The Kincade Fire

Sparked by electrical transmission lines and fueled by 100-mile-per-hour winds racing across the Mayacamas Mountains, wildfire ravaged thousands of acres and hundreds of buildings for seven days. Empirical weather analysis and fire behavior forecasting coupled with heroic firefighting made this a model for responding to wildfires that continue to threaten California. It has become apparent that we must document and share what occurred to better prepare future generations. This is the story of The Kincade Fire.
Sonoma County experienced several destructive wildfires starting the night of October 8, 2017. The wildfires included the Tubbs Fire, Nuns Fire and Pocket Fire. This was the first time Sonoma county faced a significant loss of life and homes from wildfires. It was unknown if these fires were a rare event.
In October 2019, Sonoma county experienced another wildfire, the Kincade Fire, which ignited on October 23, 2019, and was contained on November 6, 20 19. Sadly, many homes burned and a record number of people were evacuated, but there was no loss of life.
It has become apparent that we must document and share what occurred to better prepare future generations.
Director of Photography
James Simmons
Produced and Written by
Leslie Simmons
Associate Producer
James Carlin
Grip
Theodore Sawyer
Edited by
James Simmons
Graphics & Visual Effects
Phil Mohr
Appearances by:
Jason Boaz
Mark Essick
James Gore
Christine Hawthorne
Mark Heine
Jason Jenkins
Rody Jonas
Rody Jonas, Jr.
Sophia Jonas
John Lilienthal
Jack Piccinini
Kent Porter
Joe Stewart
Marshall Turbeville
Sam Wallis]
Special Thanks
Foley Family
Geyserville Volunteer Firefighters Association
The Press Democrat
Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Don Jones
KT McNulty
TNT Productions
Misti Wood

[@ravex24]

I live in Windsor. This was such a surreal event. When these firefighters say they took at stand at our town, they aren't fucking around. My gate was kicked in and a ladder placed against my roof. Fire got within 3/4 of my house. We lost a handful houses a few blocks from me, but they did an amazing job saving this town. I still see ruminants , burnt trees, new houses, that remind me of these days. We lost so much but in the end, we are Sonoma Strong.

[@dawnheart4436]

I personally remember having to evacuate and then almost had to evacuate again cause the place me and my parents went to had a fire start nearby

[@Jesusdestroys]

Exactly my baby sister had a fever that day she was 1 when we got the alert but by the point we were back we had 1-3 hours before we had to be out the tubs fire caused physiological trauma to me so this was a trainwreck

[@marytyrone3896]

I lived in Sonoma County for years before moving to Twin Falls, Idaho. I watched the story of the Kincade Firestorm develop on the internet on my Android phone just as I had firestorms like Tubbs before that. I had family in Santa Rosa and Cloverdale areas. They survived okay with no losses but witnessed what happened. Orange glow could be seen from a distance in several different directions. My daughter left where she was living in Santa Rosa evacuating to Cloverdale. It was tragic and captivating at the same time. Glad all family and friends survived okay. I'm still trying to make sense of it all years later.

[@GOODNOIGHT]

I lived in Rohnert Park for years and the Tubbs fire was scary as hell. I didnt see this one but if youve seen a Fire that big that blacks out the sun it is seriously scary

[@franhorvath153]

Please make more of these types of documentary films. I’ve watched numerous documentaries about cali fires, put out by frontline and other channels, and this one is the most informative, intriguing and unbiased. Thank you for sharing this story in the way you did, keep up the great work 💯

[@jimwattenburger4545]

Kent Porter is THE BEST fire incident Photographer in California , bare none !!!!!!!!!!

[@elihunterhanoverproductions707]

Also Cole Euken

[@mamalovesthebeach437]

So true! He’s fearless!😳

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

Was pretty good pics

[@Glenn.Cooper]

Hey SIMZVideo: So many times I see videos like this posted and they are not from the actual content creators. As far as I can tell, this is your production. To whoever produced this - a fantastic video production. Thanks!!

[@SIMZVideo]

Thanks!

[@louise9973]

For such a devastating event I'm shocked to see how little this has been viewed.

[@jasonvanbuskirk5820]

I was a resource dispatched to that fire from Nevada, worked the line on Chalk Hill Rd and a few other places.

[@danielross6309]

THANK YOU!!!! From Healdsburg

[@mamalovesthebeach437]

Thank you!🙏🏻 from the Sonoma Coast🌊

[@redroads4598]

I remember listening to the scanner, I heard someone say, "we are not catching this fire tonight" I looked outside and saw the flames. Crazy week in Healdsburg!

[@Aprilsraven629]

In this Country Australia we have strict rules with regards to how New homes are built in high fire danger areas...it saves properties, it allows people to stay in place for longer, it gives fire-fighters more time, it provides much needed fire fighting resources .... all home owners need to consider there surrounds, environment, fire resources when building because in events such as this you may on your own....Great Effort by all involved so many valuable lessons learnt

[@jennifertarin4707]

This was very well done. I realize that this is the new normal, but I'm glad that Sonoma County is learning from the past and is planning to work on continuing to find new and better ways to keep the public safe and informed.

[@russellm7530]

Well they could try telling us the truth. I'm copying and pasting this comment I left on another fire video. It applies just the same here. This the Paradise California, Dallas Texas Boulder Colorado and many other "Wildfires" are PLASMA and or DEW directed energy weapon fires in the last several years. The Earth's poles shifting causing the magnetic shielding to shut down letting in cosmic rays creating spontaneous PLASMA fires. In all these years our LEADERS and MSM have been silent about these plasma fires blaming them on "CLIMATE CHANGE" caused by us using fossil fuels, raising crops, livestock AND cowfarts. They also have several directed energy weapons DEW's or and technologies to create any kind of weather anywhere in the world, flooding, droughts, tornadoes all of them including fires and earthquakes. They can direct this incoming cosmic rays energy caused by the Earth's poles shifting with HAARP, HAMMER, SMACC or solar magnetic amplification causative configurator and start these PLASMA DEW fires which is what this and many other fires our the last several years. They could easily stop the droughts here in the US by using their rainmaking technologies but they don't. Why don't they tell us why these trees are burning from the inside out, cars engine blocks wheels glass melting into rivulets on the pavement far away from trees or any fuel source? Etc. They let us suffer and tell us it's caused by us . Wake up and research all of this. We need to stand up en masse NOW against all this tyrannical BS overtaking OUR world or we're finished. Watch some of Jeff Snyder2's KZbin channel videos. He's probably getting the most relevant information out there that I've seen in these fires the last several years. All the bad weather events in the last 10-20 years or more have also been caused by our LEADERS technologies that we paid for them to learn, build and use against us. Please wake up and research this stuff. God bless all of you and your families.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Well done documentary. I know how hard this can be.

[@cannonball9478]

Incredible team effort. Love from England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@cannonball9478]

The mountains effect at spotting into the town/city is very reminiscent of the effect Sugar Loaf ridge had on ‘Black Saturday’ in Australia. Please look up the documentary

[@jr_NorCal]

What about the prisoners who help with the fires..cant forget them

[@deeboharrison2796]

I was wondering the same. Inmate crews have such an important role in containing these fires and get snubbed everytime. Those guys were the workhorses that got most of chalk hill and the more rural areas that can let that fire take off in all directions, nothing but dry grass, an abundance of primed fuels, and acres between most neighbors. Inmate fire crews are very underappreciated.

[@SobaOfPulaski]

@@deeboharrison2796 No one knows how great an Inmate crew is until they have had the pleasure of working with one. Even here in NC with the NC Forest Service we have them, they are called BRIDGE crews down here. They got very interesting life stories to tell if you ask, and you can trust them to have your back on the line.

[@nala3038]

@@THEROTTINGDOGobviously you do

[@sirthicenskoorb3684]

One day I went for a drive, ended up on Pine Flat Rd. It is the longest twistiest 9 miles I have ever been on. It never ended and I finally turned around and went back to Jimtown. I use to live in Santa Rosa but now live in Clearlake. We have had so many fires in this general area over the past 7 years. You never know where a fire will start next or how it will start. It does not make for a feeling of security about living in California anymore. If the winds would not have shifted Lake county would have been in the fires path abet with slower winds. (?) I don't like living here anymore.

[@MVH-28075]

Well portrayed, thank you.

[@BeckiMuttley]

I don’t understand why there are not more views. This is very well-made and very compelling content.

[@briankistner4331]

In Cali, it seems PG&E likes going around starting fires, almost like it's on purpose.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

That's silly. PG&E is the largest electric utility in the nation, with over 100,000 of lines to patrol. Solution? Shut the power off on red flag days. Be prepared if you have medical equipment.

[@Fieldofdead]

@Wolfdogmom Funny how energy and fuel companies always have record breaking profits each year. It's cheaper and easier to pay for a disaster than it is to maintain and upgrade everything. Just like Ford did with the Pinto. It was cheaper to pay the compensation than it was to recall and upgrade the tanks.

[@frizzlefry1921]

@@Fieldofdead Yeah until it’s cheaper to fix it then it is to kill people it will continue as is.

[@hick66259]

Exactly

[@indy_go_blue6048]

@@Fieldofdead Maybe people shouldn't be building in those places. That's the simple solution.

[@MiraChan]

Seems like the exact opposite of what happened with the Camp Fire. Good warnings, effective communication, adequate evacuation, no loss of life or major injuries. Good to see some have learned from that.

[@kittygonzalez2827]

They learned from 9/12/2015 the Valley Fire that devastated the southern half of Lake County and striking regions who had NO WARNING like Anderson Springs! They also suffered from one way in and out! Letters were sent to both county and State EMS, to no avail ...it could have helped the Camp Fire evacuees had someone paid a little attention and found out where and why the individuals wrote to them!

[@H.O.P.E.1122]

Excellent coverage. God bless all affected.

[@ggurks]

Very good documentary, thanks

[@ruger8412]

This was bad one i remember Colorado sending a whole wildfire team with trucks & everything for nearly a month. We understand how devastating these fires are. Its not like other faster healing weather event's these fires take decades to recover from. God bless all firefighters & their families & thank you for your service. ❤

[@Forestryman707]

Are you going to do a video on the recent glass fire in Sonoma county

[@kittygonzalez2827]

We saw the bizarre start of this fire from Anderson Springs that night. Very odd, indeed! There is more to it’s origin than the public is aware of. The only reason we did not suffer another fire in Lake County, equivalent to The Valley Fire was a shift in the winds from an on shore light breeze, to a sudden off shore hard wind that actually began at the same time as the start of the fire.

[@gman0397]

My crew got diverted to a fire in riverside.. our other crew was sent to sanoma to help… first fire I was glad I didn’t get sent to. Sheesh

[@safespacebear]

When mom and dad give you clearance to be afraid that's when you know it's real. I didn't grow up in fire country but I did in tornado alley. I know the feeling of dad bursting into my room while I'm asleep, swooping me up and running to the storm cellar. Even tho I could tell my dad was scared, I figured I had him so I liked our odds coming thru it.

[@BillyButtry]

the county needs to conduct controlled burns twice a year to keep the dangers down around fire season. I worked wild land fire and residential fire service so I got a few hours experience. And situational awareness in the residents to spot and call in crucial time.

[@Buasop]

Cal fire learned a lot from the Camp fire and applied that lesson here. Well done

[@lulabelldesigns]

Thank you for protecting us everyone. 🙏✝️🛡️

[@RamboJohnJ]

22:00 holy crap, I thought that was Sgt. Getraer from CHiPs for a minute 😮

[@nala3038]

Contrer

[@mariekatherine5238]

Beautiful area, but it’s a tinderbox! Why would anyone build there?

[@amberdevore3943]

i think people in that area need to focus on brush management and cleaning out the dead shit in order to mitigate this risk

[@davidlenzi3551]

I am still listening to this broadcast video. First impression is favorable. I will reply to this comment after watching

[@davidlenzi3551]

As promised I am now responding having watched this documentary I find that the substance is accurate. Yes this was an unqualified disaster that would have been far worse but for the combined efforts of all emergency responders. Fire takes the lead as it is a fire emergency. The addition of Police and EMS to alert the public of the danger they were in was great further providing fire more resources to commit to the firefight.👍👍👍

[@davidlenzi3551]

What do I know about this kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOcZ5abiq2ghbcsi=b_grKYGIBW8h5fAd

[@mom369222]

Not all fires are bad. Some plants that wouldn't otherwise sprout need fire. Most fires if caught early,wouldn't become out of control. When a fire is reported,or you see smoke, some where there is fire.However,it's up to the fire departments to respond. i saw smoke,reported what I'd seen, and could smell it, the guy called me a liar,and didn't even go look!

[@49kittypretty1]

What does it mean when there are pink flames. Thanks to the emergency responders for all your work.

[@TheTrevelyansway]

It means the fire is burning a Flame-ingo. 🦩

[@albertomadeirajr7824]

Did the fire officials ever determine what started this fire?

[@rageagainstthemachine7434]

🔥🔥🔥DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS !!!🔥🔥🔥🔥ALL THESE DELIBERATE FIRES ARE FROM DIRECTED ENERGY LAS ER S !!!!!!!👎👎👎👎👎😡😡😡😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

[@nala3038]

@@rageagainstthemachine7434wrong

[@Turnagater]

Allowing nature to just be, and unmanaged will get you large fires. Look back to older images of the national forests. You could see through the trees. Controlled burning and management of the undergrowth was vital.

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

Less people and tons more water back then

[@elizabethpinkerton9866]

Do you get purposefully lit fires. I suppose you must, Im in Australia and we seem to get a lot of idiots who light fires at times like these.

[@CHANDLOOKNER]

The kincadians

[@cr4180]

No one remembers the 1930's when claiming worst ever?

[@kylesargent7614]

It's seems like California has the worst case of major brush fires every year. Case in point lack of management in forest and power company lack of management and maintenance

[@reptaloid]

I lived in Coffey Park i lost everything burnt my house to ashes

[@mamalovesthebeach437]

😢

[@mikasmunchies7804]

Still in the first few minutes, but someone spelled Coffey Park as "Coffee"

[@kathymorris4553]

There building in areas they should not.

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

“Where am I supposed to go” with an attitude….. this is the most pathetic selfish thing I’ve heard a human say in a while.

[@reptaloid]

Absolutely nothing left hardened steel tools vehicles everything gone firesafe gone and no debris out in the streets so much for the wind thery 😢 😮

[@shedwork]

Well done these folks to survive and learn from the first big fire, adapt and come back stronger. This is the new norm. When will ever be the right time to talk about the elephant in the room?

[@RobinPMac]

PG&E sure set this fire up and walked away scott free

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

You need a hat, the sun as baked your mind like a methany

[@nala3038]

Hey great news, your meds are now are ready at the pharmacy

[@reptaloid]

One thing to notice no one's fighting the fire no hand crews no fire trucks with water lines running all over they just let it burn I know I was there

[@reptaloid]

How come the truck is on fire being incinerated with the bushes around the truck not on fire

[@shaneward6689]

Ever heard of ember clouds? That's what starts spot fires. The hot embers landed on that truck bed and ignited the combustible materials on it . The houses look to be burning only on the inside because the roof is already gone but the walls are still standing so it's acting like a chimney and drawing air in through window and door openings to feed the fire inside and the hot gasses are leaving through the top. There is no conspiracy here . Its just the way fire and heat works.

[@nala3038]

Conspiracy much?

[@dogglevlog6874]

😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😂😂😂

[@reptaloid]

Look closely at the fires notice the houses are burning from the inside out

[@reptaloid]

There is no forest in Santa Rosa I was a wildland firefighter outer lake county for 3 years never seen nothing like this before you should have seen the blue beam coming down from the sky let's just say there was a lot of DEW in the air

[@rageagainstthemachine7434]

🔥🔥🔥DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS !!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥👎👎👎👎😡😡😡😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠😠

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

A chocolate raspberry enema will soothe those benign thoughts

[@nala3038]

@@clarenceghammjr1326I was thinking of something different for this guy

[@ImPacosTacos]

Been sent to California the last 3 years of fire season.... it amazes me everytime when my crew leaders are non stop dealing with decades old Debris that should have been cleared years ago.

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

Just a story- until you watch this in it’s entirety, the sheriff was convincing to me and the personnel seemed truly engaged. Was a really good video and I’m convinced they gave beyond what they are paid for👍👏👏🫰🏻