Sonoma Valley sends 2 engines and personnel

Sonoma Valley sends 2 engines and personnel|

Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue sent two engines and crews early Sunday morning to the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County.

Sonoma sent the OES (Office of Emergency Services) engine with Capt. Joe Morrison, engineer Luke Loftus and firefighters Chris Derner and Ishmael Gonzalez to be part of an OES strike team that includes Santa Rosa, Petaluma, South Lake County and Benecia. The OES engine is a state engine that is stationed in Sonoma, but when the state needs it, Sonoma must send the engine and staff it.

Sonoma also sent out another engine, 3361, with Capt. Sean Lacy, engineer Dusty Garcia and firefighters Nate Sanders and Japen Soto. The engine is part of a strike team comprised of Sonoma, Gold Ridge, Forestville, Santa Rosa and Rancho Adobe.

The crews are working 24-hour shifts.

According to Cal Fire, as of 1:45 p.m. Monday, the Soberanes Fire is almost 15,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained. Some 1,650 structures are threatened and 20 homes and two outbuildings have already been destroyed.

A mandatory evacuation order is in effect and a number of roads are closed.

There are 165 engines with 35 crews – 1,400 firefighters – fighting the blaze. Cal Fire also has seven helicopters, six air tankers, 11 dozers and 14 water tenders.

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