US: Evacuation orders due to fire in San Francisco Bay area Oct. 17

Event

At least 4000 residents were ordered to evacuate from their homes in Bay Point (San Francisco Bay area; California) on Wednesday, October 17, after a grass fire broke out near a natural gas pipeline. Initial reports indicate that the blaze was caused by a fallen power line. Officials from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District are warning residents to avoid an approximately 0.8-km (0.5-mi) radius around Poinsettia and Suisun avenues. As of 08:15 (local time) on Thursday, the fire was still ongoing. The company that operates the pipeline announced it has shut off gas to the area. However, authorities announced that evacuation orders will remain in place until the fire is put out.

Advice

Individuals in Bay Point are advised to avoid the area of the incident and obey all instructions issued by the local authorities.