On Friday, “strong and dry winds whipped up a major, late-season wildfire in the remote hills of northeastern Sonoma County, burning 2,500 acres by nighttime and damaging a geothermal power plant while prompting energy workers in the area to evacuate in the face of advancing flames.”, as reported by the Press Democrat.
The area affected is a large geothermal field at the Sonoma and Lake County border in Northern California.
There are 15 geothermal plants operated by Calpine Corp. in the Geyser area, and the fire affected two of them. The McCabe plant (link to ThinkGeoEnergy Plant Map) sustained some damage to its cooling towers, and another one – so the press – is down due to a transmission issue resulting from the fire, according to Danielle Matthews Serepas, a spokesperson for Calpine.
According to Calpine, the company has evacuated all nonessential personnel from the area and Calpine was assisting the firefightes logistically and with water.
Source: Press Democrat
