Fire History. Large destructive wildfires have been relatively infrequent in the region. However, because the atmospheric conditions that the produce autumn northeast wind events which facilitate large fires are mesoscale events (that occur simultaneously across most of northern California), many large fires often burn concurrently across the region. This is evident in fire history of Sonoma County and the surrounding counties (Figure 11). Most of these fires, and particularly the largest ones, ignite outside the Planning Area during a strong east wind event in autumn and burn into the city (Table 8). Table 8. Wildfires within and adjacent to CWPP Project Area. Fire Name Date Fire Size (acres) Structures Destroyed/Damaged Fatalities/Injuries Xxxxxxx October 2019 77,758 374 destroyed/60 damaged 0 fatalities/4 civilians and firefighters injured Nuns October 2017 54,382 1,355 structures destroyed/172 damaged 3 fatalities Xxxxx October 2017 36,807 5,643 structures destroyed/317 damaged 22 fatalities Lofty Perch June 2003 42 1 destroyed 0 fatalities/several firefighters injured Xxxxx September 1964 55,961 Almost 149 destroyed 0 Nuns Canyon September 1964 9,808 ~20 destroyed 0 Mayacamas Fire September 1923 Unknown Many Unknown The Great Fire October 1870 Unknown ~10+ Unknown The 2017 fires were part of a series of fires along the north coast of California that burned under the same mesoscale weather pattern in October 2017, producing 60-80 mph northeast winds in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. While the larger complex that came to be known as the Central LNU Complex or Wine Country Fires included ten large wildfires across two counties, the most destructive fire impacted Santa Xxxx: the Xxxxx fire, which ignited on October 8, 2017. There were additional complexes across a total of six counties. The Xxxxx Fire began to the east of Santa Xxxx, near Xxxxx Xxxx in Calistoga, just prior to 10 p.m. local time. CALFIRE ultimately determined the official cause as the malfunction of a private electrical system. Within just a few hours the fire had run several miles driven by the hot and dry katabatic winds. The fire ultimately consumed 5,643 structures, including homes and several large commercial buildings, across 36,807 acres. Due to both the speed of fire spread and the fact that it began at night, evacuation was compromised, and 22 people lost their lives. Once the Xxxxx Fire moved into the suburban edges of Santa Xxxx, it transitioned from a fire driven primarily by wildland vegetat...
