Napa County brush fire forces hospital to evacuate [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A brush fire that erupted overnight in Napa County, California caused the evacuation of a local hospital on Sunday.
• The Glass Fire, which was spotted burning in areas surrounding St. Helena, is expected to spread further by strong winds, threatening destruction on 2,200 structures.
• According to Napa county Office of Emergency Services, mandatory evacuation orders were issued on 743 homes while 2,123 others were given evacuation warnings.

A local hospital was forced to evacuate Sunday while thousands of people were placed under evacuation orders as a fire that sparked overnight in Napa County, California quickly blazed through 2,500 acres.

CalFire said that the Glass Fire, which could rapidly spread from winds that are forecasted throughout the day, is reportedly burning near St. Helena, around 25 miles east of Santa Rosa. As of Sunday night, at least 2,200 structures are threatened by the Napa fire. The fire is 0% contained.

St. Helena Hospital was evacuated out of caution. Napa County Office of Emergency Services said that evacuation orders were also issued to parts of the surrounding area where an evacuation center has been set up at the Crosswalk Community Church in Napa.

According to Janet Upton, spokeswoman for Napa County, 743 homes and 1,857 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders while 2,123 homes and 5,282 people are issued evacuation warnings.

Worried about winds picking up tonight, Upton said “We don’t want it up there on those ridges when the winds pick up.”

So far, residents are obeying the warnings.

“When they hear that high-low siren coming from cars as we drive through their neighborhoods they know it’s time to evacuate. The motto is, ‘If I can hear it, it’s time to go,” said Napa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Henry Wofford.

Meanwhile, a new blaze called Zogg Fire has extended to 1,000 acres in just a few hours since it began this afternoon in Shasta County, northeast of Napa County. CalFire said evacuation orders have already been issued in some areas.