Pickett Fire northwest Calistoga doubled overnight
The Pickett Fire northwest of Calistoga doubled in size overnight in rugged, steep and unpopulated terrain near Calistoga, according to Cal Fire.
The blaze has burned more than 2,133 acres, with zero containment, according to Cal Fire. An update on the size of the fire is expected later this morning. No injuries have been reported. Three structures are threatened.
Access to the fire has been difficult, Jason Clay, PIO with Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, said Friday morning. Bulldozers have been re-establishing fire access roads from previous fires and those created by Napa Firewise. The bulldozers are also building contingency lines, Clay said.
The head of the fire has been pushing away from Calistoga in the direction of Aetna Springs, Clay said, referring to the long shuttered resort in Pope Valley.
Early Friday morning, dozens of engines were traveling on Deer Park Road to reach the fire.
The number of firefighters has surged since the fire broke a little before 3 p.m. on Thursday near Pickett Road, close to Eisele Vineyard, Kenefick Ranch Vineyard and Winery and other wineries.
As of 8 a.m., there were about 435 firefighters, eight helicopters supported by fixed-wing aircrafts, 75 engines, eight hand crews and 10 water tenders assigned to the fire, according to Cal Fire.
Today’s temperatures were expected to be in the high 90s, slightly lower than Thursday’s. Firefighters’ safety remains a concern, Clay said. “We’re focusing hard on work-rest cycles,” he said. That’s why the surge in firefighting resources is important, he said.
Authorities have ordered evacuations along Picket Road and neighboring areas east of the Silverado Trail. These evacuations zones are: NPA -E114; NPA-E115; NPA-120; NPA-E121-B, according to Cal Fire.
Calistoga Mayor Don Williams on Thursday evening said he could hear the helicopters fighting the fire from his house. By then, the fire was reported burning away from Calistoga, said Williams, who was grateful for the aggressive response to the fire. Still, he said, it is unsettling.
