The lights are coming back on in Mendocino county officials are increasingly optimistic that most people will have power by nightfall. In Lake County, the sheriff’s office says the power should be fully restored in 80 percent of the county by dark too. The City of Ukiah says ALL power has been restored there, and that anyone within the city limits who does not have power should check circuit breakers before calling the outage line at 707-463-6288. If you live in Ukiah and have food spoiled by the outage, officials say you can check the ukiahrecycles.com website for guidelines on how to dispose of it. Food safety experts are telling anyone who has food left refrigerated – if in doubt, toss it out.
As the lights come back on for PG &E customers, the news is also better from the fire lines. All evacuation warnings for the Burris fire have been lifted and the fire is said to be around 85 percent contained. Today’s operations have focused on mopping up hot spots and keeping an eye on containment lines.
Progress to report on the Kincaid fire too, as mandatory evacuation orders are being downgraded to warnings in Windsor, Healdsburg and parts of Geyserville which means those people can now return home at their own risk. The Sonoma sheriff’s office says those who go back should be aware conditions are still dangerous and that power and natural gas are still out in those areas. The Kincaid fire has burned more than 77,000 acres and is now officially listed as the largest ever in Sonoma county. Last reported containment was 30 percent and it may take another week for full containment. CalFire will be hosting a community meeting regarding Kincaid Fire update at Twin Pines Casino at 6:30 PM tonight. The meeting will be live streamed on the Lake County Facebook page.
People in Mendocino County who get CalFresh benefits can request replacement if they have experienced food loss as a result of the power shutoff. The agency says those people can contact the social services office in Fort Bragg on South Franklin Street and the Ukiah Social Services Office on S State St. for more information. A similar food replacement program is available in Lake County too, so if you are in need you can contact the Social Services Office on Anderson Ranch Parkway in Lower Lake, which will be open on Thursday from 8:00 to 5:00.
Even as fire conditions gradually improve in NORTHERN California, they remain dire elsewhere in the state. Crews are struggling to contain one large fire that has surrounded the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, which is home to countless historical items related to the former president.
