Watch: Rumsey Fire Grows To 450 Acres, Containment Climbs

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Firefighters battling a blaze overnight slowed the advance of the wildfire and allowed crews to strengthen fire lines around the perimeter.

The crews increased containment on the Rumsey Fire to 15 percent this afternoon, Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit reported.

The fire has burned approximately 450 acres off Sand Creek Road in a remote area of Colusa County, according to Cal Fire. Officials said there are no evacuation orders or warnings because the fire is burning away from populated areas.

About 175 personnel are assigned to the incident, including 15 fire engines, six hand crews, five water tenders, four bulldozers, and three helicopters.

Fixed-wing aircraft, including an air tactical aircraft and three air tankers, were scheduled for an early morning response beginning at 8 a.m.

Fire officials said today's conditions helped firefighters to make steady progress securing the perimeter.

Crews continued building direct and contingency firelines today while engines, supported by helicopters, extinguished hot spots near containment lines. Helicopters also conducted water-dropping missions on hot spots burning inside the fire perimeter.

The fire expanded rapidly Monday after it was initially mapped at about 120 acres. At one point, Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit reported the fire was making "a good run to the southeast" along Sand Creek Road, prompting an aggressive air attack that included nine air tankers and four helicopters.

Overnight, firefighters held spot fires in check with help from night-flying helicopters that targeted flare-ups after dark.

Fire managers reported some ember cast despite relative humidity dropping into the mid-20 percent range after midnight, although fuels were less receptive to new fire starts during the cooler nighttime hours.

Dozer operators completed a containment line along a ridge east of Sand Creek Road to surround the section of the fire that crossed the roadway and became established on the right flank.

Officials said cooler temperatures and rising humidity helped reduce fire activity overnight, giving crews an opportunity to improve containment before warmer daytime conditions returned.