Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Surge in Wine Country

One blaze in northern California burns 7K acres in less than 5 hours
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 28, 2020 3:25 PM CDT
Winds Push Wildfires Through Wine Country. Thousands Flee
A California Highway Patrol officer watches flames from the Zogg Fire near Igo on Monday.   (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Thousands of people fled new, rapidly moving wildfires in northern California on Monday that have scorched almost 10,000 acres. Nearly all of northern California is under a red flag warning by the National Weather Service, with a heat wave and gusty winds compounding the difficulties faced by firefighters. A Cal Fire spokesman said the fires are moving at "a dangerous rate of spread," per USA Today. In less than five hours, the Zogg Fire roared through 7,000 acres near Redding. In Napa Valley, the Glass Fire took 2,500 acres of wine country, including the Chateau Boswell winery. "It's a cremation," said a man whose family raises grapes in St. Helena, per CNN. Flames jumped the Silverado Trail and the Lodi River, destroying structures and vineyards. A hospital had to be evacuated.

Pushed by 70mph winds, the North Complex fire was closing in Paradise, a town that endured the worst wildfire in state history two years ago. An evacuation warning has been issued for Paradise, per the Los Angeles Times. Electricity was being shut off in 16 counties. In Southern California, the Bobcat Fire, which has been burning since Sept. 6, is still only 62% contained, reports Fox News. More than 114,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest have burned, and the Los Angeles area remains under a cloud of smoke. California has had at least 8,100 wildfires this year, which have burned more than 3.7 million acres. Since Aug. 15, 26 people have been killed. One person who had to evacuate three weeks ago in northern California and again this weekend said: "It gets tiring, it's becoming a lifestyle." (More California wildfires stories.)

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