2,000 firefighters battle Pickett Fire, contained at 13 percent on Monday, Supervisors expected to declare a local emergency
The Pickett Fire remained at 6,800 acres Monday as more firefighters have arrived to battle the wildfire in rugged and steep hills east of Calistoga. The fire was 13 percent contained.
Napa County over the weekend declared a state of emergency while Cal Fire/Napa County Fire and the Napa County Sheriff have applied for federal disaster to pay for the impacts of the Pickett Fire, which broke a little before 3 p.m. Thursday in the 2300 block of Pickett Road.
On Tuesday, the Napa County Board of Supervisors are set to ratify a proclamation of the local emergency. The proclamation is a necessary step for Napa County to access federal assistance to pay for the emergency, according to county officials.
As of Monday, more than 2,000 firefighters were assigned to the Pickett Fire. The response also included 227 fire engines, 10 helicopters, 67 bulldozers, 23 water tenders and 53 hand crews.
Cal Fire on Sunday estimated the daily cost to fight the fire was $3 million, an estimate that has varied from day to day. Much of that is due to pay for air support as the fire has burned hundreds of wildland acres in inaccessible terrain. For days the fire has headed toward Aetna Springs.
Firefighters also continue to have to contend with thermal belts in the hills, where warm air is trapped at 1,500 feet, making the area not only warmer than on the valley floor but also drier, potentially making the fire more active overnight. Usually, fire activity calms down at night. Other dangers facing firefighters include heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Much of the fire is within the footprint of the 2020 Glass Fire. That has not helped firefighters. Newer vegetation growths such as grasses and brush tend to be more flammable and can spread quickly, said Alexander Giery, a fire behavior analyst for Cal Fire.
The fire has continued to burn away from Calistoga and in sparsely populated area.
Temperatures are expected to cool this week, which should help firefighters gain the upper hand. One of the firefighters’ main goals Monday was to maintain the fire in its current footprint.
“I think we’re in good shape,” said Matt Ryan chief of the Napa County Fire Department and chief of the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit.
“With all the good work from the firefighters over the last couple of days, I think we’re at a place where we are going to strengthen our control lines,” Ryan said, referring to lines that prevent fire from spreading.
Ryan anticipated some firefighters and other resources to be re-assigned from the Pickett Fire to other incidents over the next few days.
Residents and local officials have noted the massive response. Due to the number of firefighters, Cal Fire’s base camp for the Pickett Fire was moved Sunday from Calistoga to the Napa Valley Expo.
Napa County Sherif Oscar Ortiz on Tuesday announced that evacuation orders were being lifted in some areas. At its peak, fewer than 150 residents were affected, he estimated.
As of Sunday night, Ortiz estimated fewer than 50 people were under evacuation orders.
Pope Valley Winery in Pope Valley has been used as a staging area for firefighters waiting for their next set of orders.
Owner Diana Eakle Hawkins on Sunday said she was hopeful she would soon be able to re-open the winery to the public. She noted much of Pope Valley was not affected.
As of Monday afternoon, the winery on Pope Valley Road remained in an evacuation zone.
