Surrounded by fire, Petaluma officials remain cautious amid high winds

As fires continue to wreak havoc across Sonoma County, Petaluma officials are keeping a close watch on their city as forecasts for strong northerly winds prompt concern.

There were no voluntary or mandatory evacuations for Petaluma in place as of Thursday morning, though officials recommended that residents take precautionary measures such as packing a bag and making plans should evacuations be ordered, according to an alert from Petaluma police.

Fires continue to burn to the north, east and south of the city. A red flag warning and wind advisory calls for northeast winds in the mountains from 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 50 mph from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.

Open shelters in Petaluma were nearing capacity, with room for an additional 300 people Wednesday afternoon.

Officials from the city and county emergency operations centers are working together to determine what resources are available in Marin County, according to Salizzoni.

Areas currently under mandatory evacuation include parts of Geyserville, Annadel Heights, Agua Caliente, Bennett Valley, Glen Ellen, Knights Valley, Larkfield and Rincon Valley. Also under mandatory evacuations are Calistoga and parts of Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley and Windsor.

To be prepared for evacuations, CalFire advises residents to pack a three-day supply of water and nonperishable food, a map marked with at least two escape routes, a change of clothing, extra glasses or contact lenses, prescriptions, a first aid kit and a flashlight.

The agency also advises including a battery-powered radio, sanitation supplies, pet food and water and copies of important documents.

If time allows, the agency encourages easily-carried valuables and chargers for electronic be included.

See a list of evacuations here. To see a list of road closures, click here.