A Cal Fire unit stands watch as the blaze crests the ridge near the Canyon Creek Resorts along State Route 128 west of Winters. As of 4 p.m. Saturday the wildfire had consumed more than 450 acres and was 50 percent contained. (Matthew Henderson/Democrat) It's a small, but auspicious start to fire season.
A wildfire streaked across more than 450 acres early Saturday morning up in the Vaca Mountains east of Lake Berryessa. The fire was about 50 percent contained at press time.
No injuries were reported and no structures were under threat from the fire, Cal Fire information officer Kevin Colburn said. However, the fire came within several dozen yards of the Canyon Creek Resort, an RV camping park nestled near the foot of Lake Berryessa.
"This is a fire-prone area," Colburn said. "It's a really bad area."
The fire started as a 5-acre blaze at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday night. Fire investigators believe the fire started west of a small field on the way up to Lake Berryessa along State
Vacaville Fire Protection District personnel responded to the scene and soon had all of its units called out. Cal Fire, the new name of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, took over command of the fire almost immediately.
Within a couple of hours the fire grew to about 200 acres, with winds whipping the flames in a northeastern direction. Cal Fire units from the Sonoma-Lake-Napa district took over for the local Vacaville units. Helicopters, several bulldozers and about a dozen inmate fire crews were also brought to the scene.
SR-128 was eventually closed by Caltrans at Winters, as well as where it connects to SR-121. Colburn said the road would be closed until at least 8 p.m. Saturday.
Tim Streblow, the deputy chief of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa district, said air tankers were not available to help put the fire out, but he said it probably would not have helped much.
"We have lots of choppers we can call when needed," Streblow said.
Randy Fregoso, a captain of a helicopter team out of Vina, said there were only two aircraft in the air at a time, each dumping about 300 gallons of Putah Creek water onto the fires to help slow them down. Though the helicopters are only allowed to fly for seven hours total each day, Fregoso said it was enough.
Crews were expected to work the fire for the rest of Sunday night, Colburn said. Crew levels, which reached a maximum of 300 during the early morning, would be gradually reduced. Part of that 300 are more than 200 inmates.
The rocky, steep terrain of the area is one of the bigger concerns facing Cal Fire, Colburn said. Firefighters were coping with approaching the flames and making fire breaks despite it, however.
"We don't leave until we know it's not going anywhere," Colburn said.
No cause has been determined, Colburn said.
Fregoso said it felt a little early for the fire season to start. Cal Fire won't declare fire season until June 4, with the state agency not reaching full staffing levels until about July 1.
"Seems like we're ahead of schedule," he said.
Campers Barbara and Tom Hannah, from Truckee, said they watched the flames for some time before finally going to sleep.
"It was nice to watch," Tom Hannah said. "(Cal Fire) said they'd let us know" if they needed to leave.
Barbara Hannah said many people left last night, escaping toward Lake Berryessa and SR-121.
"Tonight, I can have a glass of wine. Last night, I didn't," she said.
David Huffman, a retiree from Texas who was camping in Canyon Creek, said he went to bed at midnight because Cal Fire told him he was fine.
"Then I woke up at 2:45 and saw it coming over the other mountain," he said. "It was a little scary."
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