His crew had just finished putting out a grass fire when Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner’s radio crackled at about 10 p.m.
“We’ve got a fire at Safari West and it’s coming our way,” the dispatcher said.
The wildlife preserve set in Sonoma County’s thickly wooded hills was just 6 miles away, and Gossner knew that it was a uniquely dangerous spot. The winds this Sunday night were stiff, and parched grass and tinder-dry trees filled the valleys leading straight to town. Gossner drove up a hill to take a look.
Off in the distance, as he crested the slope, was an orange glow, angry and wide.
“My God,” he thought. “We’re in trouble.”