A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

Possible hazardous materials in Kincade fire at River Rock Casino

Smoke+and+steam+rise+from+fire+at+the+entrance+to+River+Rock+Casino+after+fire+helicopters+dropped+gallons+of+water.+
Zane Zinkl
Smoke and steam rise from fire at the entrance to River Rock Casino after fire helicopters dropped gallons of water.

Firecrews struggled Thursday afternoon to contain the blazes that stretched along Alexander Valley Road all the way through Dry Creek Rancheria, including a possible hazardous materials fire outside River Rock Casino.

The hazmat fire refused to be extinguished despite the best efforts of firefighters and California Department of Fire and Forestry Protection helicopters.

Sonoma Fire District Battalion Chief Mike Elson watched the thick plumes of black smoke from his pickup.

“We have no idea what’s burning down there. It could be hazardous materials. It doesn’t seem to be going out,” he said.

Six fire engines and firefighters from multiple state-wide departments were on site, and Department of Natural Resources prison crews were on standby.

Crews hacked away at trees and brush down steep and treacherous slopes to fight the spread of the blaze.

The sky was filled with thick black smoke and a chemical smell permeated the air.

As firefighters fought the main blaze, another fireline was rushing down the other side of the road and new fire outbreaks were impossible to completely contain.

For more coverage of the Kincade Fire, click here.

Leave a Comment
About the Contributor
Zane Zinkl, Editor-in-Chief
Zane Zinkl is a sociology major in his third semester at The Oak Leaf, a publication crazy enough to name him editor-in-chief. Nobody is Zane. Zane is nobody. You look down at me only to see pickles for eyes. I am singing the song that gives birth to the universe. My body experiences a sudden lack of electrons. Across a variety of hidden dimensions you are dismayed. John Lennon hands me an apple, but it slips through my fingers. I am reborn as an ocelot. You disapprove.

Comments (0)

All Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *