Per KCRA
http://www.kcra.com/article/point-sur-lighthouse-one-of-america-s-most-haunted-lighthouses/12836210:
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (SF Gate) — In the confusion surrounding the wildfires devastating Wine Country, rumors are rife. Some areas remain inaccessible and without power and cell phone service, contributing to the spread of misinformation on social media.
Here are some of the more notorious rumors that have circulated:
1) Evacuation centers checking immigration status
Shelters are asking for names to identify who was coming in, not to check immigration status, Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said at a press conference Wednesday.
"There's a rumor out there that people are checking immigration status in shelters and that is not true." he told residents. "Immigration status will never be asked of you."
2) Wineries "lost" in the flames
Chateau St. Jean, Kunde, William Hill Estate and Stag's Leap were all reported to have been destroyed.
In fact, Chateau St. Jean suffered only limited damage. William Hill reported that its damage was minimal and cosmetic. A photo of a singed sign at the winery no doubt fanned the rumors.
A historic outer building was lost at Stag's Leap, but the winery was intact.
Kunde Winery in Kenwood was not harmed, despite reports to the contrary.
Several wineries, however, did burn. A list can be found
here.
3) False-alarm evacuations
Evacuations reported at the following locations did not actually happen:
- Howard Hospital in Mendocino.
- The town of Willits.
- The town of Yountville. But the Yountville veterans home, one of the largest veterans homes in the country, was briefly evacuated until the fire danger passed.
- The entire city of Fairfield.
-
4) Still standing despite what you may have heard
Despite early pronouncements of its demise, Kaiser Santa Rosa medical center did not burn. However, it did evacuate patients and staff due to the fire danger.
Tweets and some news reports also claimed that Kohl's department store and Trader Joe's in Santa Rosa had been destroyed. While restaurants in the Kohl's shopping center did in fact burn to the ground, we have been unable to confirm that the department store suffered the same fate.
Trader Joe's did suffer major damage, but was not "gone" as some on Twitter asserted.
5) Widespread looting?
Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman confirmed that only one looter was arrested as of Tuesday afternoon, following false reports that many thefts have been committed during the Mendocino Lake Complex Fire, according to the
Ukiah Daily Journal.
Meanwhile,
the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office was embarrassed after it shared a call to action from a tipster on its Facebook page Tuesday:
"Okay, Sonoma County, let's catch this crook. This truck is a suspect in a potential attempted looting in the Bennett Valley area," read the post, alongside a picture of a black pickup truck and a phone number to call.
The "suspect" turned out to be someone "assisting his friend in a time of crisis," according to a revised Facebook post by the sheriff's department, which apologized for the false alarm. The post circulated for about an hour online before being taken down.
6) Petaluma police seeking volunteers?
The Petaluma Police Department reported its communication center has been swamped with calls from wannabe volunteers. It gave this statement:
"The Petaluma PD dispatch communication center is being inundated with calls from volunteers wanting to assist in our dispatch center. There are unconfirmed reports that information online is indicating Petaluma PD is requesting assistance in our dispatch center and this information is inaccurate. No assistance has been requested and no assistance is needed."
7) Giraffes on the loose?
Safari West denied rumors that the wildlife attraction had burned down or that animals were released from their enclosures.
8) PG&E somehow at fault?
Investigators were looking into reports that strong winds knocked down numerous Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines between 9:20 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday night, about the time the fires broke out in Napa and Sonoma counties, officials said.
The Chronicle reported that Cal Fire officials said it will take time to determine the cause and noted that arson or accidental factors can't be ruled out. But reports linking PG&E to the fires spawned a flurry of tweets suggesting that the utility may have something to do with starting one of the most destructive wildfire disasters in state history.
The cause remains under investigation by state fire officials, and there is as yet no evidence that PG&E was responsible.
