Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency on Sunday due to extreme high-wind events that have resulted in fires and evacuations across California.
The Tick Fire in the Sand Canyon area of Santa Clarita has burned 4,615 acres as of Sunday morning, and destroyed 22 structures, according to a multiagency update. More than 900 firefighters remained onscene at the Tick Fire on Sunday, with more of them ready should further need arise, officials said.
The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County has burned more than 30,000 acres and has left nearly 200,000 people under evacuation orders, authorities said. There are over 3,000 local, state and federal personnel, including fire responders working on the fire, which destroyed 79 structures.
“We are deploying every resource available, and are coordinating with numerous agencies as we continue to respond to these fires. It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders, and have the local and state resources they need as we fight these fires,” Newsom said.
Earlier this week, Newsom secured grants to help ensure the availability of resources for fighting the Tick and Kincade fires.
The governor met with first responders, health officials and residents of Los Angeles, Napa and Geyserville this week to discuss the ongoing fire threats and the need to hold utilities accountable for the consequences of their decisions to shutoff power throughout the state, the governor’s office said.
The latest evacuation orders of nearly 200,000 people in Northern California came after Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest utility, shut off power to 2.3 million people across 36 counties starting Saturday evening, authorities said.
