Firefighters hope to prevent the County Fire from crossing Hwy. 128

The fire has blackened approximately 82,700 acres

Above: The map shows the southern end of the County Fire where firefighters are working to keep it from crossing the narrow sections of Lake Berryessa and Highway 128. The red shaded areas represent intense heat observed during a Tuesday night mapping flight.

(Originally published at 8:19 a.m. PDT July 4, 2018)

During the first two days the County Fire 26 miles west of Sacramento burned about 1,000 acres an hour, but that spread has slowed recently as firefighters have has success, but difficult terrain in some areas has presented a challenge. The fire has blackened approximately 82,700 acres.

One of their main priorities is to keep the fire from moving south across Highway 128. The map above shows they have made progress toward that goal. If it spreads across the highway it would threaten many homes in the Allendale and Vacaville area. If it grows around the southern tip of Lake Berryessa it could burn into the footprint of last October’s Atlas Fire, northeast of Napa, where the resistance to suppression would decrease dramatically.

county fire map
Map showing the perimeter of the County Fire, Tuesday night.

County Fire expands to 70,000 acres

Approaches Solano County

Above: The currently burning County Fire is shown along with other large fires from last year.

(Originally published at 12:55 p.m. PDT July 3, 2018)

The County Fire in Napa and Yolo Counties continued to grow Monday and Monday night, chewing up more vegetation on the west and southeast sides.

It has moved to within two miles of the Solano County line. If it proceeds beyond that and across Highway 128 it would threaten many homes in the Allendale and Vacaville area. If it grows around the southern tip of Lake Berryessa it could burn into the footprint of last October’s Atlas Fire, northeast of Napa, where the resistance to suppression would decrease dramatically.

CAL FIRE announced Tuesday that the County Fire had burned about 70,000 acres.

The fire is being battled by 2,162 personnel, including 187 engines, 56 hand crews, 18 helicopters, 50 dozers, and 51 water tenders.

County Fire roars through the hills above Lake Berryessa

The fire is burning northeast of the San Francisco Bay area 19 miles northeast of Napa and 28 miles west of Sacramento.

(Originally published at 6:12 a.m. PDT July 2, 2018)

Burning in both Yolo and Napa Counties, the County Fire has doubled in size in the last 24 hours. The blaze is running across Rocky Ridge east of Lake Berryessa northeast of the San Francisco Bay area.

(Click Here to see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the County Fire, including the most recent.)

Our VERY UNOFFICIAL estimate based on satellite data indicates that at 3 a.m. Monday it had burned approximately 42,000 acres — roughly 1,100 acres an hour since it was reported at 2:12 p.m. June 30. CAL FIRE’s official estimate released at 7:49 p.m. Sunday put it at 32,500 acres. During the 3 a.m. overflight there were large areas of very active fire, as represented by the red dots in the map below.

County Fire map Atlas fire
Map showing heat detected on the County Fire by a satellite at 3:03 a.m. PDT July 2, 2018. The footprints of fires that devastated large areas in October 2017 are also shown: the Atlas, Nuns, and Tubbs Fires. Click to enlarge.

The County Fire is spreading northeast of the areas devastated by the North Bay Area Fires of October, 2017 that destroyed over 7,000 structures and killed 31 people. The footprint of the Atlas Fire could serve as a partial barrier, reducing the chance that this new fire could reach the Napa area again. But if it keeps moving south and crosses Highway 128 into Solano County there are many homes that could be threatened in the Vacaville area.

Many areas are under mandatory evacuation orders. For questions regarding Yolo County evacuations or advisories, dial 2-1-1. For questions regarding Solano County evacuations or advisories dial (707) 398-8261.

Evacuation center: Guinda Grange Hall in the Community of Guinda 16487 Forest Ave. Guinda, CA 95637.

The fire is being battled by 1,226 personnel, including 119 fire engines, 27 hand crews, 12 helicopters, 23 dozers, and 34 water tenders.

County Fire burns tens of thousands of acres north of Napa, Calif.

map county fire california
Map showing heat detected by a satellite on the County Fire at 3:03 p.m. PDT July 1, 2018.

In a little more than 24 hours after starting, the County Fire has burned approximately 22,000 acres in northern California 18 miles north of Napa. Mandatory evacuations are taking place in several areas.

(Click Here to see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the County Fire, including the most recent.)

It started near the line that separates Napa and Yolo Counties, and since then about two-thirds of the fire has spread into Yolo County south of Guinda and west of Highway 16, covering an area 17 miles long parallel to the county line.

The weather forecast for Monday morning predicts fairly strong winds generally out of the north and northeast at 12 to 21 mph gusting up to 31, but the relative humidity will be above 50 percent until 11 a.m. and then will drop into the 20s by late afternoon.