Glass Fire Update: Easing Weekend Temps to Help Crews Battling Glass Fire Along Highway 29
ST. HELENA (KPIX) -- The Glass Fire has not reached the main part of Calistoga as firefighters are doing everything they can to defend it and other towns along Highway 29 which runs through the heart of the Napa Valley wine country.
Crews are strategically positioned along the highway where there has been some destructive fire activity throughout the day.
In steep terrain and in the dark Friday night, dozers could be seen clearing vegetation and creating secondary control lines in the hills along Highway 29 northwest of Calistoga.
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"Due to the topography, it's been difficult to place direct, good control lines in there," said Cal Fire's Mark Brunton.
Crews are continuing their nonstop work is to protect more than 28,000 homes which are still threatened.
"There's a truck here, a truck there, a truck on the road over there -- yeah, seems like it is well-covered," said Loyal Hughes, a longtime resident of Angwin.
Early Friday morning, the fire ripped through a home on Tucker Road on the outskirts of Calistoga.
With dry, strong winds forecast, a red flag warning has been extended into Saturday morning.
"That's the point, where we're seeing a northwest push of wind which has fortunately subsided with some velocity but does exist," said Mark Brunton.
Over the past 24 hours, the winds did not pick up and weren't as strong as initially forecast, permitting crews to put in some more control lines and suppress activity in parts of Angwin and Pope Valley.
"I know there's a line cut behind the property here that goes several miles. Maybe that will help," said Hughes.
"The valley floor and the Highway 29 corridor is still intact. We have a lot of the industry there populated and working in there so we will be doubly vigilant for their safety," said Brunton.
Multiple agencies responsible for the official estimate of structures damaged have only been able to survey 30% of the burned areas.
Cal Fire has set up a mobile retardant supply base in the eastern zone of the fire close to Angwin and Pope Valley.
That's where they expect they'll need it the most in the coming days.
Since it began early Sunday morning, the Glass Fire has burned 61,150 acres and has destroyed 173 residences in Napa County and 120
residences in Sonoma County. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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