Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump Says Many Are Starving in Gaza, Vows to Set up Food Centers

3 hours ago

California Governor Candidate Stirs Outrage With Auschwitz ‘Unemployment Plan’ Post

4 hours ago

Gold Price to Stay Above $3,000/Oz as Flight to Safety Endures

6 hours ago

Trump Warns Iran That Its Nuclear Sites Could Be Bombed Again

6 hours ago

Israel Announces Daily Pauses in Gaza Fighting as Aid Airdrops Begin

1 day ago

California School Board Resigns After Audit Reveals $180M in Improper Funding

2 days ago

A First Look at Fresno State’s Quarterback Battle

3 days ago
Northern California Wildfires Threatening Thousands of Homes
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
August 20, 2020

Share

VACAVILLE — Wildfires raged through Northern California on Thursday, threatening thousands of homes and blackening the skies near San Francisco as crews struggled to surround them despite steep terrain and blistering heat.

In central California, a pilot on a water dropping mission in western Fresno County died Wednesday morning when his helicopter crashed about an hour from New Coalinga Municipal Airport.

The fires, many caused by lightning and sometimes pushed by strong winds, had burned hundreds of thousands of acres as they chewed through brushland, rural areas, canyon country and dense forest to the north, east and south of San Francisco. Fires also carved their way through the wine country and the Sierra Nevada.

In addition to about two dozen major blazes, small fires kept erupting, though most were quickly stopped.

In central California, a pilot on a water dropping mission in western Fresno County died Wednesday morning when his helicopter crashed about an hour from New Coalinga Municipal Airport.

The pilot, whose name has not been released, was working with Guardian Helicopters, based in Fillmore, which had a contract with the state fire agency to provide emergency services on a call-when-needed basis, said Zoe Keliher, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

A Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker died while assisting first responders at a fire in the Vacaville area between San Francisco and Sacramento but circumstances were not clear. The utility confirmed the death but gave no details, KPIX-TV reported.

The worker was found in a vehicle and CPR was performed but he was pronounced dead at a hospital, said a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection statement.

Hundreds of fires have erupted since the start of the week as a heat wave accompanied by humid air created a dangerous mix of triple-digit temperatures and thunderstorms that flashed lightning.

Photo of a CalFire crew
A CalFire crew from Coulterville takes a break while fighting the River Fire near Salinas, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Two Fires in Solano County Prompted Evacuation Orders for 8,000 Residents

California had recorded nearly 11,000 strikes in 72 hours, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.

Two fires in Solano County prompted evacuation orders for 8,000 residents near the Russian River Wednesday and residents of Healdsburg, which has a population of about 12,000, were warned late Wednesday night to be ready to flee.

Ash and smoke filled the air in San Francisco from at least seven fires — known as the LNU Lightning Complex — that had burned more than 100 buildings, including some homes, and threatened 25,000 others in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties.

Fire officials said there was “extreme fire behavior.”

“Fires are making runs in multiple directions and impacting multiple communities. A critically dry airmass is moving over the area bringing strong winds,” a Cal Fire statement said Wednesday night.

Four people had been injured, Cal Fire reported, but didn’t supply details except to say they weren’t firefighters.

Travis Air Force Base ordered non-mission essential personnel to evacuate, officials said.

Residents in nearby Vacaville, a city of about 100,000, were roused before dawn Wednesday by orders to flee.

Police and firefighters went door-to-door in a frantic scramble to warn residents to evacuate as flames encroached.

Karen Hansen had fled late Tuesday as flames approached her small farm.

The Family Fled With Some Animals but Had to Leave Two Beloved Horses

“The whole sky was red orange and it was coming over the hill there and it was massive. I’ve never seen anything like it and it only took a few minutes to get here,” she said.

In eastern San Francisco Bay, a cluster of 20 separate lightning-sparked fires called the SCU Lightning Complex threatened about 3,800 buildings in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

The family fled with some animals but had to leave two beloved horses. They returned Wednesday to find the house and barn destroyed, but Hansen was thrilled to see that her horses had survived.

“I’m not upset about the house. I’m just happy that my horses and animals are alive and my daughter,” she said.

John Gardiner, 60, stayed up all night after receiving an alert from a neighbor of oncoming fire just before midnight Wednesday.

“It was incredible — things swirling, winds just whipping through like a howling, ripping sound and then you could hear explosions going off,” he said. “You can taste smoke in your mouth.”

His house survived — for the moment.

In eastern San Francisco Bay, a cluster of 20 separate lightning-sparked fires called the SCU Lightning Complex threatened about 3,800 buildings in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

Five to seven people were injured in one of the fires in Stanislaus County, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse told the Sacramento Bee.

One had major burn injuries and all were taken by ambulance for treatment, he said.

Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires jump Interstate 80 in Vacaville, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. The highway was closed in both directions shortly afterward. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Some Firefighters Were Working 72-Hour Shifts Instead of the Usual 24 Hours

Someone evacuating on Monday had reported that workers at an illegal marijuana farm were still at the ranch but he couldn’t confirm if any were among the patients.

In addition, Cal Fire said two “first responders” to the fires had been injured but didn’t release details.

Fire crews were hampered by dense, dry brush in steep country, by smoke and haze that trapped heat, and by winds that at times gusted to 30 mph, Cal Fire reported. They spent Wednesday struggling to prevent flames from reaching buildings.

To the south of San Francisco in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, about 22,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of a fire burning in dense wooded parkland that threatened communities, Cal Fire spokesman Jonathan Cox said.

At least 20 homes had burned, fire officials said.

Resources were strapped, he said, given the number of fires burning in California.

Some firefighters were working 72-hour shifts instead of the usual 24 hours.

“We’re in the unfortunate position where firefighters are going to be spending several days out on the fire line,” Cox said. “It’s grueling, it’s exhausting.”

In Southern California, an 8-day-old blaze near Lake Hughes in northern Los Angeles County mountains continued to be a threat to 4,570 structures after destroying 21 buildings. It was 38% contained.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued

DON'T MISS

Senator to Unveil Aviation Safety Bill on Eve of Fatal Crash Hearing

DON'T MISS

Fox Business News Host Throws Shade at Merced Over High-Speed Rail

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He Turned Down Invitation to Epstein’s Island

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years for Role in Opioid Trafficking Scheme

DON'T MISS

Two Killed in Shooting at Nevada Casino, Local Media Reports

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Three, Recover Thousands in Stolen Goods During Search Warrant

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Wildfire Advisory Issued Near Lake Kaweah

DON'T MISS

Spirit Airlines to Furlough 270 Pilots, Demote 140 More on Downsized Schedule

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s Mission Thrift Has Its Third Fire in Recent Weeks

UP NEXT

California May Soon Ban Selling New Glocks Like Kamala Harris Owns

UP NEXT

Trump Asks for Swift Deposition of Murdoch in Epstein Defamation Case

UP NEXT

California School Board Resigns After Audit Reveals $180M in Improper Funding

UP NEXT

NASA Says 20% of Workforce to Depart Space Agency

UP NEXT

Jack McAuliffe, Who Started a Craft Beer Revolution, Dies at 80

UP NEXT

Key Player in California’s Water Wars Embraces Controversial Newsom Plan

UP NEXT

Tesla to Roll out Bay Area Robotaxis With Safety Drivers, Report Says

UP NEXT

California Political Lobbying Firm Agrees to Settle Federal Fraud Allegations

UP NEXT

California Cannot Require Background Checks to Buy Ammunition, US Appeals Court Rules

UP NEXT

Video-Sharing App Vine Is Returning ‘in AI Form’, Musk Says

Trump Says He Turned Down Invitation to Epstein’s Island

49 minutes ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years for Role in Opioid Trafficking Scheme

1 hour ago

Two Killed in Shooting at Nevada Casino, Local Media Reports

2 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Three, Recover Thousands in Stolen Goods During Search Warrant

2 hours ago

Tulare County Wildfire Advisory Issued Near Lake Kaweah

2 hours ago

Spirit Airlines to Furlough 270 Pilots, Demote 140 More on Downsized Schedule

2 hours ago

Fresno’s Mission Thrift Has Its Third Fire in Recent Weeks

3 hours ago

Multiple People Shot in Nevada Casino, AP Reports

3 hours ago

Trump Says Many Are Starving in Gaza, Vows to Set up Food Centers

3 hours ago

US Judge Blocks Trump-Backed Medicaid Cuts to Planned Parenthood

4 hours ago

Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued

Fresno firefighters rescued a cat from a burning home Saturday night as a residential fire left a house with significant damage and displace...

17 minutes ago

A Saturday, July 26, 2025, night house fire on North Gearhart in Fresno displaced residents and caused major damage, but no injuries were reported and firefighters rescued a cat from the home. (Fresno FD)
17 minutes ago

Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued

.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) looks on during a U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on the midair collision involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 27, 2025. (Reuters File)
37 minutes ago

Senator to Unveil Aviation Safety Bill on Eve of Fatal Crash Hearing

39 minutes ago

Fox Business News Host Throws Shade at Merced Over High-Speed Rail

A building is seen at Little St. James Island, one of the properties of financier Jeffrey Epstein, near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands August 17, 2019. (Reuters File)
49 minutes ago

Trump Says He Turned Down Invitation to Epstein’s Island

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years for Role in Opioid Trafficking Scheme

Photo of caution tape
2 hours ago

Two Killed in Shooting at Nevada Casino, Local Media Reports

Fresno police are seeking two suspects who stole several boxes of shoes from the WSS store on East Cesar Chavez Boulevard on February 20, 2025.
2 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Three, Recover Thousands in Stolen Goods During Search Warrant

Fire officials issued an advisory Monday for a wildland fire near Lake Kaweah in Tulare County, urging residents in zone TLC-E084 to stay informed, though no evacuation order is in place. (Genasys)
2 hours ago

Tulare County Wildfire Advisory Issued Near Lake Kaweah

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend