Death toll now 41; more Sonoma County fire evacuees allowed to go home
Here's the latest news on the fires in Sonoma County and surrounding areas.
8 p.m.
After being evacuated in the early hours of Oct. 9, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital will reopen at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, hospital officials announced in a news release. It will offer full inpatient and emergency care services. Elective procedures will resume at a later date.
To reopen, the hospital had to go through inspections by the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
At least 60 employees lost homes in the fire, the release said.
Patients and staff with questions can call 866-961-2889.
5 p.m.
The following evacuations have been lifted effective immediately:
Highway 128 between River Rock Casino and Chalk Hill Road.
The area east of Fraught Road and East Shiloh Road outside the fire perimeter.
Sonoma city, and county areas north of East Napa Street to the fire perimeter, including the areas north of Napa Street to the fire perimeter; west from 4th Street East and Gehricke Road to Highway 12 including Norbomm Road and associated side roads to the fire perimeter and Gehricke Road.
The area of Bennett Valley/Annadel Heights in the Santa Rosa city limits.
4:45 p.m.
Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital doctors, nurses and staff handled nearly twice the volume of patients during the last week of fires while suffering extensive personal losses.
Over the seven-day period, the only operating trauma center in the region saw 1,200 cases compared to a weekly average of 700 cases.
Included in the totals were 400 patients treated for respiratory problems and 60 burn cases. Five serious burn victims including one with burns over 65 percent of his body were transferred to Bay Area hospitals for treatment.
Because Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital and Kaiser hospital in Santa Rosa were closed, Memorial staff inherited a number of expecting mothers. They delivered 36 babies - three times the normal number of births – while Petaluma Valley Hospital, also part of the Saint Joseph Health system, delivered 14 babies.
At the same time, 83 Memorial hospital caregivers, 51 doctors and five volunteers lost their homes in the fire. Hospital officials said the displacement of such a large segment of medical providers will complicate challenges already posed by the regional housing shortage.
3:50 p.m.
As of Monday more than 33,000 calls have come in to Sonoma County's fire hotline, said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane.
Initially they mainly were about evacuation areas but now callers are asking about mental health issues.
“The shock has worn off” and people are sad and worried, Zane said Monday. She encouraged people to seek help from county services including calling 707-565-6900 for immediate issues.
3:40 p.m.
While Santa Rosa city officials announced donations aren't being accepted at city shelters, police or fire houses, a Cal Fire spokesman also said there were better ways to support firefighters than with food.
Cal Fire's Jonathan Cox suggested people make signs thanking first responders.
“Those signs are the best way to help,” he said.
3:35 p.m.
Maps hanging on the press briefing board at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Monday of the area fires now mostly are ringed with longer black lines than red lines, an indication of growing containment lines and further firefighter success.
With about 70 percent of the Tubbs fire contained, the map showed red still at the top, in the area in Napa County and up Mount St. Helena in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, but officials said several efforts Monday including hiking firefighters moving on fire's edges, carving out a fire break with chain saws, backfires and ongoing air attacks could lead to further containment by Monday night.
On the Nuns fire, from Glen Ellen south around Schellville was solid black. Areas of Kenwood remained red, showing non containment. Red lines also remained in the Mayacamas mountain range separating Sonoma and Napa counties.
Efforts were “very successful” with efforts on the Pocket fire in northern Sonoma County, said Cal Fire's Steve Crawford, who is running overall firefighting operations. The east side of the fire leading to The Geysers remained the toughest area to finish off but he also expected improvement by the end of the day with the weather's cooperation.
Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano asked for patience from residents, noting many evacuees are frustrated and want to go home. For people whose homes still stand within burn areas “you will not be living there for days or weeks,” until areas are deemed safe, the sheriff said.
Giordano said residents without power cannot use generators because it was slowing down PG&E efforts to reenergize neighborhoods.
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