California governor declares statewide emergency as Kincade Fire grows to 50,000 acres

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency on Sunday as wind-whipped wildfires in the north and south of the state gobbled up land, destroyed homes and forced almost 200,000 people to flee.

In Northern California’s wine country outside San Francisco, the Kincade Fire has grown to about 50,000 acres and is 10% contained, Newsom said Sunday. That’s up from 30,000 acres reported earlier in the day. The governor estimated 180,000 people evacuated because of the fire, which CalFire says destroyed 79 structures.

The Tick Fire, burning near Santa Clarita in the southern part of the state, destroyed at least 22 structures and threatened 10,000 more, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Sunday.

Meanwhile, Californians outside the fire zones find themselves in the dark – literally.

About 1 million Pacific Gas and Electric customers lost power – 965,000 because of the Public Safety Power Shutoff, and an additional 100,000 for other reasons, said Mark Quinlan, PG&E incident commander.

Californians should not expect immediate relief. Strong winds will keep blowing into Monday and a second batch of Santa Ana winds may hit Southern California in the middle of the week, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

Winds hit the 70-80 mph range on Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Newsom’s proclamation mentioned a “historic wind event” and said “fire weather conditions are unprecedented due to the scale, scope, wind speed and dry fuel conditions.”

“We are deploying every resource available, and are coordinating with numerous agencies as we continue to respond to these fires,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”

Flames consume the Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg, California.

Kincade Fire spreading fast

The rapid growth of the Kincade Fire alarmed fire officials and residents like Christopher Bingham. He said his family prepared to evacuate, but he was still surprised to see a wall of fire approaching his house in Geyserville a few days ago.

“It was 5:30 a.m. when I looked out and saw flames within 400 yards of my house,” he told CNN affiliate WPIX. “It was time to get out.”

That fire now threatens 31,175 other homes and buildings, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Authorities have increased evacuation orders to cover 180,000 people in Sonoma County, the sheriff’s office said.

“This is the largest evacuation that any of us at the Sheriff’s Office can remember,” the department tweeted. “Take care of each other.”

The Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital evacuated patients in Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County seat devastated by fire two years ago. The historic Soda Rock Winery in Sonoma County went up in flames.

Newsom said 3,000 fire personnel are working on the Kincade Fire. Resources have been brought in from San Diego and southern California to help, he said.

Photos: Wildfires scorch California

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Firefighters spray water on a backfire while battling the spread of the Maria Fire on Friday, November 1. It is just one of the numerous wildfires in California right now.

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A firefighter works at containing the Maria Fire in the hills near Ventura, California, on November 1.

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Firefighters spray water onto a tree while fighting the Maria Fire in Ventura County, California, on November 1.

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A long-exposure photo shows the Maria Fire as it races across a hillside in Santa Paula, California, on November 1.

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Firefighters watch the progress of a backfire near Somis.

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The remains of the Louis Robidoux Nature Center keep smoldering after the structure was destroyed by a wildfire in Riverside, California.

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A firefighter sprays down the smoldering remains of a burning home in San Bernardino, California, on Thursday, October 31. It was affected by the Hillside Fire.

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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Marco Alcaraz uses a garden hose to try to slow down the advance of the Easy Fire in Simi Valley.

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Christian Monterrosa/AP

Firefighters work to prevent a blaze from spreading to other homes in San Bernardino.

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An Air Force One from Ronald Reagan's presidency sits on display as the Easy Fire burns near Reagan's presidential library on October 30.

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Christian Monterrosa/AP

Firefighters brace themselves for incoming fire retardant as they battle the Easy Fire in Simi Valley.

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Fabio Losurdo comforts his horse, Smarty, at a ranch in Simi Valley on October 30.

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Flames approach the backyards of mobile homes in Jurupa Valley, California, on October 30.

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Laura Horvitz, right, and Robyn Phipps help rescue goats from a ranch near the Reagan Presidential Library.

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Health care workers evacuate the Riverside Heights Healthcare Center on October 30.

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Noah Berger/AP

Inmate firefighters battle the Kincade Fire near Healdsburg, California, on Tuesday, October 29.

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Guy Wathen/AP

A home between Healdsburg and Windsor is surrounded by charred ground on October 29.

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Wally Skalij/AP

From left, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tour a burned home in Brentwood, California, on October 29.

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Firefighters work near the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Monday, October 28.

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Thousands of Los Angeles residents were forced to evacuate their homes because of the Getty Fire.

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Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

Los Angeles County firefighter Collin Bashara rests near his truck on October 28.

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Noah Berger/AP

Smoke from the Kincade Fire hangs over Healdsburg as farm animals graze in a pasture on October 28.

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Christian Monterrosa/AP

A man walks past a burning home in Los Angeles on October 28.

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Gregory Bull/AP

Fire crews walk along a blackened ridge as they battle the Getty Fire in Los Angeles.

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Ethan Swope/AP

Firefighters battling the Kincade Fire spray water at a home in Windsor on Sunday, October 27.

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Firefighters burn fuel around a home in Windsor in an effort to save it from the Kincade Fire.

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Noah Berger/AP

Dr. Emily Putt, a veterinarian who helps rescue horses from fire zones, comforts a horse as the Kincade Fire burns in Healdsburg on October 27.

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Noah Berger/AP

A firefighter passes a burning home as the Kincade Fire rages in Healdsburg on October 27.

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Stephen Lam/Reuters

Vines smolder in a cloud of smoke in Healdsburg.

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Noah Berger/AP

Flames from the Kincade Fire consume a home in Healdsburg.

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Stephen Lam/Reuters

A team of firefighters put out a smoldering vine in Healdsburg.

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Noah Berger/AP

The Soda Rock Winery burns in the Kincade Fire.

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Noah Berger/AP

Firefighters from the Dry Creek Rancheria remove an American flag in Healdsburg.

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A firefighter watches over a structure as the Kincade Fire threatens Chalk Hill Road in Healdsburg.

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A firefighter sets a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg on Saturday, October 26.

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Noah Berger/AP

A line of fire snakes along a hillside as firefighters light backfires to slow the spread of the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, California, on October 26.

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Noah Berger/AP

Sodhi Singh closes up his Chevron station shortly after losing power in Healdsburg on October 26. In an attempt to avoid any more catastrophic wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric began shutting down the power to about 940,000 customers, citing a historic wind event in northern and central parts of the state.

Photos: Wildfires scorch California

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A backfire set by firefighters burns along a hillside in Healdsburg.

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Noah Berger/AP

Sandy Beddow evacuates Healdsburg with her dog.

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Firefighters set a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg.

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Firefighters hose down a burning house in Agua Dulce, California, on Friday, October 25. It was affected by the Tick Fire, which broke out near Santa Clarita.

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Orange County firefighters put out remaining hot spots from a brush fire in San Clemente, California, on October 25.

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A firefighting aircraft intervenes over Sonoma County, California, where the Kincade Fire was burning on October 25.

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Noah Berger/AP

A firefighter sprays water on a burning home in Sonoma County on Thursday, October 24.

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A Los Angeles County firefighter monitors the area as the Tick Fire burns near homes in Canyon Country on October 24.

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Noah Berger/AP

The Kincade Fire burns in the Jimtown community of Sonoma County on October 24.

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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

A firefighter works the scene of a burned-out home in Santa Clarita on October 24.

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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Brandon Mani covers his face from the smoke as he walks along Highway 14 in Santa Clarita.

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Noah Berger/AP

A helicopter passes a smoke plume on October 24.

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A structure continues to burn after the Kincade Fire moved through Geyserville on October 24.

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Geyserville, about 80 miles north of San Francisco, is among the communities under mandatory evacuation order.

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Stephen Lam/Reuters

Two firefighters discuss a plan while battling the wildfire in Geyserville.

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Stephen Lam/Reuters

The sun rises above a smoke-filled valley in Geyserville on October 24.

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Kent Porter/AP

A fire whirl whips across dry brush as the Kincade Fire spreads through Sonoma County on October 24.

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Trees burn as the fire engulfs a hillside in Geyserville.

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Noah Berger/AP

Embers fly across a roadway in Jimtown on October 24.

Prev Next

Two vegetation fires broke out in the city of Vallejo in the San Francisco Bay area Sunday morning, temporarily shutting down traffic on the Interstate 80 at the Carquinez Bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol. The city’s mayor, Bob Sampayan, said the fire was 80% contained after burning some 140 acres.

The California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) evacuated the waterfront campus due to the vegetation fires. Cal Maritime is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast.

In San Francisco proper, winds blew with such force that authorities advised motorists not to drive campers and trailers across the San Francisco Bridge.

In the East Bay city of Martinez, winds blew down a tree onto a farmer’s market Sunday morning, injuring nine people, WPIX reported.

Tick Fire destroys 22 structures

Down in the Los Angeles area, “critical fire weather conditions are in place across Southern California today as winds ramp up across the region this evening,” Brink said.

The Tick Fire, burning near Santa Clarita, had destroyed at least 22 structures and was threatening 10,000 more, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Sunday.

Ferocious winds, with gusts up to 80 mph, mixed with dry vegetation and critically low humidity of less than 10% have spawned the extreme fire threat, Brink said.

Several areas are under red flag warnings, which are issued when a weather event could lead to “extreme fire behavior that will occur within 24 hours,” Cal Fire said.

That brings the possibility for “very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior with any new ignitions Sunday night into Monday,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said.

“A second, potentially stronger Santa Ana wind event is forecast to occur Wednesday into Thursday, with winds gusting to 70 mph,” Brink said.

Firefighters set a back fire Saturday to try to contain the Kincade Fire in Healdsburg, California.

More than 1 million people in the dark

In an effort to avert any more wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric has shut off power to 960,000 customers, PG&E said Sunday.

But the number of people without power is higher, since electric customers include houses and businesses.

PG&E Corp. workers walk on a road while inspecting electrical lines in Calistoga, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. In a deliberate blackout designed to keep power lines from igniting wildfires, PG&E and other utilities have cut service to nearly 200,000 homes and business in shutoffs that could eventually affect 1.5 million people as wind storms threaten to knock down power lines. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Millions of people start to lose power as PG&E tries to prevent more wildfires

Residents in parts of 38 counties in the Northern and Southern Sierra Foothills, the North Bay and Mendocino, the Bay Area, the Central Coast and the Central Valley are part of the rolling blackouts, the company said.

PG&E announced the current shutoff last week. The company has made preventive shutoffs all over northern and central California in recent weeks, but this one could be the largest.

“This (public safety power shutoff) action is based on forecasts of historic dry, hot and windy weather that poses a significant risk for damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread,” PG&E said.

Paradise, the town devastated by last year’s deadly Camp Fire, is among the areas scheduled to lose power.

CVS Pharmacy shift supervisor James Quinn throws out ice cream from darkened freezers as downtown Sonoma, Calif., remains without power on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019. Pacific Gas and Electric has cut power to more than half a million customers in Northern California hoping to prevent wildfires during dry, windy weather throughout the region. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Why Californians are furious at the power company PG&E

Californians tired of losing electricity might have to get used to it.

Earlier this year, the company warned it could proactively cut power more often during risky weather conditions as a means of preventing wildfires caused by high winds downing live power equipment.

The preventive power outages may continue for a decade, PG&E’s chief executive said earlier this month.

PG&E has came under widespread criticism and agreed to pay billions for its role in the 2018 Camp Fire, California’s deadliest and most destructive blaze.

A Cal Fire investigation found the company responsible for the fire. PG&E acknowledged it’s “probable” that its equipment started the fire.

Helping evacuees

More than 700 hosts in Northern California have opened up their homes and rental properties via Airbnb to evacuees leaving their homes due to the Kincade Fire, according to Airbnb.

Hosts in the region are opening their homes for free until November 7 to displaced residents and relief workers deployed to help.

CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian, Hollie Silverman and Amanda Watts contributed to this report.