A man and woman were arrested in Fairfield for possessing kilograms of fentynal in September, state police said. 

State troopers stopped a 2017 Chevy Cruze traveling on Interstate 95 near exit 21 on Sept. 30.

Connecticut State Police said after speaking to the driver, Arianna Spencer, and passenger, Isaiah Roman, probable cause was developed and they were given permission to search the car. 

A narcotics K-9 alerted police to something in the trunk and troopers found approximately five kilograms of suspected fentynal. Police also seized a small amount of cocaine in the center console. 

Spencer and Roman were arrested and face possession and illegal drug sale charges. Spencer was also charged with speeding. 

Their bonds were set at $500,000. 

Newly homeless residents of California wine country awoke to shattered lives Tuesday, a day after wildfires killed at least 15 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses. 

Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said a total of 17 large fires burning across the state have charred more than 115,000 acres within the past 24 hours.

Area hospitals have reported treating more than 100 patients with fire-related injuries. As many as 2,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed, according to authorities, who warned that all those figures were expected to climb in the coming days as more information is reported.

Congressman Mike Thompson stressed “how serious and devastating this fire is on the people in our area.”

He said Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are “fully engaged” and the entire California delegation is pushing to get aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the White House.

President Donald Trump said he spoke Monday night with California Gov. Jerry Brown to "let him know that the federal government will stand with the people of California. And we will be there for you in this time of terrible tragedy and need."

The largest of the blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles away.

A thick, smoky haze cloaked much of Napa and Sonoma counties, where neighborhoods hit by the fires were completely leveled. In the Santa Rosa suburb known as Coffey Park, house after house was gone with only brick chimneys still standing. The flames burned so hot that windows and tire rims melted off cars, leaving many parked vehicles sitting on their steel axles. The only recognizable remnants at many homes were charred washing machines and dryers.

Santa Rosa city officials on Tuesday afternoon said the Nuns Fire was rapidly approaching the Oakmont neighborhood, which was already under a mandatory evacuation order. Residents who were still in the area were told to leave immediately.

Authorities hoped cooler weather and lighter winds would help crews get a handle on 17 separate fires, which are among the deadliest in California history.

"The weather has been working in our favor, but it doesn't mean it will stay that way," said Brad Alexander, a spokesman of the governor's Office of Emergency Services.

The extra firefighters came from throughout California and Nevada. The extra law enforcement officers will help with evacuations and guard against looting, Alexander said. 

Cal Fire urged people to refrain from flying drones because it hindered air assaults on flames. Officials also described the fire as a "life safety event," and said that crews are not yet in firefighting mode. The goal is to evacuate people and ensure their safety.

Among the dead were 100-year-old Charlie Rippey and his 98-year-old wife Sara. The pair had been married for 75 years but didn't make it out of the Silverado Golf Course house they lived in for the past 40 years.

"The caregiver called and said there's fire everywhere," Chuck Rippey, the couple’s son, said. "I said get these guys out on the street, and before she knew it, the roof was caving in very fast."

Rippey said his dad was a World War II veteran who liked playing tennis and going out to eat. But he loved his wife more than anything. Rippey said he finds peace in knowing the two were together until the very end. The Napa County coroner confirmed their deaths.

Mandatory and volunteer evacuations were widespread in Napa and Sonoma counties and stretched into Solano County late Monday night. Several evacuation centers have opened for residents to take shelter.

Kim Hoe, a 33-year-old tech worker from Penang, Malaysia, was staying at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, which was gutted by flames. He said the power went out around 1 a.m., and he and his colleagues started packing up when someone knocked on the door and told them to run.

"We just had to run and run. It was full of smoke. We could barely breathe," Hoe said.

More than 20,000 people have been evacuated, officials said. 

Sonoma County said it has received more than 200 missing-person reports as family and friends scramble to locate loved ones.

The reports have come via calls to a hotline the county set up for the missing, according to Scott Alonso, communications director for Sonoma County.

It's possible that many or most of the missing are safe but simply can't be reached because of the widespread loss of cell service and other communications.

NFL legend and former San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott, along with other sports stars, were evacuated from a hotel in Sonoma minutes before wildfire ripped through the area, according to TMZ.

Former San Francisco Giants great Barry Bonds was also among the athletes who fled from Wine County wildfires, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Yuba counties due to wildfires. Vice President Mike Pence, who is visiting California, said at an event near Sacramento that the federal government stands with California as it takes on the blazes, but he made no specific promises.

Much of the damage was in Santa Rosa, a far larger and more developed city than usually finds itself at the mercy of a wildfire. The city is home to 175,000 residents, including both the wine-country wealthy and the working class.

The flames were unforgiving to both groups. Hundreds of homes of all sizes were leveled by flames so hot they melted the glass off of cars and turned aluminum wheels into liquid.

Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Noah Lowry, who now runs an outdoor sporting goods store in Santa Rosa, was forced to flee in minutes along with his wife, two daughters, and a son just over 2 weeks old.

"I can't shake hearing people scream in terror as the flames barreled down on us," Lowry said.

His family and another evacuating with them tried to take U.S. 101 to evacuate but found it blocked by flames, and had to take country roads to get to the family friends who took them in.

Among the more prominent structures damaged in the fires were Cardinal Newman High School and the Hilton Hotel in Santa Rosa. A number of wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties also were burned.

The destructive blazes and high winds, which fanned the flames and toppled power lines, have left tens of thousands of people across the North Bay without power, according to PG&E. Roughly 87,000 customers were without power, with the majority of them in Sonoma and Napa counties, PG&E reported at noon.

School closures in Santa Rosa were extended through Wednesday, officials said, and Napa Valley, Calistoga and St. Helena unified school districts canceled classes for the rest of the week, officials said. 

Sonoma State University canceled classes Wednesday, and Santa Rosa Junior College will remain closed through Sunday, according to the school websites. 

Santa Rosa officials also issued a curfew order for affected burn areas at 6:45 p.m. until sunrise. Evacuees are instructed not to return to their homes until evacuation orders are lifted, they said.

The wildfire also ripped through the historic Stornetta Dairy off Highway 12 in Sonoma County.

In Napa, the fire destroyed a water pump station in the Silverado Country Club area, prompting the city to issue a boil-water notice for customers on Hagen Road, Woodland Drive, Syar Drive, Holly Court and Old Coach Road. Boil water notices were also issued for some residents in the Fountain Grove area of Santa Rosa.

To the south in Orange County, more than 5,000 homes were evacuated because of a fire in the Anaheim area. The blaze had grown to nearly 10 square miles and had destroyed 24 structures.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Connecticut Lottery and state Department of Consumer Protection are warning consumers about an email scam poaching personal information by claiming recipients have been selected for a “MEGA MILLIONS DRAW.”

The email requests the recipient’s name, home address, occupation and contact number. Officials stress that it is a scam and if you receive one of these emails you should not respond.

“When in doubt, we urge players to please take an extra step and call the CT Lottery Corporation directly at 860-713-2700 to ensure your transactions are safe and secure,” wrote interim Connecticut Lottery Corporation President Chelsea Turner in a release.

“Emails like this that impersonate familiar brands can be particularly tempting to respond to, but our message is: don’t take the bait. If you have any doubt in your mind that something is legitimate, don’t engage,” advised Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull.

If you are concerned you may have fallen victim to this or another scam, contact DCP’s complaint center at 860-713-6300, or by emailing dcp.investigations@ct.gov.

For more information on lottery scams, click here. 

A 3-year-old died from acute methadone intoxication in Stafford earlier this year, state police discovered. 

On April 22, state troopers responded to a report of an unresponsive child on Old Birch Road around 10:52 a.m. by the boy's mother, Jessica York.

Stafford ambulance declared York's son was dead at the scene, according to Connecticut State Police. 

As police investigated, the boy's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's officer due to acute methadone intoxication, state police said. 

The 24-year-old mom was charged with manslaughter, three counts of reckless endangerment and three counts of risk of injury. 

Her bond was set at $500,000. 

The Regional #10 Public School District, made up of students from Burlington and Harwinton, is planning to cut least $1.6 million from its annual budget and to lay off at least 18 staff in the coming weeks.

Superintendent Alan Beitman expressed frustration with the continuing budget impasse and the mixed messages coming from legislators and the governor regarding funds for education, and added, "just tell us what the bottom line is. Let us at least deal with it."

Beitman's efforts to keep parents in the loop about the budget's impacts on the region's schools are appreciated by local parent Samantha Fongemie, who said, "He's so dedicated to the school and calls us and lets us know that he doesn't want to have to do these cuts. We just wish that there was more we can do."

With an estimated cut to the education budget of $1.6 million, Beitman and the first selectmen of Harwinton and Burlington have looked at what they can do to maintain services and programs for the district's nearly 2,400 students. Harwinton first selectman Michael Criss explained their focus has remained on making sure the effects to students are as minimal as possible. He added the trio, "met numerous times over the last few months, and even beforehand, to really put together concrete plans so that the children don’t suffer."

In order to save money, the district plans to lay off 18 to 25 non-certified employees, out of a total of 400 employees, who do not work directly with students.

Beitman worries these layoffs may not be enough to cover the eventual budget needs of the district, and commented, "after this, we have no place to go but looking at our certified staff – meaning our teachers. Even cutting the number of positions that I am, we’re eliminating only $400,000 from our $1.6 million cut."

In addition, the district has needed to re-organize its administration and cut four vice-principal positions last Thursday. The news was disheartening to Fongemie, who moved her family here from Plainville specifically so her son could attend school in Region 10, and told NBC Connecticut, "I think that’s the worst part is that it’s so unknown. You know you move to a town with reassurance and now you just have so much that is unknown. It’s really discouraging."

Fongemie added she hopes legislators will come up with a state budget soon. For now, layoff notices will be sent out on Oct. 23 to the affected employees.

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp is not discouraged by the state backing Hartford and Stamford’s bid for Amazon’s new headquarters that will house as many as 50,000 employees.

"We’d be a great place for Amazon," she told NBC Connecticut on Tuesday. "But we’re among at least 200 other cities in America that think that."

New Haven and Bridgeport are moving forward with submitting a joint proposal for Amazon’s second North American headquarters.

"We want to partner with anybody that wants to bring jobs and development to this part of Connecticut," Harp said.

The New Haven-Bridgeport region is better suited for the online giant because of location and transportation infrastructure like I-95, ports and the rail line, Harp said.

"We think that we are poised between Boston and New York," Harp said.

Over the phone, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim told NBC Connecticut "this region offers elements that will be critical for Amazon."

Another reason Harp said Amazon should consider this region is the number of colleges and universities, including Yale.

"Mayor Gamin and I went to speak with (Dept. of Economic and Community Development) Commissioner Smith and they’re going to use our world class university to try to get Amazon to come to these other places," Harp said."well, where better to come than where that university is."

Kate Gregory lives in North Haven, where Amazon is already building its third facility in the state, as it was first reported in June.

"You mentioned losing GE and Aetna," Gregory said. "It would be great to have a big company come into Connecticut and bring jobs that we lost."

Even if Amazon decides Hartford or Stamford would be a better destination, Harp said it would be a win for the state.

"Our entire state would be really benefit if any of our cities got this new headquarters," she said.

The submissions for the new Amazon headquarters are due next week on Oct. 19. NBC Connecticut will keep you posted if any cities in the state emerge as a serious contender.

With it feeling like summer in October, some of Connecticut’s favorite seasonal shoreline businesses filled up Tuesday.

Dozens of people took lunch outside at Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock in New London, ordering their favorite summer eats in the fall.

"We drove down from Lebanon just to eat this because we usually come in the summer almost every week," Joyce Noy said while enjoying a lobster roll.

"Seventy-seven degrees on Oct. 10. We could be shoveling," her husband, David Noy, said.

A summer-like autumn has made up for a cold, wet spring, according to Captain Scott’s staff.

"It was great waking up today. Sent the kids off to school and came out with my mom for a lobster roll," Nicole VanOverloop from Waterford said.

Berry’s Ice Cream & Candy Bar in New London opened on a Tuesday – which is not a scheduled day this time of year because of the unseasonably warm temperature.

"I closed yesterday because it was so bad, but the weather for the rest of the week looks amazing," the ice cream shop owner Laura Beckham said.

Within the first half hour of opening, Beckham had four or five families waiting for a scoop and that was before she posted that she was open on Facebook.

"Not the greatest summer. So this month is making up for the majority that we didn’t have," she added.

Just when many thought it was time to put away the beach towel for the season, some played hooky from school and work to enjoy a day on the beach at Rocky Neck State Park.

"I didn’t expect it to be this warm," said 8-year-old Madison Murphy, of Suffield.

Others, like Jodi Fogarty, is hoping the warm stretch stretches even longer.

"I was here last year on Oct. 18," Fogarty, a Windsor resident, said. "I’m praying for it."

After the USS John S. McCain's collision with a merchant vessel that resulted in the deaths of 10 sailors, the ship's commanding officers have been relieved of their duties Tuesday, NBC News reported.

Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, the commanding officer, and Cmdr. Jessie L. Sanchez, the executive officer, were said to have exercised poor "judgement" and "leadership," respectively, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

The statement added that the two officers were relieved because of "loss of confidence."

The USS John S. McCain collided with a 30,000-ton tanker near Singapore in August, killing 10 sailors and injuring five. Earlier in June, the USS Fitzgerald slammed into a Japanese merchant ship in June resulting in seven sailors deaths. Admiral Scott Smith announced his retirement from Command of the Pacific Fleet because of the two incidents.

President Donald Trump said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during a gathering this summer of the nation's highest ranking national security leaders, three officials who were in the room told NBC News.

Trump's comments, the officials said, came in response to a briefing slide he was shown that charted the steady reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons since the late 1960s. Trump indicated he wanted a bigger stockpile, not the bottom position on that downward-sloping curve.

According to the officials present, Trump's advisers, among them the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, were surprised. Officials briefly explained the legal and practical impediments to a nuclear buildup and how the current military posture is stronger than it was at the height of the build-up. In interviews, they told NBC News that no such expansion is planned.

The July 20 meeting was described as a lengthy and sometimes tense review of worldwide U.S. forces and operations. It was soon after the meeting broke up that officials who remained behind heard Tillerson say that Trump is a "moron."

Asked for a response to the president's comments, a White House official speaking only on the condition of anonymity, said that the nuclear arsenal was not a primary topic of the briefing. Dana White, spokesperson for the Pentagon said "the Secretary of Defense has many closed sessions with the president and his cabinet members. Those conversations are privileged."

The cybersecurity company FireEye says in a new report to private clients, obtained exclusively by NBC News, that hackers linked to North Korea recently targeted U.S. electric power companies with spearphishing emails.

The emails used fake invitations to a fundraiser to target victims, FireEye said. A victim who downloaded the invitation attached to the email would also be downloading malware into his or her computer network, according to the FireEye report. The company did not dispute NBC's characterization of the report, but declined to comment.

There is no evidence that the hacking attempts were successful, but FireEye assessed that the targeting of electric utilities could be related to increasing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, potentially foreshadowing a disruptive cyberattack.

Robert Lee, a cybersecurity expert who consults with the industry, told NBC News that "any targeting of infrastructure by a foreign power is a concerning thing," but that North Korea and other adversaries "are far from being able to disrupt the electric grid."

Like wine lovers from across the country, Mark Mulston from Shelton has visited the vineyards in Northern California.

"It was fantastic," he said. "It was heaven for any wine lover and it’s a tragedy what I see is going on out there right there, it’s a natural disaster."

Some of Connecticut’s 35 wineries import California grapes. At Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, a majority of the grapes used to make a variety of wines are grown on their scene 140 acre property.

"I love creating something from the ground up, literally," Vineyard Manager and Winemaker Maryann Houde said.

Consumers could feel the impact of the destruction from the wildfires in California’s Napa and Sonoma counties, she added.

"I think it’s definitely going to make the price go up," Houde said. "And it’s definitely going to have an impact on the quality of wine that comes out of California."

It could take several years for the Northern California wineries devastated by the wildfires to recover, Houde told NBC Connecticut.

"It takes 3 to 5 years for vines when you plant them to start producing grapes so it’s a really long process," she said. "Every year as they get old they’ll produce a little bit more and the quality gets better."

Knowing more than a dozen lives have been lost because of the raging wildfires out west, Mulston said he can live with a paying a little bit more for a bottle of wine.

"When something like that happens I’m not even concerned about wine prices," he said. "I’m more concerned about the loss of life and property and what those poor people are going through."

Mulston said he hopes to return to California’s famed wine country.

"Without a doubt," he said. "I’d go out there now if I could support them in any way."

The Berlin Board of Education (BOE) voted for one of its subcommittees to continue exploring the possibility of making public school students pay to participate in school athletics on Tuesday.

The move comes as the town tries to prepare for what could be steep state budget cuts because the state legislature still has not finalized a state budget.

Members of the Berlin BOE say discussions about “pay to participate” sports are still in a preliminary phase and no final decision has been made. But some parents at the board’s meeting on Tuesday are upset that the idea is something that is even being considered.

"I’m not into political maneuvering. I’m into let’s see what’s realistic, let’s look at the numbers. Some of our own representatives taking way too long to do what we need to do to move forward," David Evans, parent of a Berlin High student on the swim team, said. Evans is also the chair of the Town Council’s budget committee.

Board of Education members tell NBC Connecticut that they’re having discussions and considering pay to play sports as a preemptive measure in case the cuts that come down from the state are drastic.

"Just like anything else in life, a failure to plan is a plan to fail," board member Tim Oakes said. "It certainly puts us in a very difficult position because we’re having to start to make choices for the future which we may never act on." 

Athletic programs make up about one million dollars in Berlin’s $43 million budget. The board said eliminating the school district’s responsibility for those costs could create a savings if there is a major loss of funding from the state.

But the coach of Berlin High’s dive team worries that if the idea becomes reality athletics will be out of reach for some students.

"I just feel that there will be some kids that will leave out of the picture and there will be some kids who won’t be able to participate in sport when it is a part of a whole child and their education," Jan Zagorski said.

The board’s Education Resources Committee will now discuss this idea further and report back to the full board no later than their Jan. 8 meeting.

The state’s largest teachers’ union plans to file an injunction against the state Wednesday over Gov. Malloy’s executive order, which includes severe cuts to school districts.

Fifty-four districts are facing cuts and 84 face total funding elimination.

“That is going to impact our students, teachers - it’s going to impact our communities so we have to take action,” said Donald Williams, Executive Director of the Connecticut Education Association.

The order just took effect and CEA said education cannot be the sacrifice. They are looking for other solutions.

“Trying to find out if these cuts are valid, if they are not then the funding must be maintained by state statute at the same level as last year,” Williams said.

The governor agrees the situation is not ideal but said he is committed to safeguarding funding in communities with concentrated pockets of poverty and the highest student needs.

East Windsor police are trying to identify a man accused of stealing from a local gas station.

Police said the suspect pictured above stole from the Mercury Gas Station Tuesday. Anyone who recognizes him should contact Officer Mitchell at 860-292-8240 ext. 5209.

An engineer at the Mandalay Bay hotel who dodged rounds in the hallway as Stephen Paddock began the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history spoke out for the first time Wednesday, saying he is "incredibly blessed" to escape alive. 

Engineer Stephen Schuck spoke to the "Today" show in an exclusive interview Wednesday morning, more than a week after the Paddock killed 58 people at a country music festival by firing from a elevated hotel-room window. 

Schuck said he was on a higher floor when he was called to check on a fire exit door that would not open on the 32nd floor. All was initially quiet on the floor, Schuck said, but then the shooting started. 

Another hotel worker, Jesus Campos, who was also in the hallway on the 32nd floor, yelled at Schuck to take cover as the Paddock began shooting down the hallway. "As soon as I started to go to a door to my left, the rounds started coming down the hallway," Schuck said. "I could feel them pass right behind my head."

Schuck said he saw that Campos was shot in the leg, but waited to come to his aid because Paddock was still firing down the hallway. 

"It was kind of relentless," he said. 

Shuck and Campos eventually fled down the hallway away from the shooter's room when their was a break in the firing, he said. Schuck shut off all the guest elevators with a master key and tried warned them about the situation on the 32nd floor. He and Campos also directed police to where the shooting was happening after they responded, he said. 

Shuck said he credits Campos with saving his life because he was able to warn him about the shots just in time. 

"I owe him my life," he said. 

But despite the near-death experience, Schuck said he intends to go back to work. 

"I'm going to go back to work," he said. "I like my career; I'm not going to let that define me." 

New London police are investigating after shots were fired near Connecticut Avenue Tuesday.

Police said they received multiple 911 calls just before midnight reporting shots fired in the area of Connecticut Avenue and Prest Street. Callers reported that seven or eight shots were fired. When officers arrived they found bullet damage on a fence post and two shots through the back of a building on Blackhall Court.

No victims were found and no injuries have been reported.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact the New London Police Department.

Donations and volunteers are needed in the North Bay Area as local fire crews continue to battle multiple blazes that have wiped out entire neighborhoods and left scores of people unaccounted for in wine country.

The fires ravaged Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino and Lake counties, destroying at least 2,000 homes and businesses and forcing tens of thousands of North Bay residents to evacuate. Officials have confirmed 17 fatalities. Hundreds will return to their homes only to find ash and charred wreckage.

Below is information on how you can help recovery efforts. Some information is for people who live in the area. But there are ways that those outside of the region or in other states can help, too. This page will be updated but you can also stay current as needs change by visiting the social media pages of affected counties.

Donate or volunteer at an evacuation center:
Petaluma officials posted on social media asking for people to donate supplies, including baby food, pet food, water, blankets, and toilet paper, to evacuation centers. But as of Tuesday night, Petaluma's shelters were no longer accepting donations of goods with current needs met but would provide updates on social media or via the emergency messaging service Nixle.

The city of Sonoma reported the same information and said it would post additional updates on its Facebook page as specific needs arise. In Sonoma, volunteers are asked to register at the Sonoma Community Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Sonoma County Animal Services will accept donations of food and other supplies for animals at 1247 Century Ct. in Santa Rosa. They have set up a 24/7 phone line for information and donations at 707-565-4406.

The city of Santa Rosa said Wednesday that donations were being accepted at the Salvation Army at: 93 Stony Circle, Unit D, Santa Rosa, CA 9540. 

The city of Napa said Tuesday that no volunteers or donated goods were needed. Those who want to volunteer should sign up and update a volunteer profile here with the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership.  

The Solano County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that no goods are needed at their shelter. Cash donations can be given in person at the Suisun City KROC Center - 586 E Wigeon Way, Suisun City. Cash donations for animal supplies can be given over the phone through Western Ranch Supply at (707) 439-7880 or in person at 103 Aegean Way, Vacaville.

Donate or sign-up to volunteer with the Red Cross:
The Red Cross released a statement on Monday afternoon saying that it had met its immediate need for volunteers, but the organization asked interested parties to sign up online for updates, as more people may be needed in the coming days.

“As the disaster continues to evolve, the Red Cross will assess how community volunteers can best support the operation,” the non-profit said in a statement. “Those interested in volunteering to support Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino wildfire relief efforts, can sign up online."

People can also donate directly to the Red Cross Disaster Relief at any time by dialing 1-800 RED CROSS. To make a quick, one-time donation of $10, text REDCROSS to 90999. The donation is used to respond to disasters "big and small." 

Donate to the Napa Valley Community Foundation:
The foundation started its Disaster Relief Fund in 2014 after an earthquake flattened areas of South Napa. Now, it'll be mobilizing the same network for fire victims. 

In addition to distributing immediate grants to smaller, local nonprofits, the foundation says it will work with government agencies to identify recovery areas that need the most assistance. You can donate online and by snail mail. Click here for more information. 

Donate to a GoFundMe or YouCaring:
GoFundMe has verified this donation page, created by winery owner Jake Kloberdanz, for general fire relief. There are also dozens of donation pages set up for individual people and families affected by the fire. All donations under that California fire relief section are backed by GoFundMe's guarantee policy. 

The City of Santa Rosa also set up its own YouCaring page to assist Tubbs Fire Victims. 

Open your home to evacuees and animals:
Airbnb has activated its Open Homes program for the North Bay. The program, established in 2012, allows hosts to open up their homes for free to people needing shelter. The company released a statement saying it was in need of more hosts to volunteer. Find out more here.

Milo Foundation, a long-running animal rescue group with headquarters in Point Richmond, was forced to evacuate about 200 animals from its sanctuary in Willits. Shelter staff are asking people who live in safe locations to open their homes to shelter dogs and cats as a result.

Places outside the North Bay accepting donations:
Love on Haight, a vintage clothing shop in San Francisco, posted on Facebook that it was accepting clothing donations and had a limited number of available shelters for evacuees. The clothing store has also set up a donation table outside for people to drop off clothing donations.

“We have boxes of free clothes at Love on Haight for you,” a post on the clothing store’s Facebook page said. “We have some spots to stay in the city and can help get supplies that you may need. If you make it to the city please feel free to use us as a home base. You are not alone in this...” 

Tutto Capelli Salon in San Carlos is opening a donation drive. Owner Gina Hawk said she is collecting pet supplies, phone chargers, baby supplies, feminine products, and other toiletries to bring to shelters. 

Ryse Youth Center in Richmond is also collecting supplies for victims of the fire. Organizers are asking for face masks and filters, adult and child diapers, hand sanitizer, deodorant and other toiletries. 

Salute E Vita Restaurante in Richmond: The staff at the Marina Bay restaurant will be driving up and donating goods twice a day. Organizer Jamie Dooley is encouraging people to bring non-perishable goods, socks, blankets and pillows along with other essentials.

"As a Santa Rosa native whose family has been evacuated, it breaks my heart to see my hometown reduced to ashes," Dooley said. "We’re doing everything possible to support our friends and family."

Stay off roads and keep emergency lines clear:
Officials have asked the general public to keep emergency phone lines clear and to stay out of evacuation areas. A mandatory curfew for the Santa Rosa area has been set from sundown -- starting at 6:45 p.m. -- to sunrise. 

Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano also asked people to keep off the roads. He said that the department would be prepared to cite and possibly arrest people who violate the order. 

"Don't drive on the roads unless you absolutely have to," he said. 

This post will be updated. Have something to add? Email Gillian.Edevane@NBCuni.com. Check out full coverage of the fires here: 

Lawmakers said a hearing on problems at the Whiting Forensic Division needs to happen sooner than later.

Republican lawmakers sounded downright angry with what they've heard about the Whiting Forensic Division; Staffers with overtime making over $200,000 per year, a hostile work environment, plus allegations a 59-year-old patient was poked, kicked and even had a dirty diaper put on his head, all on surveillance video.

State police have arrested nine out of 31 Whiting employees on administrative leave. There are also investigations by other state agencies. But Senator Heather Somers, co-chair of the public health committee, said a hearing is needed to combat what she calls a culture of cruelty.

"It's hard to believe this is an isolated case. This is a culture. A systematic breakdown, a culture, that must change," Somers said. 

The hearing is welcomed by the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a group which helps low-income people with mental health issues. Its executive director was perhaps the only person at the news conference who has seen the video of the alleged abuse.

"There are so many issues and so many things that potentially need to be corrected here, that trying to figure out whose responsibility it is," Kathy Flaherty told the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters.

The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), which oversees Whiting, says it has already made changes and will participate in the hearing.

The governor's office adds there are several ongoing investigations into this and it expects anyone found guilty of misconduct will be brought to justice.

The Towantic Power Plant in Oxford is testing its warning system Wednesday morning, according to Connecticut State Police.

Police said the alarms and intercom evacuation notices are sounding, but it is only a test and there is no threat.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy says he will not consider a run for president in 2020, according to an interview on CBS News.

"I am not running for president. I am running for re-election to the Senate," the Connecticut Democrat said in an interview with CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett and Political Director Steve Chaggaris on "The Takeout" podcast. He said he will focus his energies on a 2018 run for re-election.

Murphy has been an outspoken critic of the Trump Administration, challenging everything from the president’s pick for Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State to the administration’s stance on immigration and crackdown on undocumented immigrants to the Afghanistan strategy to the plans to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. 

Murphy and other Connecticut elected officials have been fighting for stricter gun control laws in the years since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Murphy again called on Congress to act after 59 people were killed and more than 500 others were wounded at a country music festival in Las Vegas. 

He is also a champion for affordable health care, job creation, and education. He currently sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee.