8:50 p.m. update:
Four people are confirmed to have died in the LNU Complex Fire that has now exploded to 215,000 acres in size and is still 0% contained.
Little is known about the victims, but CAL FIRE officials say three victims were found in Napa County and one was found in Solano County.
Four other civilians were injured, officials said. More than 30,000 structures are threatened, 480 structures have been destroyed, and 125 other structures suffered damage.
The Hennessey Fire, which is a combination of six different fires [Gamble, Green, Aetna, Markley, Spanish, Morgan and Round] is currently 192,000 acres and is 0% contained.
The Walbridge Fire, which merged with the Stewarts Fire, is currently 20,000 acres and 0% contained.
The Meyers Fire is currently 3,000 acres and is 0% contained.
6 p.m. update:
Cal Fire, state and local officials give an update on the LNU Complex Fires and their current response during a virtual community briefing.
Press play on the Facebook video below to watch or click this link.
4:30 p.m. update:
While giving an update on Facebook Live, Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara announced a fatality in connection to the LNU Complex Fires.
The man, who lived on Pleasant Valley Road, was found as crews did a damage assessment.
The victim will not be identified until next of kin is notified.
4 p.m. update:
Vacaville PD says the new website which lets residents determine if their home is in an evacuation zone is experiencing some delays. The website is slow to load, as Vacaville says tens fo thousands of users are trying to access the resource.
Local elected officials visited the Solano County Office of Emergency to learn about action taken to contain the LNU Lightning Complex Fire. The fire remains 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Yolo County added an evacuation center today in Guinda at 7447 State Hwy. 16 for people fleeing the fire. Those who need assistance with large or small animals can call the Yolo County Sheriff Non-Emergency Response Line at (530) 666-8282.
3:30 p.m. update:
More evacuations have been ordered in Lake County, with residents in these areas urged to leave immediately:
- All areas west of highway 29 (including areas west of Saint Helena Creek Rd.)
- North and East of the Lake/Napa County line
- South of Anderson Springs Rd., Neft Rd., and the Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Park area to the intersection of Hofacker Ln. and SR-29.
- Middletown proper
Recent maps from NWS Bay Area show a thick fog of smoke and ash as it accumulates in the Sacramento area and Central Valley.
2:30 p.m. update:
Vacaville will lift some evacuation orders in phases. Residents can reenter to following areas safely:
- East side of N. Alamo from Monte Vista Ave., north to Fruitvale Rd. and east to N. Orchard
- Areas of Browns Valley, including east of Wrentham Dr. to Browns Valley Pkwy and east of Wrentham Drive north to Vaca Valley Pkwy.
To find out if your address is included, the city of Vacaville has created a tool to help residents determine if their home is in an evacuation zone.
1:20 p.m. update:
The city of Fairfield has lifted all evacuation orders in the city.
Fairfield Police posted on Facebook that the last evacuation orders for the remaining Rancho Solano section around the clubhouse were lifted, meaning all residents in the City of Fairfield can return to their homes.
Firefighters are still working in the area and police warned the people may see them working behind some houses.
Lyon Road at Hilborn Road is still closed because of power lines that are down.
1 p.m. update:
The city of Vacaville has created a tool to help residents determine if their home is in an evacuation zone.
The Vacaville Police Department tweeted Thursday that because of multiple agencies releasing evacuation information, "We know there's been some confusion regarding the varying evacuation maps, and offer our sincere apologies."
After you type in your address, you'll either receive a messaging saying "Boundary Status: ACTIVE" which means you are in an evacuation area or "No results found" which means you are not in an active evacuation area.
12:15 p.m. update:
Cal Fire still reports the fire at 0% containment and are asking people to still prepared to leave the area, even as some evacuation orders lift.
People should remain calm but quick when evacuating, said Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick in a press conference. He asked residents to "please fight that urge" of pulling over to take pictures or look, as this will create traffic problems and other issues when evacuating.
10:45 a.m. update:
A PG&E employee and 37-year IBEW 1245 member has died as he assisted first responders in the LNU Lightning Complex Fire zone.
Steve Wink, 60, was in Gates Canyon area of Vacaville, clearing poles and lines for emergency responders when he was found unresponsive in his car, according to a CAL FIRE update.
10:15 a.m. update:
Vacaville Police Department confirms the following areas have had their evacuation orders lifted: areas south of I-80, including Alamo Dr. south of I-80 to Marna Dr., California Dr. and Peabody Rd.
Areas that must remain evacuated include the North Alamo and Foothill neighborhood, areas north of Fruitvale Rd. and west of North Orchard Rd., as well as neighborhoods west of Browns Valley Pkwy.
9:45 a.m. update:
Evacuation orders are being lifted within the city of Fairfield except for the neighborhood surrounding Rancho Solano Club House.
The Fairfield Police Department says that firefighters are still combating the fire around many residential areas in Fairfield, and while residents may not see flames, there is a still a safety concern due to flare-ups, weather conditions, and smoke and ash.
Evacuation centers are still available and are listed below:
- Rodriquez High School
- Armijo High School
- Joseph Nelson Center-611 Village Drive, Suisun City
- Lambrecht Fields- Petersen Rd., Suisun City
8:40 a.m update:
A new update on the LNU Lightning Complex Fire from Cal Fire shows firefighters are making progress in the efforts to control the fire.
The fire has now burned 131,000 acres, that's up about 7,000 acres from last night, a much slower spread than we saw on Wednesday. There is still no containment on the fire. At least 8,000 people were ordered to evacuate Wednesday night in the Russian River area of Solano County.
Cal Fire reports 105 structures have been destroyed, with another 70 structures damaged. No change from last night's update.
The number of structures threatened has grown to 30,500. That increase comes as we see some cities like Vacaville and Fairfield begin to lift evacuations in some areas.
Cal Fire also reports four people were hurt by the fire. PG&E reported one of its workers died while helping first responders.
Firefighters say they are still dealing with extreme fire behavior, as the fire makes runs in multiple directions and impacts several communities. Cal Fire also shared updated evacuation information for Napa County, Sonoma County and Lake County.
8:15 a.m. update:
Law enforcement in Vacaville is urging people in the evacuated areas to not return to their homes.
Vacaville police tweeted, "The evacuation orders for North Vacaville including North Alamo Drive, areas west of N. Orchard and north of Fruitvale, and west of Browns Valley Pkwy are still in effect. We ask that residents in those areas not return to their homes until further notice, as firefighters are still monitoring nearby hot spots."
The city of Vacaville said officials are meeting this morning and will provide an update later. You can check current evacuations on this map here.
Vacaville police also shared a video on Twitter showing the dense smoke in the city.
Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion is urging people to take precautions to protect themselves from the smoke and bad air quality.
"It's very hard to breathe in this kind of environment. So, what you can do is limit the time you are outdoors to what is just necessary, stay inside," said Chief Concepcion. " And if you have a damper on your air-handling system, like you air conditioner, make sure that's closed so the ash can't get in and get inside your house."
6:45 a.m. update:
PG&E confirms that a Vacaville-based troubleman died while helping first responders on the LNU Lightning Complex Fire. A troubleman's job is to investigate and find the cause of a power outage.
PG&E spokesperson Brandi Merlo said in a statement, "out of respect for the family’s privacy, we won’t be sharing additional details at this time."
Original Story:
Evacuation orders have slowly started to lift on Wednesday morning in Solano County after the LNU Lightning Complex Fire exploded in size to 124,100 acres.
To understand the spread of the LNU Lightning Complex Fire, here is a map of areas of greatest concern and where to locate evacuation centers in the Fairfield and Vacaville areas.
According to Cal Fire, the LNU Lightning Complex Fire has destroyed at least 105 houses and damaged 70 more. 25,000 more structures are threatened by the fire. Those numbers were released at 7 p.m. Wednesday night and could change later this morning.
Cal Fire reported extreme fire behavior with spotting that is challenging the firefighting efforts. The fire agency is also dealing with some strong winds in the fire area.
The Solano County Office of Emergency Services updated evacuation orders on Facebook as of 4 a.m. as well as on this map.
Vacaville
Evacuation orders for the areas south of I-80, including Alamo Dr. south of I-80 to Marna Dr., and California Dr. and Peabody Rd. have been lifted.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for neighborhoods west of Browns Valley Pkwy., North Alamo, Foothill, and areas west of North Orchard and north of Fruitvale.
Solano OES also said that areas East of Browns Valley Rd. and East of Peabody Rd. are not under mandatory evacuation orders.
Fairfield
Fairfield has lifted evacuation orders for parts of Paradise Valley, from Shaker Run south to Manuel Campos, according to Solano OES.
Police said residents living in the open areas of Paradise Valley may return home if they could provide proof of residence at traffic control points so officers could protect homes from potential looters.
Fairfield Police also posted the evacuation order was lifted for residents in the areas of Peabody Road, Cement Hill Rd and Vanden Rd.
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base ordered mandatory evacuations for all non-mission essential personnel and their family members on Wednesday night.
As of 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday, the South Gate to the base was closed. The Main Gate and North Gate are still open.
Yolo County
Yolo County issued mandatory evacuations for residents in zones 8, 15, 31, 46, 55, 58 and 60. You can find updates for Yolo County here.
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, in 2019, California wildfires burned just under 260,000 acres from 7,860 incidents. Over 700 structures were damaged or destroyed and three people were killed. This follower two years of some of the “deadliest and most destructive wildfires” in California history.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans to best prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
WATCH: Cal Fire: How to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season