Firefighters began to gain momentum Thursday evening against a wildfire that consumed more than 6,900 acres since being sparked Wednesday afternoon. At 6 p.m. yesterday Cal Fire reported the Wragga Fire, located near Lake Berryessa in Napa and Solano counties, was 15 percent contained — up from just 5 percent earlier in the afternoon.
Shelly O’Brien of Cal Fire said winds have dropped significantly, aiding the containment effort.
Almost 120 fire engines, a stream of water tenders, 24 bulldozers, 13 helicopters, 10 air tankers, 4 air tankers and 1,372 firefighters and other personnel are involved in fighting the blaze that grew to more than 9 square miles Thursday, scorching drought-parched countryside and sending hikers, homeowners and wildlife fleeing to safety.
By Thursday afternoon, crews had established containment lines and turned their attention to structure defense.
Woodland Fire Department Battalion Chief Rich Thomas said Woodland residents aren’t in any danger from the fire, which is now centralized near Markley Cove.
“It would never get here,” he emphasized.
In the event of a fire threat, Thomas said the county and city would work jointly to evacuate those affected to various points around Woodland, including the Yolo County Fairgrounds and some fire stations.
“Anywhere that can house a lot of people at one time,” he said.
The fire was threatening some 200 structures at varying times on Wednesday and Thursday, causing authorities to call for mandatory evacuations. Canyon Creek and Lake Solano campgrounds were cleared on Wednesday and Canyon Area hikers have also been evacuated. By Thursday evening some evacuation orders had been lifted.
According to CalFire, one structure had been damaged and an outbuilding, along with a tent trailer, were listed as destroyed.
The fire erupted Wednesday and was initially reported as being caused by a vehicle accident, but authorities now say the cause remains under investigation.
Firefighters are battling the flames in rugged, steep, brush-covered terrain that has been difficult to access. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the fire is traveling quickly.
“Winds are erratic,” the agency reported. “Additional resources have been ordered.”
As the fire grew Wednesday, smoke from the blaze could be seen as far away as Lake County, and a fine layer of ash fell across the region.
The dark clouds continued to blanket the sky well into the night with an orange glow rising from the southwest.
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District issued an advisory to residents in Winters, Dixon, Davis and Woodland to close windows through the evening to help control breathing the smoke inside their homes.
By 9 a.m. Thursday, however, the skies were clear — the smoke moved away from Woodland and other nearby communities.
Lake Berryessa is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in California and 45 minutes east of California’s famed Napa Valley wine country.
Cal Fire Capt. Amy Head said no wineries are threatened.
“It’s pretty far away from the Napa Valley,” she said. “(People) are fine to go into the Napa Valley and do tastings.”
She said the evacuation center does not have a phone line but only between two and six people have been there at a given time. Most people who have been evacuated have gone to family, she said.
The Red Cross opened an evacuation center at the Winters Community Center. An animal evacuation center was also opened nearby.
Highway 128 was closed at Wragg Canyon.
According to the Yolo County Animal Services Facebook page, the Yolo County Fairgrounds has been set up as an evacuation center for small animals.
Tessa Terrill is a reporter with the Woodland Daily Democrat
