One Person Killed in Valley Fire; 50,000 Acres Burned; Hundreds of Homes Lost

Cal Fire confirmed Sunday night that one person has been killed in the Valley Fire. The devastating wildfire roared through 50,000 acres in just 24 hours, sent four firefighters to the hospital with burns and leveled hundreds of homes. Some 17,000 residents have been evacuated.

Despite the efforts of 1,000 firefighters, containment remains at zero.

The fire began in Lake County, and evacuations soon spread into Napa County. The towns of Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake and Cobb suffered great losses. Police officers and deputies from several agencies are patrolling the streets. Hundreds of homes have been lost, but an exact count has not been conducted.

• Valley Fire: “Huge Destruction. Homes Destroyed Will Be in Hundreds”
• Exhaustion, Desperation at Calistoga Evacuation Center

Four firefighters from Copter 104 suffered second-degree burns in the fire Saturday, Berlant said. They were airlifted to a burn unit in Sacramento. They have been identified as Fire Captain Pat Ward, Firefighter Niko Matteoli, Firefighter Richard Reiff and Firefighter Logan Pridmore. They are all in stable condition.

In Napa County, the Office of Emergency Services has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Pope Valley North of Pope Valley Garage and Howell Mountain Road North due to the Valley Fire.

A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Calistoga Fairgrounds in Napa County, in addition to shelters in Lake County.

Livestock owners report on social media that they’ve turned horses, cattle, and even alpacas loose to flee to safety.

Cal Fire spokesman Berlant reports that the wind-driven wildfire hopscotched, jumping up to a half mile ahead multiple times. The fire continued to grow through the night even though temperatures were down, the humidity was up and the wind had calmed.

Governor Jerry Brown has issued a State of Emergency for Lake and Napa counties.

Photographer Al Francis, who spent most of Sunday behind the fire lines, reports, “An army of PG&E crews have just left a staging area at the Middletown High School to work in the field. Hundreds of telephone / utility poles have burned and cable destroyed.”

Evacuation Center

Residents who fled the Valley Fire literally ran for their lives. Some left so fast they didn’t even grab their cell phones, leaving them without a lifeline to family and friends.

As many as 1,000 people ended up at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, opened as an evacuation center by the Red Cross. They streamed in throughout the night. Cots were set up in a building, but many more people slept in RVs, tents, even their cars.

• CALISTOGA RESIDENTS: No more donations are needed at the evacuation center.

Many of the evacuees witnessed homes and businesses burning. They are desperate for news on their own homes.

Photo #1 credit alondra.rincon via Instagram

Photo #2 credit Peggy Rose via Instagram @sfmoffett

Photo #3 credit Al Francis

Photo #4 credit Al Francis

Photo #5 credit Al Francis

Map courtesy Google Maps