More than a week after a trio of historic wildfires around the Bay Area prompted their first evacuation orders, some residents got the OK to return home, and more approvals were on the horizon.
But that return home could still be a week away or more for those in the most affected areas — and there were still some new evacuation orders being issued north of the Bay Area late in the week, even as firefighters largely wrangled the three fires under control.
Altogether, they have burned nearly 820,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 structures and forced tens of thousands to flee. Six deaths have been attributed to the fires.
The CZU Lightning Complex, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, had burned 81,333 acres and was 21% contained Thursday morning. It had destroyed 646 structures and claimed the life of one Santa Cruz County man.
The LNU Lightning Complex, in the North Bay, had burned 368,868 acres and was 33% contained Thursday morning. It had damaged or destroyed more than 1,300 structures and killed five people. It trails only the 2018 Mendocino Complex fires as the largest in California’s history.
The SCU Lightning Complex, in the South Bay and further east, had burned 368,671 acres and was 35% contained Thursday morning. It trails only the LNU Complex and the 2018 Mendocino Complex fires as the largest in California’s history.
Follow below for the latest updates, and explore the map to see where fires are burning.
Cal Fire estimates another month before CZU Complex fully contained | Update 1:30 p.m.
Although an absence of significant wind and a break from hot, dry weather is helping firefighters control the fire above Ben Lomond in Santa Cruz County, “We’re not completely out of the woods yet,” said Cal Fire spokesman Dan Olson.
Crews have cut, scraped and burned a firebreak that runs across the mountainside above the town, but the fire up beyond it is still burning and as of Thursday afternoon it was not clear when evacuated Ben Lomond residents might be able to return, Olson said.
All in all, it could be about a month before the CZU Complex is controlled and mopped up to the point that the battle can be handed off to local departments now working under the agency’s command. Many firefighters will continue to be away from their homes and families indefinitely, as the fire is still burning and far from contained.
“We’re dealing with large, 100-year-old redwoods that once they start to burn it takes a lot to suppress,” Olson said. Mop-up will be a “long and drawn-out process,” he added. “This isn’t something that will be resolved in days or even weeks.”
— Ethan Baron
Swaths of San Mateo County reopen for residents to return | 12 p.m.
Evacuation orders for the La Honda, Pescadero, and San Gregorio parts of San Mateo County have been lifted as of noon Thursday, allowing residents to go home after days away.
“The local crews in La Honda have done such a great job with holding back this fire and also addressing and protecting the towns that are there,” said Sheriff’s Office Detective Rosemerry Blankswade in a briefing. “We feel confident … to be able to let the neighbors back in those areas without creating any danger or risk.”
Blankswade would not estimate when other evacuation orders may be lifted, noting Cal Fire crews still expect a “long haul” along the most active parts of the burn zone in Bonny Doon and Boulder Creek. Details of the noon changes are below.
More Lake and Solano County residents expected to head home in next two days | Update 11 a.m.
Evacuees across parts of Lake and Solano counties who fled from the LNU Complex may be homeward bound over the next 72 hours, Cal Fire officials said Thursday morning.
As crews corral the southern edges of the fire, officials are making plans to repopulate more areas near Fairfield and Winters, according to Chief Sean Kavanaugh. To the north, the Hennessey fire just south of Middletown remains firefighters’ main priority after it jumped Highway 16; those flames are largely contained on a plateau above the highway.
As for the Walbridge fire that had threatened Healdsburg and Calistoga earlier this week, Cal Fire Chief Waters said that Wednesday’s cooler weather and marine layer made for a “very good day.”
“We hope to make significant progress today,” Waters added.
Parts of Colusa County told to evacuate | Update 9 a.m.
While residents of Vacaville and Atlas Peak began heading home, fresh evacuation orders and warnings were handed down further north in Colusa County Thursday morning — including all residents those north of the Yolo County line, east of Highway 16, west of Sand Creek and south of Spring Valley Road.
LNU Complex overtakes SCU Complex in size | Update 7:45 a.m.
The LNU Complex burned another 8,000 acres overnight and fire crews’ containment of the fires remained at 33%, CalFire officials said in a Thursday morning update, enough to overtake the SCU Complex, which is burning simultaneously in Santa Clara and Alameda counties, and further east.
The blaze had grown in total size to 368,868 acres and damaged 1,080 structures, with another 272 damaged and more than 30,000 still threatened by the flames. Its growth overnight made it just larger than the SCU Complex, making it the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history, behind only the 2018 Mendocino Complex fires.
Both zones in the LNU Complex, the Hennessey Fire to the east and the Walbridge Fire to the west, were still burning strong Thursday morning. West of Healdsburg, the Walbridge Fire grew to 55,353 acres and remained at 19% containment. Near Lake Berryessa, the Hennessey Fire also grew in size overnight to 311,222 acres and remained 33% contained.
As recently as Wednesday evening, new evacuation orders and warnings were issued in parts of Yolo and Lake counties, on the northern edges of the LNU blazes.
Meanwhile, the SCU Complex grew by about 1,000 acres overnight, increasing its total acreage to 368,671 — about 200 acres smaller than the LNU Complex burning north of it. Crews increased their containment of the SCU Complex to 35%, the most of any of the fires currently burning around the Bay Area.
More progress made vs. CZU Complex, despite complications | Update 6:45 a.m.
Changes in the weather forced firefighters to call an audible Wednesday in their strategy to contain the CZU Lightning Complex fires burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The fire has grown by about 1,200 acres in the last 24 hours and crews have increased their containment to 21%, but they weren’t able to proceed with the controlled burn on the south edge of the flames, nor were they able to use the same level of air support as in recent days.
But still they have had “a lot of success” over the past few days and were moving “toward the potential of repopulation,” fire chief Mark Brunton said Wednesday morning. Fire officials were hopeful they would get an even tighter grip on the flames before the weather shifts again this weekend, with more hot, dry air and winds from the north.
Evacuation orders for parts of the UC Santa Cruz campus were lifted Wednesday evening, and the community of Scotts Valley could soon follow. It, however, is likely to be a longer wait for those in Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek and other harder-hit areas. Residents can see if they’ve been cleared to return on this official map.
“Over the course of the next 48 hours we’re going to be looking at repopulating different areas in and around this fire,” said incident commander Billy See. “It has to be a coordinated and methodical process.”
Multiple agencies have to coordinate to reactivate power and water to the evacuated areas, as well as inspect roadways for any possible damage. Crews were still working to gain access to Highway 236, which runs through Big Basin State Park.
Damage inspection crews discovered another 100 structures destroyed by the CZU fires in Santa Cruz County. These were places that burned previously and are only now being evaluated. The total destruction was at 646 structures Thursday morning, with another 23,000 under threat from the flames. CalFire officials said they had completed about 55% of the damage inspection.
Officials also said they had located one of the three people still unaccounted for, Henry Reinke, and they didn’t believe the other two were victims of the fires.
Catch up on all the updates from Wednesday here.
