View of the Pickett Fire in Calistoga on Friday, August 22, 2025. The image is courtesy of Jayson Woodbridge, Hundred Acre Wines.
NAPA COUNTY, Calif. - Napa County officials in the span of two days have declared local emergencies in response to the Pickett Fire, one of which frees up resources to help tackle the roaring blaze.
County Chief Executive Officer and Director of Emergency Services Ryan Alsop signed the proclamation on Sunday, which will authorize "emergency response and recovery efforts," and will also allow "for the swift and efficient allocation of resources" in order to protect the public and mitigate damage in the face of the fire.
As of Monday evening, county officials reported that the fire had burned nearly 6,600 acres, growing significantly from the 5,862-acre figure reported the previous evening. Containment slightly improved and was at 15% this evening.
"The safety of our residents is our top priority," Alsop said. "This declaration is a proactive step to ensure we can mobilize every available resource to respond to the needs of our community, including coordinating with state and federal partners."
On Monday, Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Christine Wu signed a local health emergency proclamation due to imminent environmental threats to safe water supplies and hazardous waste and materials created from the ongoing Pickett Fire.
"Debris from the fast-moving fire can become hazardous waste that impacts local watershed areas, and thus a threat to public health," a letter from the County Executive Office read Monday afternoon.
The proclamation authorizes immediate removal of toxic or hazardous waste created from the fire.
The backstory:
The Pickett Fire has been burning since Thursday afternoon northeast of Calistoga. More than 1,200 firefighters from across the state have been called into the fire zone.
The fire is burning in the footprint of the 2020 Glass Fire, which has allowed firefighters to use old control lines to help contain the Pickett Fire.
As of Saturday evening, 190 people are under evacuation orders, and 360 people are under evacuation warnings.
Cal Fire is not ruling out the possibility that more areas could be added to the evacuation order, and urges area residents to ensure they are receiving emergency alerts on their phones.
The Source: Napa County Executive Office