Returning Geyserville, Larkfield residents warned of possible brown water, odor

11:30 a.m.

Evacuation orders for all areas within Santa Rosa city limits have been lifted, according to city officials. All Santa Rosa residents may return home.

Officials said residents should keep in some may still not have electricity due to PG&E’s power shutoff. PG&E updates are available at www.pgealerts.com

8:45 a.m.

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital has begun extensive cleaning and inspections at the facility, which was closed Saturday night because of Kincade fire evacuations.

The facility is expected to re-open next week but must first be inspected by the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, said Shaun Ralston, a hospital spokesman.

Some 60 contracted cleaners will go through the entire facility, scrubbing floors and walls, he said.

“Linen has to be replaced, equipment has to be calibrated and tested once it goes down, including MRIs and CAT scans,” Ralston said.

Sutter is dipping into its disaster relief fund to pay for its staff’s lost wages, he said.

8:10 a.m.

California American Water notified its Geyserville and Larkfield customers that they should flush their water faucets when they return home. The company said is was able to maintain normal water service by implementing emergency preparedness and resiliency plans.

California American Water’s wells and distribution system were not damaged and operated normally during the fire, the company said. But water in homes may appear cloudy or dirty due to changes in water flow caused by firefighters pulling water from the company’s system, said California American Water spokesman Evan Jacobs.

“It’s only a precautionary notice,” Jacobs said. “On our end of the system, we’ve checked it and flushed it and it’s ready to go.”

Jacobs said there’s a possibility customers who were evacuated may return to their homes and “may experience some brown water” since the home plumbing hasn’t been used for several days. It may even have an unusual odor.

The company said residents should run both the hot and cold water fixtures between 10 to 15 minutes before using the water. If cloudiness and dirty water persists after 15 minutes of flushing, or if you residents experience other water quality or service problems, notify California American Water’s parent company, American Water Company, at 888-237-1333.

8 a.m.

The Kincade fire did not grow overnight and remained at 76,825 acres burned as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. Containment jumped to 60 percent.