🌱 Heat Wave, Power Outage Update + Fire Watch + Author Talks

Hello again, old friends. It's me, Simone, your regular host of the Healdsburg Daily — finally back from Burning Man to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Looks like a lot's been going on in town, so bear with me as I parse through it all over the next few days. To get us started, today's issue includes...

• Everything you need to know about the power outage situation in Healdsburg
• More details about this crazy heat
• A fire watch for Healdsburg and environs

But first, your daily weather:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and very hot. High: 101 Low: 62.
• Thursday: Even hotter and sunnier. High: 107 Low: 65.

Heads up: As you know, the current heat wave has been prompting all sorts of alerts and warnings from local officials and the national weather service. The latest is an "excessive heat warning" of "dangerously hot conditions" through the end of tomorrow, plus a plea for power conservation from 4 p.m. onward. Keep scrolling for more info on the power stuff. (National Weather Service & County of Sonoma via Facebook)

Big shoutout to our premier local sponsors. Check out what they can do for you:

• Looking to buy or sell a luxury property in Sonoma County? Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s International Realty is a local firm with global reach that specializes in luxury real estate, vineyards, wineries and land in Sonoma County. Healdsburg's Sotheby's: local expertise, deep market knowledge, and a passion for the community. Whether buying or selling, it pays to work with the best. Call Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s at 707-433-4800.

• Have you stopped by Amy's Wicked Slush near Memorial Bridge lately? Amy's has Slush in glorious flavors like root beer, mango, and orange cream and soft serve in flavors like Cupcake, Blueberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. Can’t decide? Get the Split — half-slush, half-soft serve layered up like a parfait! Do yourself a favor and stop by ASAP.

• Healdsburg gardeners and plant enthusiasts: Need help growing your garden? Thrive Hydroponics and Garden Supply is a family-owned, full service garden shop with over 15 years experience helping people care for their plants. Whether you’re a first-time grower or an experienced greenhouse gardener, they’ve got the right supplies and expert knowledge to help your garden flourish — including a variety of soils at the best prices. Visit them here today to learn more and mention Patch for 25% off.

• Looking to rent in the Healdsburg area? Stacey Bernd at Healdsburg & Artisan Sotheby's International has lived in Sonoma Co. for 48 years and been in real estate for 30. She knows the market the way only a local can. Thinking of listing a property for rent? She can help with that too. Contact Stacey and work with Healdsburg's best.

• Considering a fire-safe metal roof or siding for your home? Metal Roof Company has specialized in metal roofing and wall panels in the North Bay area for nearly 30 years. They work with homeowners, architects and general contractors on everything from single-family homes to commercial installations — and take pride in getting the job done right. To see a gallery of projects or to learn more, visit Metal Roof Company today or email metalroofcompany.com@gmail.com.

Click here to get your business featured in this spot.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 2 stories in Healdsburg today:

1. After warning Healdsburg residents for the past few days that rolling power outages might be necessary amid this gnarly heat wave if people didn't stop using enough power on their own in the evenings, city officials pulled the trigger on the first one last night — affecting a small zone at the north end of Healdsburg for 30 minutes. However, they quickly halted any additional outages due to "lower system loads" and residents apparently doing their part to reduce power usage. However! After the first blackout, the Press Democrat ran a story asking: "California’s power grid withstood the heat. So why did Healdsburg and three other cities have rolling blackouts?" And city leaders answered in the form of a Facebook post today, explaining that there "may have been miscommunications" between them and the state agencies involved. "We are actively engaging with [these agencies] to ensure that communication protocols are improved and clarified immediately," the city said. "We share our community’s frustration with this situation. We would like to express our gratitude for your understanding and continued efforts to heed calls for conservation." In any case, the city is asking Healdsburg residents to do their part again today "by pre-cooling your homes and business before 4pm and starting at 4pm set thermostats to 78 or higher, health permitting," so we can continue to avoid full-on power outages across town. (City of Healdsburg via Facebook & City of Healdsburg via Facebook & SFGATE & Press Democrat & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. Another big risk during these crazy temperatures is obviously wildfires. “What this extreme heat is doing is kiln-drying the vegetation, pre-baking it if you will and making things that much more flammable,” a UCLA climate scientist explained yesterday, according to the SF Chronicle — aka, we're in a "nightmare scenario for fire risk." In other parts of California right now, the Mill, Mountain and Fairview fires have reportedly burned thousands of acres, destroyed dozens of homes and killed a handful of people. Three fire personnel from the Healdsburg Fire Department were deployed as part of a strike team to help fight the Mountain fire up north, according to City Councilmember David Hagele. Locally, we've been lucky so far, but city firefighters did say they worked with the rural Northern Sonoma County Fire District put out a "small grass fire" in our area Sunday. And district officials add their "fuels reduction crew does not stop! Even in this heat they are able to work on a shaded fuel break [that] will help create a strategic fire break connecting Big Ridge Road and Mill Creek Road." Looking ahead, the Chronicle reports that "Hurricane Kay could arrive on the California coast this weekend, bringing lightning that could spark wildfires." Needless to say, everyone stay vigilant out there! (David Hagele via Facebook & Healdsburg Fire Department via Facebook & Northern Sonoma County Fire District via Facebook & San Francisco Chronicle; paywall)

Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, September 7

• "Knits n Knots" at the Healdsburg Library: Learn How to Knit, Crochet or Needle Felt Flowers With Experts From Healdsburg's Purls of Joy Co-Op (6-8PM)
• Movie Nights on the Green at Rodney Strong Vineyards: "The Birds" (6:30PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma With Harry Potter Theme (7-9PM)
• Meet & Greet With Healdsburg City Council Candidate Chris Herrod at the Elephant in the Room Pub, Featuring Live Music by Nate Lopez (8PM)

Thursday, September 8

• Live Screening & Discussion of Author Talk at the Healdsburg Library: Dr. Michele Borba, "Thrivers: Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Thrive" (11AM-12:30PM)
• Derek Irving Big Band Live at Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards (5:30PM)
• Book Launch Party at Breathless Wines: Tara Renze, "Be Who You Came to Be" (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Harmon House Run (6PM)
• Back to School Night at Healdsburg High School (6-8PM)
• LIME Foundation's 7th Annual "Believe in the Dream" Gala at the Luther Burbank Center (6-11PM)

From my notebook:

• Yesterday was the hottest day in Santa Rosa history, the PD reports. (Press Democrat; paywall)
• Related: The SF Chronicle took a great photo of a woman floating in the Russian River through Healdsburg in the 111-degree heat yesterday. The same pic was then featured across the globe in the Sydney Herald. (Sydney Morning Herald & San Francisco Chronicle; paywall)
• Wondering when we'll get some relief from all this? Weather officials say it's supposed to start cooling down Friday into Saturday. (NWS)

OK, that's all for today. Be back tomorrow with more!

— Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Healdsburg Daily? Contact me at simone.wilson@patch.com