New voluntary evacuation orders in Napa County while other orders lifted

NAPA, Calif. - New voluntary advisory evacuation orders were issued Friday morning west of Highway 29 between Oakville Road and Rutherford Road in Napa.

Meanwhile, mandatory evacuation orders for some areas of Napa County have been lifted, Napa County sheriff's officials said Thursday evening.

The area where the mandatory evacuation orders were lifted include: the area around Silverado Country Club, Monticello Park, and The Avenues, in addition to the area west of Silverado Trail between Harman
Avenue and state Highway 128.

Several roads in the area, however, remain closed. Closed roads include the intersection of Atlas Peak Road and Westgate Drive and the intersection of Monticello Road and Vichy Avenue.

Lisa Ledson, who lives in the Napa area, said her home is under advisory evacuation. Ledson decided to go to a shelter at Napa Valley College to see if they needed help or supplies rather than staying at home.

"My family has lived in Kenwood since the mid-1800s, so my entire childhood is burned to a crisp right now," she said. "It's hard."

Ledson was fine, she said, until she drove past Annadel State Park. It's a place she went often growing up, now largely consumed in the 7,555-acre Adobe Fire.

"It's weird," Ledson said. "Like someone almost taking an eraser and erasing your history."

Ledson said she is worried about her friends in the Atlas Peak area who stayed behind to try to protect their properties when the Atlas Fire burned through the area.

"Can you imagine?" Ledson said. "The area looked like it'd been torched, so you just assume they're dead."  

The largest of the wildfires, the Atlas Fire, has burned 43,762 acres, mostly in Napa County and is threatening part of Solano County. It was 7 percent contained as of Thursday night, Cal Fire said.

The Tubbs Fire, which started Sunday night near Calistoga and spread to Santa Rosa and elsewhere in Sonoma County, has burned 34,770 acres and was 10 percent contained as of Thursday night, according to Cal Fire.

The entire city of Calistoga remains under evacuation since Wednesday.

Calistoga Mayor Chris Canning said although his city was ordered to evacuate because of approaching flames, fire crews have kept them at bay and no damage has been reported within the city limits.

Canning warned any residents trying to return to mandatory evacuation areas that they will be distracting from the firefighting effort.

"If you are not a first responder, you are not welcome," he said.