Mandatory evacuations for parts of Sonoma Valley, Oakmont

Updated news on the fire in and around Sonoma County:

12:45 a.m., Oct. 11

SONOMA VALLEY

Parts of the Sonoma Valley are now under MANDATORY EVACUATION:

Residents of Moon Mountain Road, Mission Way, London Way, Martin Road, Cavedale Road and Adobe Way along Highway 12 approaching Agua Caliente must evacuate.

Highway 12 was closed between Madrone and Melita roads.

The Sheriff's Office recommends Agua Caliente residents between Madrone Road and Agua Caliente Road have a bag packed and be ready to evacuate, if needed.

7:15 a.m.

Homes burned in Oakmont Tuesday night but numbers and locations weren't available early Wednesday from fire officials.

“We do have information, we do have some structures that have been destroyed in Oakmont,” said Paul Lowenthal, a spokesman for the Santa Rosa-area fire.

Lowenthal said he understood the homes lost were in the higher elevations of the senior community. Oakmont, east of Santa Rosa, abuts Trione-Annadel State Park, where an arm of the Nun's fire has been burning since Monday.

Supervisor Susan Gorin has confirmed on Facebook and by email that her home in the area was lost to fire.

Lowenthal, at the fire's base camp at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, noted the smoke had cleared in central Santa Rosa. “The sky is clear, the moon is clearly visible but I can see the orange haze over that side of town,” he said, referring to the view east toward Oakmont.

Early Wednesday, the fires calmed with the cooler temperatures and lack of wind. But winds were expected to increase later in the day. Gusts have been predicted to reach more than 40 mph.

“The concerns now are the transition from the cold still morning to the heat of the day and where the winds are going to take us,” Lowenthal said.

Officials during the night also increased the number of fatalities to 17 from the North Coast-area fires, including Yuba County, with 11 from the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa.

At the other end of the Tubbs fire, closer to where it started, flames early Wednesday were threatening the greater Calistoga area.

The north end of Calistoga was evacuated overnight and the south end of town could also be evacuated, depending on the wind direction, Lowenthal said.

7 a.m.

An undetermined number of houses in Oakmont were destroyed overnight.

Mandatory evacuation orders now include parts of the Sonoma Valley near Agua Caliente outside of Sonoma, plus portions of Geyserville.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has scheduled a news conference for 9 a.m. for more updates.