From Artemis, October 29:
California continues to be beset by dangerous fire weather conditions,
with some of the strongest winds yet possible from Tuesday into
Thursday, while the current wildfires are estimated to have put some $25
billion of property at severe risk of damage already.
In the north of California the Kincade wildfire in Sonoma County win
country remains the largest blaze and it has continued to spread in the
last day, now reaching almost 75,000 acres burned.
In total the
Kincade fire is still threatening over 90,000 properties right now, with
the city of Santa Rosa still seen at risk of the fires spread and
evacuations totalling close to 200,000 people in place.
Firefighters
have made some ground on Monday, with the Kincade fire now 15%
contained. But full containment is not expected until November 7th at
the soonest, given the weather conditions will remain conducive to the
burn continuing and its size continues to expand.
As of late
Monday local time, the Kincade wildfire had destroyed some 123
structures (57 residential, 5 commercial and 61 others), with another 20
structures, largely residential, damaged as well.
Further details
on the report from utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) that a
fault occurred on one of its transmission towers close to where
officials say the Kincade Fire started, near the town of Geyserville,
are not yet available. The incident is still being investigated by the
utility.
PG&E is already facing numerous issues, bankruptcy and enormous
claims from previous fires among them. The insurance and reinsurance
industry has now paid out billions in response to wildfires that have
been deemed caused by PG&E’s equipment, leading to subrogation
claims and other issues.
Meanwhile, the Tick wildfire in Canyon
County, northwestern Los Angeles County was restrained at under 5,000
acres and now 82% contained by firefighters, with 29 structures
destroyed and another 44 damaged. Around 10,000 residential properties
are considered still under threat.
In addition, the Getty fire has
burned over 600 acres and destroyed a number of homes in the high-value
hillside communities of Brentwood and surroundings in the Los Angeles
hills area....
....
MUCH MORE
