Fire weather watch issued across Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills
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- Fire weather watch spans Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills through Sunday.
- PG&E initiates power shutoffs in 7 counties as strong winds raise wildfire risk.
- Bonanza Fire reaches 45% containment after evacuation orders lifted near Shingle Springs.
Northern California, including the capital region, faces heightened wildfire risk this weekend, with forecasters issuing a fire weather watch across much of the Sacramento Valley, Delta and Sierra foothills amid dry conditions, gusty winds and already active wildfires.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento on Thursday said the advisory will be in effect from Saturday morning through Sunday morning. Counties under the watch include Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Butte, Colusa, Glenn and foothill communities in El Dorado and Calaveras counties.
The fire weather watch affects fire zones 215-220, 263, 266 and 279, which includes western portions of the Motherlode to the northern Sierra foothills beneath 3,000 feet elevation.
The strongest winds, forecasters said, should be expected off the Coast Ranges along the Interstate 5 corridor — from the northern San Joaquin Valley to the upper ends of the Sacramento Valley’s western tier — along with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Forecasters are warning for the potential for warm northerly winds blowing 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, and daytime humidity between 15% and 25%.
“Outdoor burning is not recommended,” the agency said in its bulletin. “The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity.”
Power cutoffs begin
As fire danger rises, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has already initiated public safety power shutoffs in parts of seven counties, including San Joaquin and Stanislaus, affecting more than 2,200 customers as of Thursday afternoon.
In San Joaquin County, where Tracy and Mountain House fall under both the power shutoff and fire weather watch zones, PG&E said 1,512 customers were without power. The area saw one of the first major wildfires of last season: the Corral Fire, which erupted in June 2024 near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Site 300, burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed one home and prompted the closure of Interstate 580.
The utility has warned that wind gusts could reach 50 mph in some parts of the Sacramento Valley and has activated its Emergency Operations Center along with the threat of deliberate outages to protect its equipment and customers across 15 counties in all. Colusa and Glenn counties may see power shutoffs beginning Friday, the utility said.
Bonanza Fire holding
In El Dorado County, meanwhile, firefighters have made steady progress on the Bonanza Fire, which forced evacuations Tuesday near Shingle Springs. By Thursday morning, containment had reached 45%, and all evacuation orders were lifted.
The fire began near an auto dismantler’s property on Bonanza Auto Road and Hollandview Drive and quickly spread through brush and steep terrain, knocking out power to nearly 2,000 residents. Crews used both ground and aerial resources to stop the blaze’s forward progress by Tuesday evening.
Cal Fire said the fire remains under patrol status, with crews monitoring unburned fuel pockets that could reignite.
Weekend outlook
After a day of breezes across the capital region for Juneteenth, conditions are forecast to remain seasonably clear and warm, with Sacramento and Redding expected to reach the low 80s and Auburn and the lower Sierra foothills in the mid-70s on Friday. Winds are expected to strengthen through Saturday, especially across the western edge of the Valley and through the Delta.
The weather service said the outlook reflects a shift from south and west winds to stronger north and northwest flows — a pattern that frequently leads to dangerous fire conditions across the Valley. Forecasters said a red flag warning could be issued if confidence in dangerous fire weather conditions increases.
Humidity recoveries overnight will be moderate, but forecasters warn that the ongoing dry and windy pattern through Sunday is enough to spark new fires or intensify any existing ones.
Residents in the Valley and high-risk fire areas to prepare by avoiding activities and equipment that could start fires. Outdoor burning permits were suspended a week ago in state responsibility areas east of Sacramento.
This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 1:28 PM.
