On October 8th, 2017, multiple fires developed in Napa County, California. The largest – the Tubbs Fire – started at 9:43 pm near the town of Calistoga. Winds quickly fanned the flames and pushed them westward into the eastern hills and mountains of Sonoma. As the fires gained in elevation, the winds increased, speeding the spread of the largest fire. Burning debris flew forward, igniting fires ahead of the main conflagration. Residents overwhelmed dispatch centers with calls.
Fire and Emergency Services Department staff activated the SoCoAlert system and deputies utilized sirens and went door-to-door to warn residents. Fire agencies from throughout the County and the Bay Area quickly responded but were challenged by the scope, speed, and dynamic intensity of the fires. In just four hours, the Tubbs Fire raced 12 miles, quickly burning through unincorporated areas, and entering the Fountaingrove neighborhood of Santa Rosa. Simultaneously, the Nuns fire entered the county from the southeast, destroying hundreds of homes and threatening the communities of Shell Vista, Glen Ellen, Kenwood and the City of Sonoma.
A few hours after the County Emergency Operations Center had been activated, the Tubbs fires swept past one-half mile north the EOC itself, jumping highway 101 and burning further into the City of Santa Rosa.
For the next week, fires continued to threaten large areas of County with evacuations occurring as late as day seven. By the time the fires were contained on October 31st, the fires had become the most significant County disaster in living memory and the single most destructive wildfire event in California history. Over 110,000 acres of land were scorched and estimated 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Twenty-four people died directly as a result of the fires.
This is the story of the last-minute police evacuation of the City of Santa Rosa as the Tubbs Fires closed in. If you have the option, I recommend listening through good headphones or speakers.
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Shoutout to everyone who helped, fdp and pdp
Woah, I've been a fan of the channel for a while now and never saw this one. I've lived in Santa Rosa for every fire we've had in the last few years, but nothing will come close to the horror of this first one. So much of where I grew up was absolutely torched, but I and my family were extremely lucky and didn't lose our homes. Some of my closest friends growing up lost everything, and are still in the process of rebuilding their lives. We're gearing up for the worst fire season yet this year, and I think a lot of us are about ready to leave. The constant anxiety and uncertainty is way too much to do annually, and you can only be so lucky.
I LIVE here is Santa Rosa and these damn fires destroyed my life and so many others. Now because of both fires PG&E shuts off OUR POWER MANY times during fire season and hot weather. Nothing has been the same, we can rebuild and People can move on and even rebuild but thanks to PG&E and THEIR LACK OF TAKING CARE OF THEIR LINES AND EQUIPMENT. Nothing is more scary then in the middle of the night sirens and hearing cops telling you to flee. but no where to go. The fire and smoke was so thick you couldn't see, they were throwing people in buses and back of trucks at the hospital just to get them out. The fire looked like someone was pouring HOT LAVA that looked like water down the hill. I WILL NEVER forget that night and the weeks that came behind it. So much lost and gone and SADLY it was just the beginning. The came the scammers and lies that took and stole from people who needed it. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL HOMELESS and MANY MORE HAD TO MOVE OUT OF STATE. THESE FIRES CHANGED US FOREVER
Burn baby burn!
As someone who has been a dispatcher in the past, I cannot even imagine. This was truly a nightmare scenario, it must have felt surreal watching these events unfold around you. Dear God.
HEROS, ALL OF THEM!
If you e ever been in a house fire, that shit is terrifying. To NOT panic is the biggest worry.
😲😔
This gave me way to much anxiety watching this. How can you be this moronic to wait that long to evacuate… Morons.
Also if you don't think cops are heros the screw you and you need to watch this video.
Excellent production, who needs actors?
THE RABBIT <3
I stayed in Santa Rosa like 1 month before this happened, hot damn i was lucky
I hope the wife had a choice in her husbands decision to stay and fight the fire!
6:36 – 22:57 I thought the footage was from the middle of the night until I looked at the timestamp. That timestamp uses 24 hour time which means the footage is from nine o'clock in the morning
Cop haters should see this. Was that a nursing home all those wheelchair people.
Damn i lost my house in this fire. I’m a bug fan of your videos but I can’t watch this one. God bless y’all
This shows how far the police will go to save a life. Just remember not cops are bad. These are the real heroes! Even if they don't think so. Many angels were/are with them through it all.
The scariest moment of my life was getting on the freeway about a mile from my home and driving through thigh speed winds filled with smoke and embers, couldn’t see 10 feet in front of the car.
I had to evacuate during the Woolsey fire here in California, we left the house at about 3 am, neighbors later reported that police came and did evacuation orders over loud speaker about 30 minutes after we left. Luckily our house and neighborhood was fine.
I love living in California
MSM will never show us a video like this. Love YouTube and its genuine contents.
This is elite policing.
The dude with the hose reminds me of the sleepless nights when my dad was out working floods rescuing the optimistic who refused to evacuate piloting a 16 foot fiberglass ski boat with an ancient 20 horse Johnson outboard and nearly not coming home and having to scrap the outboard and rebuild the 350 in his Suburbsn because they both ate sand in rapidly rising water. The man is humble as hell but he'd save people or [nearly on several occasions] die trying. God bless these selfless souls!
People make me sick The fact that these cops have to risk their own lives because people didn't evacuate way earlier. It's rich entitled assholes too. If you look up these locations all the houses are millions of dollars. Worried about a rabbit meanwhile you might cause your entire family and the officer to get burned alive.
my house burned to the ground in these fires
I thought this was 2020
Funny how half of California is burned down, all natural I suppose.
Hearing the dogs barking being left behind…
I got an adrenaline rush just watching this. They just don't pay these guys enough.
I’ve never heard of these fires before but I’m happy to see that those first responders were strong and willing enough to save so many lives. Those responders have 110% of my respect
Juicy stuff
i live in santa rosa!
At night time that shit truly looked what I imagine hell looks like, mind boggling…
My entire neighborhood of over 1,500 homes was cremated in that fire. We're back, and stronger than ever.
It's times like these that we see how police officers are truly heroic. To all the officers out there thank you for all that you do!!! It takes an extraordinary person to do your job.
When you realize this was probably almost entirely humanity’s fault