Governor Newsom Tours Glass Fire Devastation; Tells Fire Victims 'We Have Your Backs'
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Governor Gavin Newsom toured areas damaged by the Glass Fire burning in Napa and Sonoma counties on Thursday, pledging state support for those whose homes and businesses have been ravaged by the flames.
The Glass Fire was burning on both Sonoma and Napa counties, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The fire had grown to more than 58,880 acres by Thursday night and destroyed at least 143 homes and businesses. With the blaze being whipped up late Thursday by Red Flag Warning winds, the fire was threatening another 28,835 structures.
Thousands have also been forced to flee from their homes.
Newsom toured the Deer Park neighborhood near St. Helena where flames on Sunday caused widespread damage and destroyed many homes.
"We're in it for the long haul," Newsom told local residents. "We're not just here for a moment. We have your backs and we're very sorry you're going through all this."
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While the fire was 5 percent contained at the start of the day, winds and hot weather conditions were going to be pushing the more than 2,000 firefighters battling the blaze to their limits on Thursday and Friday.
"It's going to be a big firefight for us over the next 36 hours," said Cal Fire Incident Chief Billy See.
Cal Fire said on Thursday that more than 17,000 firefighters remained on the lines of 24 major wildfires across the state. Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 8,100 wildfires that have burned well over 3.9 million acres in California, Cal Fire said.
More than 7,500 structures have been destroyed and nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from fires across the state. At least 30 people have been killed in wildfires this year, including four victims in the Zogg Fire burning in Shasta County.
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