Logan Hertel of Santa Rosa used a garden
hose to fight flames at a neighbor’s house in
the Skyhawk neighborhood until firefighters
could relieve him.
“Seems like they got enough on their hands
already. So I wanted to step in and put out the
fire,” Hertel said.
Dominic Wiggens, who lives in the same
neighborhood, evacuated but returned
later Monday. His home was still standing,
but many others were gone. “It’s so sad,”
he said.
Pacific Gas & Electric was inspecting its
equipment as it sought to restore power to
more than 100,000 customers who had it
turned off in advance of gusty winds and
in areas with active fire zones. The utility’s
equipment has caused previous disasters,
including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85
people and devastated the town of Paradise
in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Evacuations were also ordered in Shasta
County as the Zogg Fire spread over 23
square miles (59 square kilometers).
Residences are widely scattered in the
forested area in the far northern part of the
state. The region was torched just two years
ago by the deadly Carr Fire — infamously
remembered for producing a huge tornado-like
fire whirl.
The causes of the new fires were under
investigation.
Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services, said 2020 has
been challenging.