LNU Lightning Complex Fires: Acreage Grows; Containment Improves

NAPA, SONOMA, SOLANO, YOLO, LAKE and COLUSA COUNTIES, CA — The fires collectively known as the LNU Lightning Complex fires — ignited Aug. 17 by lightning strikes — were at 369,935 acres and 35 percent contained Thursday evening, a 1,067-acre increase and an improvement over the 33 percent containment 12 hours prior, Cal Fire said.

The Hennessey Fire burning in Napa, Lake, Yolo, Solano and Colusa counties has scorched 311,222 acres with 33 percent containment, Cal Fire reported Thursday evening, with progress of the Meyers and Walbridge fires in Sonoma County halted.

Cal Fire reported Thursday evening that 1,080 structures had been destroyed by the fires, a number that did not increase in the past 24 hours. Five people have died in the blaze, three in Napa County and two in Solano.

The northern end of the Hennessey Fire was on Wednesday denoted Cal Fire's firefighting priority as it approached Middletown, halfway between Lower Lake and Calistoga. Firefighting resources including aircraft were routed to the area, and Cal Fire officials called Thursday a "critical day."

"We have about a thousand feet of firing left to do," said Cal Fire operations section Chief Chris Waters, referring to the process of burning the fuels that the fire feeds on back toward the blaze so that it can't spread forward.

"Once that's done, that line will be secured and we can start talking about repopulation and getting folks back in there," Waters said.

Additional firefighting resources will come from 250 National Guard service members who arrived in Santa Rosa Wednesday evening.

"They're going to be spread out into different areas throughout the fire," said Steve Concialdi, a Cal Fire public information officer.

The Walbridge Fire, which remained at 55,353 acres Thursday evening, with the day's containment improving from 19 percent to 25 percent. Evacuation orders for thousands of area residents have been lifted and firefighters are making "really good progress," Waters said.

"It's going very well. It's a little slower than normal because of the lack of resources but we expect to turn the corner today," Waters said.

North of Jenner, the Meyers Fire held steady at 2,360 acres and 98 percent containment, with state Highway 1 reopened and residents allowed back to their homes.

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--Bay City News contributed to this post