Wildfires are raging across Wine Country, firefighters are battling high winds, high hills

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving wildfire on the edge of Northern California’s Wine Country, where strong winds and rugged terrain have helped flames spread across hundreds of acres and threaten nearby homes.

The Putha Fire broke out shortly after 11:30 a.m. Monday on Highway 128 west of Winters, near the Solano-Yolo county line and northeast of Napa Valley.

The fire spread quickly through dry grasslands near Lake Berryessa, prompting evacuation warnings, road closures and concerns about buildings in its path.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire had burned 362 acres and was 20% contained, according to CAL FIRE. Authorities said the cause is still under investigation.

The wildfire broke out in the same place where it was planned to be burned on Monday. State records show the planned operation included about 45 acres on Highway 128 and was intended to reduce vegetation in an area full of native grasses, non-native grasses and yellow star. Officials have not said if the wildfire is connected to the prescribed burning.

On the radio, the incident manager overseeing the planned burn reported that a small vegetation fire was burning uphill after the fire was discovered.

The fire spread quickly as crews battled difficult conditions in the hills.

Weather forecasts prepared for the burned area had warned of westerly winds, with afternoon gusts of around 35 mph and strong winds expected overnight. Those conditions raised concerns about rapid fire spread in the dry area around Lake Berryessa.

During the incident, authorities issued evacuation warnings for communities including Golden Bear Estates and Bobcat Ranch, and Highway 128 was closed near Monticello Dam.

On Tuesday morning, officials announced that all evacuation warnings had been lifted. However, evacuation advisories remain in place for locations YCU-197, YCU-291 and YCU-293 as crews continue evacuation operations and monitor the perimeter of the fire.

Firefighters responded with violence as the fire grew. Ground equipment included engines, manual workers, tractors, a water tender and helicopters. Additional aircraft were requested throughout Monday, including helicopters and air crews, as firefighters worked to contain the blaze and protect vulnerable structures.

Images from the scene showed thick smoke rising above the dry, rolling hills near Highway 128 as air tankers and helicopters delivered water and wet droplets to the fire area.

No injuries or property damage were reported.

The Putha fire remains under the jurisdiction of CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa, and it is expected that the crews will continue to strengthen the protection lines while the investigators are still working to determine how the wildfire started.

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