The fire threatened over 90,000 structures and caused widespread evacuations throughout Sonoma County, including the communities of Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor, and Santa Rosa.

[7] A compulsory report shows that the fire started when a 230,000 volt transmission line failed near the point of origin, just as power was about to be shut off in the area.

"Despite the latest shutdowns, PG&E admitted last week that its equipment may have started the Kincade fire," said the San Jose Mercury News in an editorial condemning the utility's practices and calling for regulatory action.

[11] A San Francisco Chronicle editorial also called for the California Public Utilities Commission to "give PG&E the kind of serious regulatory attention it should have been subject to many years ago.

"[12] and noted that while California governor Gavin Newsom expressed an interest in a Berkshire Hathaway takeover of the utility, "[a]nyone who would bid for PG&E would also be bidding for all of its liabilities -- from the bankruptcy proceedings to fire victim claims to safety improvement bills ... "[12] The fire "chewed through more than 100 sq mi (260 km2) and destroyed or damaged over 120 buildings.

[9] From an analysis of the historical GPS data, it was predicted that 35% of householders evacuated while the remaining decided to stay and defend their property.

These results are comparable with the evacuation percentages observed in the previous wildfire affecting the same area: the 2017 Tubbs Fire.

[18]The Sonoma County government, in conjunction with Esri, published an interactive map containing incidents and evacuation zones associated with the fires.