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Napa County brush fire: Old Fire at 570 acres, 20% contained; evacuation orders lifted for residents, CAL FIRE says

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NAPA, Calif. (KGO) — Containment for the Old Fire in Napa County has grown to 20% and remains at 570 acres, CAL FIRE said Wednesday afternoon.

Residents were able to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted in Napa County overnight on Wednesday as a brush fire continues to burn, CAL FIRE says.

The Old Fire was first reported at 2300 Old Soda Springs Road at 4:01 p.m. on Tuesday.

Officials say crews continued to work through the night to contain and control it.

Firefighters held the Old Fire in Napa to 570 acres overnight, announcing Wednesday morning it had not grown in size.

“Overnight, the winds were favorable, we were able to make significant progress. Luckily this morning acreage hasn’t increased, that’s a good sign,” Cal Fire Spokesperson Erick Hernandez said Wednesday.

He said it wasn’t just the wind that helped, but also the fire’s afternoon start time.

“Obviously at 2, 3 in the morning, like the Atlas Fire back in 2017, we couldn’t deploy any of our air resources.”

This time they could, launching 10 planes and helicopters as part of their aggressive attack.

No structures were damaged in the fire, but Napa resident Todd Walker watched as it burned the hillside across from his home on Soda Springs Road.

“There was no wind. It was burning very slow, you could watch it. The wind was actually blowing away, as fire was burning downhill you could see flames lapping in the other direction,” Walker said.

His home is brand new. It’s a rebuild. His original home burned down in 2017’s Atlas Fire. But he built back smarter and this time, he wasn’t too worried.

“I think we have done a lot to make the area somewhat fire proof. The side of the house is hardy board, the roof is steel, we have lots of defensible space, so I felt pretty confident.”

He even bought an old fire truck. He started to get it ready Tuesday afternoon but didn’t need it. Soda Canyon Road served as a good fire block, the weather cooperated, his home is fine.

Hernandez also pointed to a roadside clearing project as helping in this firefight. A grant from Cal Fire paid for the clearing of vegetation along Soda Springs Road, the road used by emergency vehicles and for residents who were evacuating.

“It’s important to us to have those roads open, fully open, where no embers are creating spot fires (in the vegetation) and at the same time we can evacuate everyone as we did yesterday,” Hernandez said Wednesday.

He also said Cal Fire offers one-on-one consultations for residents wanting advice on home protection and evacuating.

VIDEO: Napa residents remember 2017 blaze as Old Fire continues to burn

Fire officials say the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Jacob Schwarz lives in the area and believes he saw the fire begin. He tells ABC7 News he was sitting outside as the wind began to pick up.

“We heard a pop and then a spark just fly out of it looks like a telephone box or a power box,” Schwarz said.

Schwarz says a few moments later, he noticed flames spreading from that location.

But this isn’t the first fire to burn in this area. Both firefighters and residents alike say it’s in the same spot as the Atlas Fire back in 2017. That fire, which was a part of the Northern California firestorm, burned tens of thousands of acres and lasted for weeks.

VIDEO: Couple recalls watching home saved from Atlas Fire live on TV

An experience, says nearby resident Tom Bird, that prompted him and his neighbors to take extra steps to help reduce the threat of future wildfires.

VIDEO: Napa Co. brush fire prompts evacuations

“Everyone that I know around here, since the ’17 fire, has been working pretty hard to clean up vegetation, clean up brush, but some events you just can’t predict,” Bird said.

But even as this fire continues to burn just feet from Bird’s house, he says he’s not worried. Instead, placing his trust, in the people fighting it head on.

“We know the hard working men and women at CAL FIRE will keep these fires under control,” he said.

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Evacuation Orders Downgraded to Warnings as Crews Mop Up Estrada Fire Near Watsonville – CBS San Francisco

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WATSONVILLE (CBS SF) — A wildland fire burning near Watsonville that forced evacuations after being sparked by a prescribed burn Friday afternoon was 10% contained by Saturday morning, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters made “significant progress” overnight against the Estrada Fire in south Santa Cruz County, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said Saturday. Officials later updated the size of the fire to 83 acres.

“The fire did not grow last night,” said Angela Bernheisel. “We expect a lot more containment today and we hope to be able to lift the evacuation orders tonight. Conditions calmed down significantly overnight.”

A Cal Fire prescribed burn in the area Friday afternoon jumped its containment lines near Corralitos Friday. In response, firefighting crews from Cal Fire and Santa Cruz County local fire departments attacked the blaze and surrounded the it with retardant Friday night.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders and warnings and an evacuation center opened at Corralitos Community Church. That evacuation center closed at 10 p.m. because of light usage, according to Santa Cruz County officials.

The evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings around noon on Saturday.

A 20-acre prescribed burn at Estrada Ranch was scheduled for 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday. It was intended to reduce dry fuel and prevent a wildland fire. Cal Fire warned residents on social media to expect to see smoke from the controlled burn.

It’s not yet known what happened to cause the flames to jump the line around 2:40 p.m.

Noe Torres, a Watsonville resident, said that, when he saw wildlife trying to escape the fire, he knew he had to prepare for the worst.

“I saw a bunch of wild turkeys coming down, that was scary,” Torres said.

Torres said he then turned on his sprinklers to protect his property.

Kim Miles said she’s preparing just in case the wind shifts.

“Absolutely,” she said. “Grab some personal things that can’t be replaced, pictures and whatnot, have my car ready if we need to go.”

When asked if she would be able to sleep tonight, she responded, “Very lightly.”

 

At least 30 engines responded to the blaze Friday afternoon as it flashed across hilly terrain covered in oak and grass.

At least seven Cal Fire air tankers attacked the fire but were grounded after nightfall.



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Napa County Deputies Found Driver, Burning Stolen Car Near Where Newell Fire Started – CBS San Francisco

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AMERICAN CANYON (CBS SF) — Authorities in Napa County on Monday night said a car that had been stolen was found burning near where the fast-moving Newell Fire started in American Canyon.

Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz told KPIX that his deputies discovered the burning and stolen vehicle with the driver who also suffered burns.

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The blaze was burning east of Newell Drive, north of American Canyon Road in Napa Count, near two local schools. Smoke from the fire could be observed for miles.

The Cal Fire Sonoma Lake Napa Unit tweeted about the so-called Newell Fire at around 6:30 p.m., noting that it was burning on the 4000 block of Newell Drive.

Around 7 p.m., American Canyon Road was shut down due to the fire, according to Napa County Sheriff’s Office. An evacuation warning was issued east of Broadway Street/Highway 29 in American Canyon.

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People traveling in the area were advised to use caution. Contra Costa Fire and other Bay Area fire agencies are providing mutual aid to keep the fire from getting out of control amid Red Flag Warning conditions.

At about 8:35 p.m., Cal Fire confirmed that the forward progress of the fire had been stopped at approximately 150 acres. The fire was 50% contained.

 

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“American Canyon Fire is battling a fast moving wildland fire,” tweeted fire officials in Crockett/Carquinez. “Expect smoke in Crockett.”



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Wildfire prompts evacuation warnings, order

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Crews are continuing to battle a wildfire Thursday that’s burning in hard-to-reach terrain and has prompted an evacuation order and more warnings, Cal Fire said. A mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday afternoon for the High Lakes area in Plumas County, as well as the area of Rock Creek to Tobin (from the Plumas/Butte County line to the community of Tobin, according to the sheriff’s office there. In Butte County, the sheriff’s office has issued an evacuation warning for the Philbrook area to the Plumas County line. Click here for more information. An evacuation warning was also issued for Plumas County east of Tobin to Caribou, including both sides of Highway 70, the community of Belden and the community of Caribou.The Dixie Fire ignited Tuesday in the area of Camp Creek and Dixie roads in Jarbo Gap, near where the 2018 Camp Fire sparked northeast of Paradise and claimed the lives of more than 80 people.The vegetation fire had charred an estimated 4,900 acres as of Thursday evening with 7% containment, according to Cal Fire. It is burning away from populated areas, but “steep and inaccessible terrain are making containment difficult,” Cal Fire said in its latest incident report. About 500 personnel are assigned to the fire. In addition to the evacuation orders and warnings issued Thursday, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office says an evacuation warning issued Wednesday for the Pulga and East Concow areas was still in place. Click here for more information.When an evacuation warning is issued, that means fire behavior could threaten nearby homes and businesses. During a warning, evacuations aren’t mandatory but they are encouraged for people who require additional time to evacuate, and for those with pets and livestock.At last check, there had been no reports of structures damaged or destroyed by the Dixie Fire.Wind pattern outlookThe overall wind pattern does not look to change over the next several days with light morning downslope winds draining smoke into valleys and low-lying areas followed by afternoon winds increasing from the south, 10 to 20 mph, pushing smoke to the north and east, according to KCRA meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn. The greatest amount of smoke will be produced in the afternoons during the warmest parts of the day.

PLUMAS COUNTY, Calif. —

Crews are continuing to battle a wildfire Thursday that’s burning in hard-to-reach terrain and has prompted an evacuation order and more warnings, Cal Fire said.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday afternoon for the High Lakes area in Plumas County, as well as the area of Rock Creek to Tobin (from the Plumas/Butte County line to the community of Tobin, according to the sheriff’s office there.

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In Butte County, the sheriff’s office has issued an evacuation warning for the Philbrook area to the Plumas County line. Click here for more information.

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An evacuation warning was also issued for Plumas County east of Tobin to Caribou, including both sides of Highway 70, the community of Belden and the community of Caribou.

The Dixie Fire ignited Tuesday in the area of Camp Creek and Dixie roads in Jarbo Gap, near where the 2018 Camp Fire sparked northeast of Paradise and claimed the lives of more than 80 people.

The vegetation fire had charred an estimated 4,900 acres as of Thursday evening with 7% containment, according to Cal Fire. It is burning away from populated areas, but “steep and inaccessible terrain are making containment difficult,” Cal Fire said in its latest incident report. About 500 personnel are assigned to the fire.

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In addition to the evacuation orders and warnings issued Thursday, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office says an evacuation warning issued Wednesday for the Pulga and East Concow areas was still in place. Click here for more information.

When an evacuation warning is issued, that means fire behavior could threaten nearby homes and businesses. During a warning, evacuations aren’t mandatory but they are encouraged for people who require additional time to evacuate, and for those with pets and livestock.

At last check, there had been no reports of structures damaged or destroyed by the Dixie Fire.

Wind pattern outlook

The overall wind pattern does not look to change over the next several days with light morning downslope winds draining smoke into valleys and low-lying areas followed by afternoon winds increasing from the south, 10 to 20 mph, pushing smoke to the north and east, according to KCRA meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn.

The greatest amount of smoke will be produced in the afternoons during the warmest parts of the day.



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