Wildfire rages in Napa County

A 70,000-acre wildfire is currently blazing through the north eastern corner of Napa County, as well as Yolo and Lake Counties, less than a year after the wine region suffered one of the worst wildfires in northern California’s history.

The blaze began in in dry vegetation in Yolo County, east of Napa, on Sunday and was currently only 15% contained on Tuesday evening.

According to the California Fire Department, the blaze is the largest wildland fire in California this year and is currently threatening nearly 1,000 structures.

The number of fire fighters working to contain the blaze nearly doubled yesterday to 2,162 personnel. Officials hope that full control of the wind-driven wildfire, which measures nearly 18 miles long and is shaped like a fern leaf, could be achieved by 10 July.

Hundreds of residents on the fire’s southern edge have been told that they may have to evacuate their homes if the blaze spreads.

A small number of rural residents on the fire’s north end were ordered to evacuate their homes late last night due to the threat of the fire.

At the moment no vineyards are thought to have been damaged in the fire.

Last October California suffered 10 days of intense wildfires that claimed 41 lives and destroyed thousands of homes.

The wildfires, which began on 9 October, swept throughout northern California by high winds and were most damaging in the Atlas Peak-Stag’s Leap area near Yountville, Sonoma County, between Kenwood and Santa Rosa, and in the mountains north and west of Calistoga.

Among the wineries severely affected by the blaze were Signorello in Napa, Paradise Ridge in Sonoma, and Paras Vineyards in Mount Veeder.