Pickett Fire: Firefighters gaining control
Pickett Fire continues to grow with 15% containment
The Pickett Fire near Calistoga in Napa County is now the biggest wildfire in the Bay Area this season. More than 6,000 acres have burned and containment is at 15% on Monday. Firefighters did make some progress, but said those efforts could be undone if the wind picks up again.
POPE VALLY, California - Monday night's CAL FIRE report on the four-day-old Pickett Fire in Napa County shows it has burned 6,803 acres, but is still only 15% contained, making it a threat if winds pick up. Though still dangerous, this fire is facing relentless assault from forces equal to the task.
Aggressive firefight
What we know:
Today looked like a mop-up day as firefighting helicopters dumped load after load near hand crews directly on the fire line.
"They're in a constant cycle of coming in, getting water and then going out to where the crews are and then dropping it. Very quick turnaround time," said CAL FIRE Public Information Officer Robert Foxworthy.
When we shot pictures on Friday, the fire was coming down the mountain, threatening the 600 residents below, only to spread farther on Saturday. But, the amassed ground force and air force of 2,000 firefighters, 205 engines, 67 bulldozers, 23 water tenders, 53 hand crews and 10 helicopters kept it from taking homes or businesses.
Weary of winds picking up
One of the big problems in the afternoon is that the winds do pick up and as a result, embers that were mostly knocked down are starting to flare up again and start additional fires. As a result, they have to keep on it until it's entirely out.
"We're getting some of those conditions, but we're not seeing those big increases in fire activity. So, that's actually a very positive sign," said Cal Fire’s Foxworthy.
Today we see many scorched lower foothills and some of the valley floor right up to where they were reported from on Friday. That's why nine sections of the valley area are under mandatory evacuations, while another six areas are under evacuation warnings. But, good news, the fire has virtually stalled.
Some downtime
Late in the day, crews on rest get to relax, savor barbecue and other foods and reflect on the considerable progress they’ve made in an extremely fire-prone area. In fact, the Pickett Fire only one-tenth the size of the devastating Glass Fire which ravaged this, and a much wider area in 2020, that destroyed 1,500 structures, including 652 homes and 343 commercial buildings.
"Much in a positive direction compared to what we've seen in the previous days," said Foxworthy.
What's different after the 2020 firestorm is the extraordinary night flying capability CAL FIRE now has as well as super-sophisticated A.I.-powered tracking and path predicting technologies; all game changers.
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