2 years ago
A fire burning near St. Helena in the Deer Park area of Napa County has burned at least 300 acres and was about 40 percent contained Saturday morning, with full containment expected Sunday, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire Capt. Jeff Gahagan said the fire was reported around 4:50 p.m. Friday in the area of Deer Park and Sanitarium roads, east of Calistoga and north of St. Helena city limits.
Saturday morning, the fire was burning in a steep terrain covered in heavy chaparral and timber below the Crestmont Drive area and was heading in a lateral direction toward Howell Mountain Road, according to Veronica Barclay, a volunteer at the Cal Fire information center in St. Helena.
Residents of Crestmont Drive and surrounding areas were evacuated and about 200 residences and 10 commercial properties were threatened, Barclay said. Two structures have burned.
An evacuation center was set up in the gym at St. Helena High School, 1401 Grayson Ave., and one injury was reported.
Roads leading from St. Helena up the hill to the Angwin area of the county were closed, Barclay said.
About 400 personnel battled the blaze Friday night, with additional resources called in over night.
A strike team of five engines, 22 firefighters and a battalion chief from the San Francisco Fire Department left the city Saturday morning to battle the blaze, according to fire Lt. Ken Smith.
A strike team from Santa Clara County also made its way to Napa County Saturday morning, according to a San Jose fire dispatcher.
Cal Fire officials planned to map the fire from aircraft and look at available resources before determining the next steps in fighting the blaze.
Bay City News
