RELIEF

Firefighters Take Control of Kincade Fire After High Winds Ease Off

Crews had feared strong winds might push the blaze toward thousands of homes—but things are now looking up.

Northern California fire crews appear to have gotten the upper hand against the Kincade Fire, just hours after they warned of disaster as high winds appeared to be pushing the blaze toward thousands of Wine Country homes. “I would say that there’s a lot of optimism that we have turned the corner for the better on this fire,” Cal Fire Division Chief Jonathan Cox told The Mercury News. The winds weren’t as fierce nor as long-lasting as had been feared, allowing firefighters to bring containment of the wildfire to 45 percent. Forecasts predict calm winds for the next several days, which should allow fire crews to make more progress against the flames. Around 64,000 people were allowed to return to homes in Windsor, Healdsburg, Geyserville, Sebastopol, and Santa Rosa—but roughly 6,000 residents are still waiting for the all-clear to head back.