Crime & Safety
Napa County Steele Fire Latest, Photos
The wildfire that has destroyed eight homes and other structures was 90-percent contained Monday evening.
NAPA COUNTY, CA — The Steele Fire in Napa County was 90-percent contained at 135 acres Monday evening, Cal Fire officials said in a 7:30 p.m. update on the wildfire that broke out Saturday in Berryessa Highlands, destroying eight homes and other buildings and damaging another four.
The blaze broke out at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Arroyo Grande Drive and Steele Canyon Road in Capell near Lake Berryessa, forcing immediate evacuations for area residents.
All evacuations were lifted except for those in the road closure areas, officials said Monday.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Firefighters continued to make progress mopping up throughout the night," officials said. "The majority of residents were allowed back in the area to their homes. Headlands Drive will remain closed at West Ridge Drive South, including Woodhaven Court throughout the remainder of the day [Monday]."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
At least 70 firefighters were still assigned to the wildfire Monday from agencies including Vacaville District, Vacaville City, Dixon Fire, Fairfield Fire, Winters Fire, Suisun City Fire, Napa County Fire and CDCR.
Among those forced to evacuate Saturday was photographer John Ehrenfeld, a Berryessa Highlands resident.
"We are back home and everything is fine, power was just restored and the animals are really happy to be here," Ehrenfeld said Sunday in a Facebook post. "My heart breaks though, a few neighbors lost their homes and I know of some pets that didn't make it either. California is burning and there are ninety fires nationally, many made catastrophic by high winds and triple digit temperatures ... I have no words to express my thanks to the firefighters, they are truly selfless and heroic and saved my home and many others."
- PREVIOUS: Steele Fire: 8 Structures Destroyed, 4 Damaged In Napa
- ALSO SEE: California Wildfires: 8 Dead, More Than 230,000 Acres Charred
Below are photos taken by Ehrenfeld from within the evacuation zone Saturday.
Top photo gallery by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com
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