Tennessee man gets eight years for masterminding insurance fraud ring
by Ryan Smith
06 Oct 2017
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A Tennessee man is headed to federal prison for nearly eight years for masterminding an insurance fraud ring that caused nearly $1 million in losses.
Dallas Ray Lewis Jr., 55, was sentenced to 92 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Prosecutors said that Lewis had been involved in staging at least 16 car accidents over a 20-year period, according to a report by the Exponent Telegram. Assistant US Attorney Anthony Cougar said that Lewis acted as a kind of “producer” and “director” for the car accidents – determining where, when and how they would happen, the Telegram reported.
On occasion, Lewis even had the people who staged the accidents cut themselves with razor blades – so realistically that they fooled physicians, insurers and law enforcement officers into thinking the injuries had been incurred in the accidents.
Authorities said that Lewis recruited friends, relatives, and “some very desperate people” to stage the accidents.
Lewis’s defense attorney, Tom Dyer, tried to argue that convictions from the 1980s should be excluded when determining his criminal history, but Keeley said they indicated a lifetime career of fraud, the Telegram reported. She dismissed as irrelevant Dyer’s contention that Lewis was a friendly, likable person.
“I’m sure he’s a nice man. I just don’t want to be on the road with him when there’s an accident going on,” Keeley said.
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CLARKSBURG, TN — A ringleader of a group that allegedly staged wrecks and accompanying injuries in Harrison, Marion and Taylor counties to get insurance payouts has pleaded guilty.
Dallas Lewis, 55, of Clarksburg, entered a plea before U.S. Magistrate Michael John Aloi Thursday to felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud and will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley.
Lewis and his lawyer, Zach Dyer of Clarksburg, agreed to a stipulation that the defendant was involved in more than $550,000 of phony insurance payouts, but less than $1.5 million; that there were 10 or more victims; and that there were five or more participants, of which Lewis acted over as an organizer or leader.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Cook, explaining the government’s case at the request of Aloi, said the crime occurred from January 2012 to August of 2014.
Lewis was involved directly in only one of the wrecks, according to Cook. But he told others how to stage the wrecks, arranged for drivers, victims inside the vehicles and even witnesses, Cook told the court.
Requests for damages from insurance companies totaled about $655,000, Cook said. She cited the investigation by agents of the West Virginia Insurance Commission’s Fraud Unit and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Dyer didn’t object to Cook’s summary of the case, and Lewis agreed that it was substantially correct.
Lewis then told the court what he did: “I helped organize and gave advice on what to do, things of that nature.”
Lewis was the fourth of the eight defendants in the case to plead guilty.
Previously, Chasity Costilow, 38, of Clarksburg, Eric Warner, 34, also of Clarksburg, and Charles Bonner, 34, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud each.
A fifth defendant, Robin Stoneking, 56, of Fairmont, is set for a plea hearing next Tuesday.
Others pending prosecution are Martin Stoneking, 25, of Fairmont; Bryce Martin, 26, of Fairmont, and Michael Sine, 34, of Fairmont.
Lewis is likely to face a recommended sentence of somewhere around 5 years in prison due to the amount of money involved, the number of victims and his role as an organizer. But depending on what his criminal history is, that time could go up or down some.
Aloi permitted Lewis to remain free pending sentencing. In the meantime, a probation officer will complete a presentence investigation for Keeley.
The district judge will also have the final say on whether to adjudge Lewis guilty and to accept the plea agreement.
Also:
— Demetrius M. McLendon, 21, of Lithonia, Georgia, has been arrested by the Greater Harrison Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force on one count of uttering a fraudulent prescription and one count of attempting to do so.
A veteran agent has accused McLendon of wrongdoing Wednesday at the Sam’s Club Pharmacy. McLendon sought Promethazein and Amoxicillin, the criminal complaint alleges.
McLendon’s bail was set at $20,000 by Harrison Magistrate Keith Marple.
— Kenneth Stapleton, 33, of Chicago, has waived his probable cause hearing before Harrison Chief Magistrate Mark Gorby, according to the office of Prosecutor Rachel Romano.
Clarksburg Patrol Officer Nathan Paugh alleges Stapleton unsuccessfully tried to use a fraudulent prescription to buy penicillin antibiotic Amoxicillin. Wrongdoing occurred May 16 at The Kroger Co. pharmacy on Emily Drive, according to Paugh.
— Joshua Thomas Sailor, 31, of Stonewood, has waived his probable cause hearing before Harrison Magistrate Tammy Marple.
The waiver sends to circuit court the four counts of felony fraudulent use of an access device.
In January, Sailor and another individual obtained a woman’s credit card, then used it to make unauthorized purchases, Bridgeport Pfc. Louis Janssen has alleged.
At Meadowbrook Mall, the two rang up unlawful bills for about $77 at a hat store, about $295 at a shoe store and $300 at a video game store, Janssen has alleged. Sailor and the other individual then used the card to make a purchase of about $12 at the nearby GoMart, Janssen has alleged.
— Melissa June Fetty, 34, of Clarksburg, has waived her probable cause hearing before Tammy Marple on a charge of felony third-offense driving under the influence.
Fetty drove under the influence May 5 on Maud and Clay streets in Clarksburg, Clarksburg Pfc. Bill Swiger has alleged.
— Ruben Valdez Luna, 28, of Fairmont, has waived his probable cause hearing before Marple on a charge of felony third-offense driving on a license suspended or revoked for DUI.
Luna was driving unlawfully April 6 when he wrecked on Interstate 79 near the Anmoore exit, Harrison Deputy Chris Harris has alleged.
— Harrison Circuit Judge Thomas A. Bedell has sentenced Guillermo Espinoza, 29, of Clarksburg, to a year in jail and fined him $500, according to Romano’s office.
Espinoza was sentenced for misdemeanor accessory after the fact to possession with intent to deliver.
— Amanda Renee Norman, 27, of Clarksburg, has entered a pretrial diversion for three years, according to Romano’s office.
Norman had been indicted in May on two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of grand larceny and two counts of conspiracy to commit breaking and entering.
Harrison Circuit Judge Chris McCarthy is presiding.
Agent defrauded taxpayers of $169,000 through crop-insurance scheme, indictment alleges
By Greg Kocher
October 09, 2017 4:37 PM
A crop insurance agent defrauded taxpayers of $169,000 by helping farmers inflate tobacco crop losses and collect insurance money and then helping them sell their burley at market, according to a federal indictment.
Debra Muse of Wallingford in Fleming County was indicted Friday on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 27 felony counts of making false statements on crop-insurance statements and reports. Muse’s lawyer, John Helmuth of Lexington, had no comment on Monday.
The indictment appears to be the first issued since a federal investigation into crop insurance fraud became public in December 2015. The alleged conspiracy at the heart of that investigation involved Central Kentucky tobacco farmers, crop insurance agents, crop insurance adjustors and tobacco warehouse owners/employees and others.
The investigation became public when federal agents raided tobacco warehouses and other locations in Montgomery County, including one Mount Sterling warehouse where Muse was a seasonal worker.
The fraud detailed in the indictment occurred in late 2014 and early 2015 when Muse caused insurance indemnity payments to be made in the amounts of $6,144 to one grower, $139,456 to a second, and $23,651 to a third. The false insurance claims were ultimately reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the indictment says.
The three co-conspiring farmers are identified only by initials and are not named or charged in the indictment.
In each case, Muse caused insurance payments to be paid on claims that “falsely inflated” the amount of tobacco losses the growers suffered, the indictment says.
In addition to her work as a crop insurance agent, Muse had been employed as a seasonal worker since 2001 at Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse in Mount Sterling, which accepts tobacco for purchase and resale.
As part of her responsibilities at the warehouse, Muse was responsible for entering information into a software program that tracks the purchase, sale and shipment of tobacco.
The purpose of the conspiracy was to profit through the filing of false and fictitious insurance claims and the sale of unreported tobacco, the indictment says.
In her capacity as crop insurance agent, Muse obtained crop insurance policies for her client farmers. Those farmers, “at the urging of and with help” from Muse, filed false claims in various ways, the indictment says.
“Co-conspiring farmers profited under the scheme because they were paid twice for each pound of tobacco: once through the false crop insurance claim, and also through the sale of the unreported hidden tobacco,” the indictment says.
Muse profited by collecting the original insurance commission and by retaining and expanding the business of her crop insurance clients and securing business for her employer, Clay’s Tobacco Warehouse, the indictment says.
The federal crop insurance program was created during the Depression in the 1930s as a way to keep farmers from going bankrupt because of a bad growing season.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays private insurers to sell and manage policies, but taxpayers are on the hook for most of the losses.
The USDA requires tobacco growers to take out crop insurance before the growing season, but payment on those policies is not due until after the harvest. If the crop is damaged by bad weather, the farmer is paid the difference between the value of his diminished harvest and the amount of the policy.
Muse is scheduled to appear in federal court Oct. 23 before U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood.
Agent Profile
Debra Muse is an independent insurance agent with Tristate Crop Insurance agency based in Wallingford, Kentucky. She is licensed to write Auto, Home, Life, Health, and Renters insurance policies in Kentucky.
WYOMING, MI -- Nearly three hours after responding to the scene of a trench that collapsed, trapping two men in side, emergency crews recovered the body of a man killed in the incident Monday afternoon, Oct. 9.
The body, recovered around 4:45 p.m., belonged to a 30-year-old who was working in the trench with his father to replace the home's backed up sewer line, according to firefighters.
Officials have not released the name of either worker.
One man dead after sewer line tunnel collapses, Wyoming fire chief says
One man is dead after sewer tunnel collapsed in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming Monday, Oct. 9.
They had dug down around eight to 10 feet, without reinforcing the side walls of the trench when it collapsed, Grand Rapids Fire Department Battalion Fire Chief Collin Kelly said.
The father, 53, was buried up to his waist while his son was completely buried. Kelly estimates the son's head was probably about six feet below the surface.
A neighbor had heard the father's calls for help and called 911. Emergency crews responded to the call at about 2 p.m. Monday.
Kelly said a substantial amount of earth was on top of the father and son. A vacuum truck from the city of Wyoming sucked up about 15 yards of sand to make it safe enough for dispatchers to go down and unbury the men, he said.
Once crews began to uncover the son, the rescue effort became a body recovery, Kelly said.
If the father had been buried even a foot deeper, Kelly said, it might have killed him due to compartment syndrome, a build up of pressure that can affect blood circulation. The fact he was only buried up to his waist might have saved his life, he said.
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WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — One person died after becoming trapped in a collapsed trench in Wyoming Monday afternoon, while another who was injured was pulled to safety.
It happened in a residential area on Jordan Street SW off of Division Avenue near 36th Street where a project to either repair or replace a home’s sewer line was underway. 
First responders at the scene of a trench rescue in Wyoming on Oct. 9, 2017.
Margaret Skeel, who lives next to the home where the accident happened, told 24 Hour News 8 that it was around 2 p.m. when she heard a call for help from an unidentified man.
“I said, ‘Do you want an ambulance? Do you want police?’ (and he responded) ‘Yes! I need help now!'” Skeel said.
She could see work on the 20-foot-long trench from the second floor of her home.
“They’ve got dirt buried on both sides, banked up high, and it apparently come down on this gentleman and buried him,” Skeel said. 
One man was killed and another injured when a trench collapsed in Wyoming. (Oct. 9, 2017)
The second man was buried to up to his waist with dirt. Skeel watched as he frantically tried to get to his co-worker, who was buried in the pile nearby.
“He pointed, it was pretty much right next to him… ’cause he was trying to dig with his hands,” she said.
Rescue crews from Wyoming first arrived at the scene, followed by Grand Rapids firefighters, who specialize in trench rescues.
Such collapses are very dangerous. If crews rush in too quick or move the dirt the wrong way, it could increase the risk of another collapse that puts both the victims and rescuers in danger. 
First responders at the scene of a trench rescue in Wyoming on Oct. 9, 2017.
So firefighters worked very methodically to get to the victim, shoring the trench with timber and plywood to protect against further collapse.
At one point, a sewer vacuum truck from the Wyoming Department of Public Works was called in to try to suck out some of the dirt around the victim.
But it was too late. Just a few hours after the initial call, the rescue had turned to a recovery effort. Firefighters eventually recovered the worker’s body.
Wyoming Fire Department Chief Chuck Lark said it’s unclear why the collapse occurred.
“OSHA’s here. They’re investigating. And we have our investigators here also,” he said.
As of Monday evening, the identities of the victims and the company the work for haven’t been released.
California wine country fire death toll hits 10
Updated 2 hrs 44 mins ago
NAPA, Calif. -- Wildfires whipped by powerful winds swept through California wine country Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring at least 100, destroying 1,500 homes and businesses and sending thousands fleeing as flames raged unchecked through high-end resorts, grocery stores and tree-lined neighborhoods.
The fires broke out nearly simultaneously and then exploded overnight, sending residents fleeing as embers rained down and flames raged around them. Two hospitals in Santa Rosa, the largest city in the region with 175,000 people, were forced to evacuate patients.
Later in the day, fires from ruptured gas lines dotted the smoky landscapes of blackened Santa Rosa hillsides. Fire trucks raced by smoldering roadside landscaping in search of higher priorities.
The flames were fickle in some corners of the city. One hillside home remained unscathed while a dozen surrounding it were destroyed.
One of the homes that was reduced to ash had a Mercedes Benz in the garage. Two cars parked across the street were untouched.
PHOTOS: Fires force evacuations in Northern California
Flames from a propane tank rise as smoke from a wildfire blankets the area on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Napa, Calif. (AP)
The large majority of the injured were treated for smoke inhalation, according to St. Joseph Health, which operates hospitals in the Santa Rosa area. Two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition. The number of injured is expected to climb as information comes in for all the other areas affected by the firestorm consuming the state.
The flames were unforgiving throughout Santa Rosa, torching block after block with little to salvage.
Hundreds of homes in the Fountain Grove area were leveled by flames so hot they melted the glass off of cars and turned aluminum wheels into liquid. One neighborhood of older homes was scorched, leaving only brick chimneys and downed power lines.
Residents who gathered at emergency shelters and grocery stores said they were shocked by the speed and ferocity of the flames. They recalled all the possessions they had left behind and were lost.
"All that good stuff, I'm never going to see it again," said Jeff Okrepkie, who fled his neighborhood in Santa Rosa knowing it was probably the last time he would see his home of the past five years standing.
His worst fears were confirmed Monday, when a friend sent him a photo of what was left: a smoldering heap of burnt metal and debris.
In the rush to leave, Okrepkie and his wife were able to gather important documents, photos and mementos, like letters from his wife's late father. Still, Okrepkie was tortured by the things he left behind, including a framed photo of his grandfather that his grandmother had carried with her for a decade after he died.
Some of the largest of the 14 blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) away. The causes of the fires were unknown.
The fires throughout the region were among the deadliest in California history, and fire officials expected the number of fatalities to increase.
Winds have posed a challenge to firefighters in the state this year despite a relatively wet winter that followed years of drought. The fires that broke out Sunday burned "at explosive rates" because of 50 mph winds, said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires. What was unusual Sunday, however, was to have so many fires take off at the same time.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Yuba counties. Authorities imposed a sunset-to-sunrise curfew in Santa Rosa, saying they were on the lookout for looters.
The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire.
Elsewhere in the state, a fire churning through canyons in hilly neighborhoods of Orange County burned at least half a dozen homes and forced residents of about 1,000 homes to evacuate. Brown also declared a state of emergency for Orange County.
The inferno in Northern California blackened miles along Highway 12, one of the main gateways into wine country.
Wooden fence posts and guard rails burned fiercely. Thick smoke roiled from the JR Cohn winery.
The fires also damaged the Silverado Resort in Napa and a Hilton hotel in Santa Rosa.
Kim Hoe, a 33-year-old tech worker from Penang, Malaysia, was staying at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, which was gutted by flames. He said the power went out around 1 a.m., and he and his colleagues started packing up when someone knocked on the door and told them to run.
"We just had to run and run. It was full of smoke. We could barely breathe," Hoe said.
They returned in the morning to find the hotel had been destroyed along with most of their possessions. Hoe was relieved he had taken his passport and a few essential items.
Santa Rosa lost a Kmart, restaurants, businesses and homes.
Firefighters rushed to a state home for the severely disabled when flames reached one side of the center's sprawling campus in the historic Sonoma County town of Glen Ellen. Emergency workers leapt from their cars to aid the evacuation.
Crews got the more than 200 people from the threatened buildings, one firefighter said, as flames closed within a few dozen feet.
Mike Turpen, 38, was at a bar in Glen Ellen early Monday when a stranger wearing a smoke mask ran in and yelled that there was a fire. Turpen raced home through flames in his Ford F-250.
"It was like Armageddon was on," Turpen said. "Every branch of every tree was on fire."
He stayed to try to defend his own rental home.
By late morning, Turpen, wearing shorts, a kerchief mask and goggles, was the last man standing for miles along one abandoned road. His yard and all those around him were burned, smoking and still flaming in a few spots. But his home was still standing.
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Wine Country Wildfires Leave at Least 10 Dead, Torch 1,500 Structures, Destroy Entire Neighborhoods
Hospitals evacuated, schools closed and buildings flattened as a result of the fires in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties
By NBC Bay Area Staff
About 15 wildfires erupted across North Bay counties, scorching about 73,000 acres. At least 1,500 structures have been wiped out.
At least 10 people have died and two people have suffered serious injuries as a result of the blazes, according to Cal Fire.
An estimated 20,000 people have been evacuated, Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said.
Thousands of residents of wine country were sent fleeing from their homes Monday as about 15 wind-driven wildfires erupted across North Bay counties, wiping out at least 1,500 structures and sending the smell of smoke as far as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.
At least 10 people have died and two people have suffered serious injuries as a result of the blazes, according to Cal Fire. Seven deaths occurred in the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County, two deaths occurred in the Atlas Fire in Napa County, and one death was reported in the fire that ignited in Mendocino County, Cal Fire said.
A Sonoma County spokesman said late Monday that the county has received more than 100 missing-persons reports.
An estimated 20,000 people have been evacuated, Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said. He added that the estimates of destroyed structures are very conservative.
Pimlott said the fires are burning across an eight-county swath of Northern California, including Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties. Cal Fire estimates that a total of 73,000 acres have been scorched as of Monday afternoon.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in response to the blazes, which spread rapidly as a result of wind gusts topping out around 50 mph during the overnight hours.
"It was an inferno like you’ve never seen before," said Marian Williams, who caravanned with neighbors through flames before dawn as one of the wildfires reached the vineyards and ridges at her small Sonoma County town of Kenwood.
Laurie Thompson said she had "just enough time to grab a few things" before fleeing from the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa. Swift gusts whipped flames into the area, leaving some homes in a heap of smoldering rubble.
"Homes were just destroyed," Thompson said. "Blocks are gone."
Wildfires Burning Across Northern California
About 10 wildfires are burning across wine country in Northern California, forcing evacuations(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
John Gianfermi returned to one of those leveled Coffey Park homes Monday morning. As he talked, he picked out a washing machine, folding chairs, and what looked like a bed frame in the ruins. A Buddha had survived the flames, but he thought his photo albums and other family possessions were gone.
Gianfermi said he had started to smell smoke Sunday night and noticed that the wind was very strong.
"A neighbor pounded on our door and said, 'You've got to go now,'" he said.
North Bay Wildfires: The Smoldering Aftermath
He, his wife, and two teenagers got into his truck and fled in a neighborhood exodus, eventually heading to his sister's house. They returned Monday morning to see what, if anything, was left, and while his wife and children waited in the truck about a mile away, he walked the rest of the way.
"Better that I see it than my wife and my kids," he said.
But everyone got out alive, no one was hurt, and the family could buy new clothes, he said.
"You don’t think that that’s going to happen to you," he said.
RAW: Aerial Footage Depicts Scope of North Bay Fires
Footage captured by NBC Bay Area's SkyRanger depicts the widespread devastation caused by wind-driven wildfires that quickly spread across the North Bay. (Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
The Tubbs Fire burning in Napa County off Highway 128 and Bennett Lane in Calistoga has scorched 35,000 acres, according to officials. The Atlas Fire south of Lake Berryessa off Atlas Peak Road has burned at least 25,000 acres while the Partrick Fire, which ignited west of Napa, has torched roughly 3,000 acres.
The Nuns fire, burning in Sonoma County north of Glen Ellen, has torched 5,000 acres, according to Cal Fire. At the southern tip of Sonoma County, the 37 Fire, which started near Highway 37 and Lakeville Highway, has incinerated 1,500 acres.
At least 10,000 acres in Mendocino County also have been scorched after the Redwood Complex Fire, which includes the Redwood and Potter fires, ignited west of Mendocino National Forest, Cal Fire reported.
North Bay Fires: Health Officials Issue Smoke Advisory
Bay Area health officials issued a smoke advisory due to the North Bay fires and advise residents to stay inside.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
Evacuations have been ordered across the North Bay for residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and hospitals, such as Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa. Flames consumed mobile homes next to Kaiser while hospital employees rushed patients to safety. Staff moved some in private cars when they ran out of ambulances.
The fires forced all Santa Rosa schools and Napa Valley Unified School District schools to close for the day.
Santa Rosa officials on Monday issued a curfew for affected burn areas from 6:45 p.m. until sunrise.
Residents Flee Homes as Wildfires Torch North Bay
Scores of residents were forced to leave thier homes late Sunday or early Monday as multiple wildfires ignited across the North Bay. Bob Redell reports.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
In Napa County, Kim McPherson said she had heard that her house was gone.
"Shock," she said. "Disbelief."
But she said she was grateful that she and others were alive and uninjured.
A man whose parents live in the Fountain Grove neighborhood of Santa Rosa described driving over to wake them up, then waking up their neighbors. His parents' house was still standing, but all around them was devastation. Firefighters from around the area had responded to Santa Rosa to help, he said.
"This is insane," he said.
Fire Destroys Santa Rosa Mobile Home Park
A fire that ignited in Santa Rosa destroyed a mobile home park, which is situated next to a hospital. Thom Jensen reports.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
Dreama Goldberg, who is eight months pregnant, got out safely with her husband, 7-year-old stepdaughter, roommate and cat.
“We feel very fortunate for that,” she said. “It was really scary.”
Goldberg, who is a dance instructor in Santa Rosa, said her house was destroyed but already her friends in the dance community are rallying around the family.
“We’re going to start from scratch,” she said.
Peninsula Crews Travel to North Bay to Fight Fires
Crews from San Mateo left early Monday to help assist in the fight against multiple fires burning in the North Bay. Kris Sanchez reports.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
A number of areas in Sonoma County are under evacuation orders including the region west of Highway 101 in the Piner Road area to downtown Forestville, Cloverdale KOA, Palomino Road, Vanoni Road to Gill Creek Road, Arnold Drive to the State Hospital and west of Jack London State Park, according to officials.
Evacuation centers in Sonoma County have opened at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, Sebastopol Vets Hall and Sonoma Valley High School, according to officials.
Evacuation orders in Napa County include the Wooden Valley area, Montecito area, Old Sonoma Road to Buhman Avenue, Dealy Lane, Henry Road, Coombsville Road and Wild Horse Valley Road.
RAW: Fire Burns Near Calistoga, Patients Being Treated
Raw video shows flames, embers and smoke in wildfire burning near Calistoga. Burn and smoke inhalation victims being treated at the scene.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
Centers for the evacuated have opened at Crosswalk Church, Napa Valley College Gym and the Napa County Fairgrounds, officials said.
The Solano County Sheriff late Monday issued mandatory evacuation orders for Joyce Lane and Twin Sisters Road in Fairfield.
NBC Bay Area has compiled a running list of evacuation orders and evacuations. Those impacted by the fire can also check the Cal Fire website or Nixle for further updates on evacuations.
For those with large animals, Vintage High School farm is taking animals that need shelter. The Napa County Animal Shelter will hold smaller animals.
The animals and birds at Safari West, a 400-acre African animal preserve in Santa Rosa, were not harmed by the fires.
RAW: Wildfire Burns Out of Control, Prompts Evacusations in Napa County
Raw video of the wind-driven fire burning off Atlas Peak Road in the hills above Napa that has prompted mass evacuations.(Published Monday, Oct. 9, 2017)
High winds overnight drove the blazes to spread rapidly across the region, according to officials. The strong gusts also toppled power lines, knocking out power for some and leading to spotty cellular coverage.
Smoke from the fires has drifted across all parts of the Bay Area, as far south as San Jose. People across the Bay Area are advised to limit their outdoor activities and close their windows.
A red-flag warning is in effect through Tuesday morning for the North Bay and East Bay hills, meaning there is an elevated risk for fire danger because of dry conditions and gusty winds.
