NAPA COUNTY >> A vehicle accident along Highway 128 in Napa County sparked a rapidly spreading wildfire Wednesday afternoon.
Fire crews from three companies were making no headway in containing the blaze as it roared toward the Lake Berryessa region. At press time it had consumed more than 1,000 acres.
CalFire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit reported that the terrain at the site is covered with dry brush and whipped by erratic winds, fueling the fast moving fire. Making the containment effort more difficult, the area is rugged, with steep slopes and difficult access.
Authorities asked homeowners in the Mix Canyon region to evacuate. They also pulled campers and hikers from Canyon Creek and Cold Canyon. As the fire advanced, it threatened 150 structures in the Quail Ridge community. Lake Solano campground was also evacuated Wednesday evening and the Red Cross hastened to open an Evacuation Center at the Winters Community Center
.The California Highway Patrol closed Highway 128 and Wragg Canyon Rd. to all but local traffic.
The first reports came in at approximately 2:24 p.m. By 5 p.m. the blaze had consumed 700 acres with 0 percent containment. At 6:40, that figure had grown to 1,000, but fire crews quelled 5 percent by working on perimeter control.
Working against the aggressive blaze, CalFire was joined by crews from Napa and Winters. They employed six water tenders in the first attack, along with four helicopters and six air tankers. On the ground, 11 bulldozers battled on the line.
In all, 300 firefighters were on the scene within the first two hours. They were joined by more crews as the evening wore on.
In the evening, the original fire crews were joined in the fight by Vacaville FPD, Vacaville City Fire, Napa County Sheriff, Solano County Sheriff, Yolo County Sheriff, CHP, Red Cross, Napa County Roads, BLM and Bureau of Reclamation.
