Yolo County fire grows to 2,200 acres; PG&E shuts off power in some areas as a precaution

State firefighters continued to use ground crews, air tankers and helicopters to attack a fast-moving wildfire that broke out Saturday afternoon in rural Yolo County in Northern California.

Winds out of the northeast and temperatures in the 90s drove the Sand fire, which is burning dry grass and shrubs near the community of Guinda in the Capay Valley. By late Sunday afternoon, the fire had grown to 2,200 acres and was 20% contained.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued for homes and ranches along County Road 41. No structures had been lost, said Will Power, information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

On Saturday, fire crews succeeded in stopping the spread of the 50-acre Ink fire in neighboring Napa County.

Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to continue through Sunday afternoon, prompting Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to shut off power to thousands of Northern California customers as a public safety precaution.

State authorities last month said the utility’s wind-damaged transmission lines sparked last year’s Camp fire, the deadliest and most destructive in California history. PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in part because of the huge liability it faces in the aftermath of the fire, which left 85 people dead and destroyed nearly 19,000 structures.

Early Saturday the company turned off power to about 1,600 customers in Napa, Solano and Yolo counties and restored it Saturday evening.

In a second wave of shut-offs that started at 9 p.m., the power was turned off to 16,000 customers in the Sierra foothills of Butte and Yuba counties, including communities hit by the Camp Fire.

“PG&E will continue to monitor the weather conditions in Nevada, El Dorado and Placer counties, and may still de-energize lines there overnight if necessary,” the company said in a statement.

The utility said Sunday that it will open two community centers where affected residents can gather.