NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire began burning on the Sonoma County side of The Geysers area on Sunday morning, with resources coming in from around the region to assist with fighting the blaze.
The Sawmill fire, located in the 13000 block of Big Geysers Road 10 miles east of Cloverdale, was first reported late Sunday morning, according to radio reports.
Shortly after 2 p.m., Cal Fire air attack estimated the fire to be between 250 and 300 acres.
While it was sending large amounts of smoke into Lake County, as of 2 p.m. the Lake County Sheriff's Office said there was no indication from Cal Fire that the fire had crossed into Lake County.
Lake County Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown arrived at the scene early Sunday afternoon where he met with incident command.
He told Lake County News that, as of just before 2:30 p.m., the fire was moving away from Lake County.
Cal Fire dispatched ground and air crews, with helicopters, large air tankers and air attack from around the region so far playing a key role in the fight.
During the course of the late morning and early afternoon, hot winds increased around the region, and the fire was reported to have grown.
At about 1 p.m., evacuations were being ordered in the fire area near Cloverdale, according to incident command.
Brown said employees at The Geysers were evacuated, as were some nearby cabins.
A call on Sunday afternoon went out to Lake County's fire districts for an immediate need strike team of five engines.
Districts from around the lake committed to sending engines, with the strike team staging on Sawmill Road, based on radio reports.
Brown said he witnessed the fire northwest of the power unit 7/8 at The Geysers, with a west wind on it.
He said DC-10s were making retardant drops between the fire and the Lake County line.
Firefighters also were conducting backfiring, and letting those fires move down the hill and join the main fire in order to keep it from spreading, he said.
Brown said crews were doing a good job of keeping the fire from moving to the north and northeast.
He urged Lake County residents to remain calm, acknowledging that the fire looks “like a monster” from certain vantage points, including the area of Bottle Rock Road.
“Lake County is not in any imminent danger,” he said shortly before 2:30 p.m.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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