California governor declares state of emergency over wildfires

Flames destroy the Soda Rock Winery in Sonoma County, California.
(Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

With multiple wildfires burning, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency on Sunday.

The fires have torched roughly 50,000 acres across the state, resulting in the evacuations of at least 180,000 people. The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County has destroyed 79 structures and threatens 31,000 more, the Los Angeles Times reports, and has burned down several wineries, including the historic Soda Rock Winery. Fire officials are worried that the blaze will jump Highway 101, entering an area that hasn't burned since the 1940s. The fire is being fueled by high winds, and there are more than 3,000 local, state, and federal firefighters on the scene. In Southern California, the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita has burned more than 4,600 acres, and is 65 percent contained.

On Saturday night, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. started cutting electricity to 2 million customers in Northern California, and a spokeswoman said on Sunday that the lights might not go back on until Wednesday. The utility is waiting for winds to die down, saying that before the power can be turned back on, workers will have to finish inspecting lines for any damage.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.