Lake Berryessa fire 47% contained; Evacuations lifted

The Wragg Fire started at 2:24 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Highway 128 and Wragg Canyon Road in Napa County. To date, an outbuilding and a tent trailer have been destroyed, and one unspecified structure has been damaged. Firefighters were hopeful the highway would reopen later Friday.

California and some other parts of the West still use manned towers, but many have found them to be too costly in remote areas, and Nevada only has one remaining near Caliente, Petersen said.

The National Weather Service says it expects the wind direction to shift Saturday night, bringing smoke from the fire eastward toward Nevada City, Grass Valley and the eastern Sacramento Valley into Sunday. So we grabbed a water tank, went to the fire line and extinguished it. Kept pulling [five] gallon buckets out of the pool and put it out.

Started: July 25 15 at 2:37 p.m.

“We do try to give sufficient rest but you know, the more the days you’re out and the more incidents we’re on, definitely fatigue does set in and we really have to wary of that”, said Cal Fire spokesperson Kevin Colburn. The communities of Quail Ridge and Golden Bear were under evacuation orders. “All road closures will remain closed”, Cal Fire said.

When people refuse to leave a home, firefighters are often forced to abandon their containment lines to focus on protecting a life. The fire has burned across 3,500 acres and a private drone was reported to have raised serious safety concerns for aircraft pilots fighting the fire.

The Wragg Fire, which has burned almost 7,000 acres in the North Bay, is now 55 percent contained. Two campgrounds were also cleared and three hikers in the area were rescued by helicopter. The fire is slowing down, but dozens of people were still out of their homes Friday.

Steep terrain is hindering fire crews from reaching the blaze, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told KCRA, but air crews are headed to the scene.

“The findings will likely not impact the way high-elevation forest fires are managed, because safeguarding human life and protecting property, will continue to dominate how forest fires are managed”, Schwartz said.

A large animal evacuation center is opened at 29775 County Road 31, Winters, CA.