Northern California Wildfire Grows to 10,000 Acres, Forces Evacuations

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A wind-driven wildfire has forced evacuations north of San Francisco in Sonoma County.

The state firefighting agency Cal Fire says the blaze near Geyserville has grown to 10,000 acres (15 square miles) early Thursday. The Sonoma County sheriff’s office says evacuations have been ordered.

A firefighter lights a back fire during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. - The fire broke out in spite of rolling blackouts by utility companies in both northern and Southern California. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

A firefighter lights a back fire during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images)

Embers and smoke spread over a hillside during the Kincade fire near Geyserville, California on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images)

Embers blow in the wind as the Kincaide Fire burns through the area on October 24, 2019 in Geyserville, California. Fueled by high winds, the Kincaide Fire has burned over 7,000 acres in a matter of hours and has prompted evacuations in the Geyserville area. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The National Weather Service says winds around the highest areas of Sonoma County have been blowing at speeds up to 70 mph, and elsewhere in the region there are winds between 30 mph and 50 mph.

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