agency’s Bay Area division. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more forest fires, but it all depends on where lightning strikes.”

This video was captured by CHP Golden Gate Air Operations at 6:36 a.m. near Lake Hennessey and St. Helena. A spokesman said 911 calls reporting a fire were received almost 10 minutes after that video was recorded. Courtesy of Golden Gate CHP. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that excruciating temperatures across California had “put tremendous pressure on firefighters” as the state fought at least 15 fires.

However, the governor said firefighters are confident they will be able to tackle smaller flames quickly, while some of the larger fires, like the river fire near Monterey, may take longer to contain.

Napa County officials ordered evacuations Monday due to the LNU Lightning Complex fires – a string of more than 60 lightning-related fires that began Monday. Most were less than an acre in size, but two were large and not included: the Hennessey and Gamble Fires. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the complex burned down more than 300 acres on Monday evening. The Hennessey Fire burned 2,500 acres in hilly terrain about 25 miles northeast of Santa Rosa. The gambling fire burned about 600 acres north of Lake Berryessa.

Evacuation orders also existed for the Alameda County marsh fire, which burned 1,775 acres Monday night, and the Deer Zone Fires in eastern Contra Costa County near Brentwood, which burned more than 1,160 acres Monday night.

Smoke rises from the # MarshFire that burns near Calaveras and Welch Creek Streets in #Sunol. The fire burned 1775 acres and is 0% included in @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/qfCAN8NNuP

– Jessica Christian (@jachristian) August 17, 2020

In the Marsh Fire, a combination of four bursts of vegetation that began Sunday, residents of about 10 houses on Welch Creek Road near Sunol, about 10 miles south of Pleasanton, were ordered to vacate their homes. No injuries were reported.

Mike Cerny, 74, has lived in one of these 10 houses with his wife for 40 years. On Sunday evening, Cerny watched fire engines park in the driveways of his home and in the homes of his neighbors. Before they had to be evacuated Monday afternoon, Cerny said he could see flames from at least two fires from all the windows of the house.

They grabbed their photos and other irreplaceable valuables and left behind the house Cerny had built, including his wife’s antique Barbie doll collection.

“We could see the flames over the ridge, the smoke,” he said of a Jack in the Box parking lot, eating his first meal of the day, a sourdough jack sandwich, and his first coffee in 24 hours. “I don’t think anything hit us that could happen.”

The Deer Zone Fires also broke out on Sunday evening, and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Deputies evacuated residents along Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory roads southeast of Brentwood and north of Livermore.

The Red Cross sheltered evacuees from Deer Zone Fires in nearby hotel rooms on Monday, according to a senior with the Brentwood Department of Parks and Recreation.

The fire damage along Marsh Creek Road in Alameda County.Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle

During 20 years and numerous fires, Clint C., 49, and Kirsten C., 45, a couple who live in a RV park on Marsh Creek Road, said they were evacuated only four times, including Sunday evening. About a dozen fire engines were on the road while the police drove up and down the street with sirens on, honking their horns and telling residents to flee.

“You get scared and excited,” said Clint. “It was stressful.”

“We were scared this time,” said Kirsten. “We thought something was going to get into our house. This fire is not funny. “

They packed up their two cats and their dog and drove to see Clint’s mother-in-law in San Ramon, where they stayed overnight.

“It was a nightmare to get the pets out,” said Clint.

Much further south, in Monterey County, the rapidly growing river fire east of Salinas hit 2,800 acres Monday, according to Cal Fire. Five houses were destroyed, 1,500 other buildings were threatened and four firefighters suffered heat-related injuries while fighting the fire.