With the North Bay's LNU Complex Fire topping 124,000 acres Wednesday and new state evacuation orders emerging every few hours, local and state officials urged Bay Area residents to take a variety of precautions.
The city of Healdsburg said Wednesday evening that all of its roughly 12,000 residents should be prepared to evacuate their homes "soon."
"Do not wait to start gathering your things and be ready to leave," the city's email said. "If you feel you are in danger, please evacuate now. Check with your neighbors to ensure they have been made aware of the warning."
Sonoma County residents can get more information and sign up for email alerts at socoemergency.org or call 211 with any questions. For help evacuating livestock, they can call (707) 234-7193.
The city of Santa Rosa has prohibited all outdoor water use, including for irrigation. It is temporarily illegal for residents to wash their cars, and they are asked to conserve water indoors as much as possible.
San Mateo County warned residents of coastal communities to be ready to leave, just a day after residents evacuating Santa Cruz County were being referred to an evacuation center in Pescadero.
In Solano County, the cities of Fairfield and Vallejo issued statements by email late Wednesday saying that they faced no current threats from wildfires and offering a variety of resources for information and support.
Local
Officials across the region suggested that residents monitor air quality through the weekend and that people with extra sensitivity to pollution to stay indoors. Air quality measurements for each zip code are available at airnow.gov.
Meanwhile, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a "Spare the Air Alert" for Saturday, Aug. 23, due to smoke from the many wildfires across the region. The alert makes it illegal for residents of the region to burn wood or fire logs or pellets in any wood-burning device such as a fireplace, barbecue, fire pit or pellet stove. The air district also recommended avoiding outdoor activities.
