A large column of smoke rises from a prescribed burn at Wilder Ranch State Park as a cyclist pedals along the Long Meadow Trail. The 300 acre burn on the park's Eucalyptus Loop will continue over the next week conducted by California State Parks and Cal Fire. Next week, Cal Fire plans prescribed burn in the Santa Cruz Mountains. These burns reduce fuel load and promote habitat restoration. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)
A wildfire forced evacuations in Napa County on Tuesday and sent smoke cascading toward the the East Bay, authorities said.
The Toll Fire had burned about 50 acres by 2 p.m. and was burning northwest of Calistoga, according to Cal Fire. Crews had not contained any of it, and the wind was sending smoke and flames toward the Napa Valley.
The area was under a red flag warning for severe fire conditions on Tuesday.
Napa County authorities issued evacuation orders for areas north, south and east of the Lake County Highway and west of Palisades Road. Evacuation orders also were in effect north of Old Lawley Toll, south of state Highway 29/Oat Hill Road and east of the Lake County Highway.
Authorities issued evacuation warnings for the areas north, south and east of Livermore Road and west of Oat Hill Road; as well as areas north of the Lake County Highway, south of Livermore Road, east of Lake County Highway and west of Oat Hill Road.
The blaze in Napa County was one of several new ones burning in Northern California, according to Cal Fire.
Smoke from the Denverton Fire in Sonoma County also was pushing toward the Bay Area, amplifying dirty air that already caused authorities to issue a Spare the Air Alert for the second straight day. Cal Fire said it started about 1:15 p.m. and immediately burned 25 acres. It was not contained at all.
The Thompson Fire in Butte County began about 11:45 a.m. and had burned 75 acres by 1:45 p.m., Cal Fire said. It was 0% contained. The Yolla Fire in Shasta County began about 10:30 a.m. and Cal Fire said it burned 19 acres in its first three hours. It was 10% contained.
Please check back for updates.
Originally published at Rick Hurd