Northern California sheriff says 3 dead in fast-moving wildfire near wine country

REDDING, California — Northern California’s wine country was blanketed by fire again Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already scorched region, destroying homes and prompting evacuation orders for more than 50,000 people.

Further north near Redding, Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini announced during a late afternoon update that three people had died from a fire there. He did not give any details about those who died, but said more than 1,200 people are evacuated there.

The fires that began Sunday in the famed Napa-Sonoma wine country north of San Francisco and around Redding came near the third anniversary of deadly wildfires that erupted in 2017, including one that killed 22 people.

In Sonoma and Napa counties, more than 50,000 people have been evacuated because of the Glass Fire, which is among nearly 30 major wildfires burning across California.

The latest deaths mean that California wildfires have now killed 29 people in this year’s historic fire season.