California fire crews deploying water-dropping helicopters continued to battle the ‘Glass Fire’ raging in the foothills of the Napa Valley wine region on Saturday.
More than 2 500 firefighters were battling the Glass Fire, which broke out last Sunday near the resort community of Calistoga, some 75 miles (120 km) north of San Francisco, and has already destroyed 248 homes or other structures.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, the Glass Fire has burned over 63 000 acres and is 15% contained as of Saturday.
Cal Fire said on their website that “Critically low fuel moisture, very warm and dry weather conditions are contributing to very active fire behaviour.”
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings for high winds for the following two days.
Rain storms are forecast for the region at the end of next week and firefighters hope they could keep the blaze from entering populated areas again until the showers came.
Overall, at least 30 people have died since mid-August in a devastating string of wildfires across the US West that have been stoked by bouts of extreme heat, winds and dry-lightning storms that scientists attribute to climate change.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has also blamed decades of poor forest management.
