LNU Lightning Complex Fires: Wildfire Razes Spanish Flat Mobile Villa; Homes Destroyed, Residents Flee To Safety
LAKE BERRYESSA (CBS SF) -- A wall of flames roared through the Spanish Flat Mobile Villa on the western shore of Lake Berryessa overnight, reducing homes to ashes and vehicles to piles of melted metal.
The fire is one of several blazes comprising the LNU Lighning Complex Fires (map) which have burned more than 124,100 acres as of Wednesday night and destroyed or damaged about 175 structures, according to Cal Fire. The fires were at zero percent containment.
The Spanish Flat community was under a mandatory evacuation order and the residents had fled the community as the fire marched westward from its ignition site during Monday's dry lightning storms. No injuries have been reported.
- EVACUATIONS AND ROAD CLOSURES (updated 5:15 p.m.)
AP Photographer Noah Berger captured images of Mother Nature's fury.
The fires in Napa County exploded in size Tuesday, growing to more than 30,000 acres.
On Tuesday night near Highway 128 and Berryessa Knoxville Road, small fires were still burning in the hills. It was a remnant of an intense flare up of one branch of the fire late Tuesday afternoon.
The roar of the fires echoed through canyons as fast-moving flames consumed the Spanish Flat neighborhood.
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Nearby on Highway 128, the fire torched the trees and consumed the dry grasses near the Somerston Winery between Lake Hennessey and Lake Berryessa.
"It just keeps coming. Every few years, another fire," says Nylind Stanley. He lives in Capell Canyon and says he was ordered to evacuate, but refused. He says this time, he doesn't trust the firefighters to save his house.
"They're stretched so thin now, there's very few fire trucks up here and planes," says Stanley.
His neighbor, Mike Nicholini, came over with water tenders and laid out hoses around the house.
"We're pretty set up and ready, ready to take care of whatever comes down the road," says Nicholini.
Cal Fire admits their resources are spread thin. There are dozens of fires burning all across Northern California. The hard part is, all of them started at once during recent lightning storms.
The continued heatwave isn't making things any easier for firefighters.
"These conditions aren't conducive to control of the fire. With as many fires as are going on, the resources are limited to some extent so that does make it a little more difficult to control," says Capt. Robert Foxworthy with Cal Fire.
Lake County
Evacuation Order:
Hidden Valley Lake and Jerusalem Valley areas, including residents living North of Butts Canyon Road, South of Hofacker Ln to Morgan Valley Rd, East of Hwy. 29 and West of the Lake/Napa County line.
A temporary evacuation point has been set up at the old airstrip off of Hwy. 53 in Clearlake.
Napa County
Evacuation Order:
- Highway 121 (Monticello Road) – from Wooden Valley Road to Vichy Ave.
- Pope Valley Road – From Aetna Springs Road to Chiles Pope Valley Road
- Aetna Springs Road – From Pope Valley to the dead end
- Butts Canyon Road – From Aetna Springs Road to the Lake County Line
- James Creek Road – From Butts Canyon Road to the dead end
- Highway 128 from Lower Chiles Valley Road to Monticello Road
- Highway 128 from Chiles Pope Valley Road to Lower Chiles Valley Road
- Chiles Pope Valley Road from Highway 128 to Lower Chiles Valley Road
- All of Hennessey Ridge Road.
- From Moskowite Corner to Wooden Valley Rd, Including the community of Circle Oaks
- Atlas Peak from the Bubbing Well Pet Cemetary at 2462 Atlas Peak Rd to the dead end
- From Loma Vista Rd / Soda Canyon Rd to the dead end.
- All of Steele Canyon Rd from Hwy 128 to and including the Berryessa Highlands Sub Divison
- Wragg Canyon Rd - from Hwy 128 to the end of the road, including Pleasure Cove Resort
- Chiles Pope Valley Road - From Lower Chiles Valley Road to Pope Canyon Road
Evacuation Warning
- Hwy 121 (Monticello Road) from Vichy Ave to Silverado Trail
- Ink Grade – from Pope Valley Road to White Cottage Road
- Howell Mountain Road – From Pope Valley Road to White Cottage Road
Solano County
Map of evacuation areas (link)
Evacuation Order
- Fairfield - Peabody Road, Vanden Road, Cement Hill Road.
Evacuation Warning
- Fairfield - Rancho Solano neighborhood
- Fairfield - Sanctuary neighborhood
Evacuation centers at Lambrecht Fields, Petersen Rd Suisun City, Rodriquez High School, Fairfield High School
Sonoma County
Evacuation Order:
- North of Austin Creek Recreational Area
- East of The Cedars
- Mill Creek Road west of the intersection of Puccioni Road
- South of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road
- South of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road
- West of West Dry Creek Road and Westside Road
- North of Sweetwater Springs Road and McCray Ridge Road
- East of the East Austin Creek (the actual creek)
Evacuation Warning:
- Walbridge – Evacuation Zone 4B1 (Northern Forestville)
All areas south of River Rd. from Martinelli Rd. to Trenton Rd.
West of Covey Rd.
North of Front St. / Hwy. 116
East of Martinelli Rd. - Walbridge – Evacuation Zone 2K2
All areas south of Hwy. 101
East of the Russian River to the Windsor Town limits
North of where Windsor River Rd. dead ends extending west to the Russian River. - Meyers – Evacuation Zone 1E3
All areas south of the Russian River
West of Bohemian Hwy.
North and East of Coleman Valley Rd. and Willow Creek Rd. - Meyers – Evacuation Zone 1E1
All areas south and west of Willow Creek Rd.
North of Coleman Valley Rd. and Wright Hill Rd.
East of the California Coastal National Monument (BLM property) - West of Meyers Grade Road to the coast
- South of Fort Ross Road
- North of Russian Gulch State Beach
- North of Austin Cree Recreational Area
- East of Cedars
- West of Mill Creek Rd
- South of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Spring Road
Evacuation Center:
Crosswalk Community Church
2590 First Street
Napa, CA 94558
Animal Evacuation Center:
Napa County Animal Shelter
942 Hartle Court
Napa, CA 94559
Road Closures:
Napa County:
- SR-121 at Wooden Valley Rd (this was previously the SR-121 at SR-128 closure). This closure will be staffed by an officer. Circle Oaks is being or will be evacuated
- SR-128 at Pleasent's Valley Rd. Woodland CHP and Caltrans are staffing this closure. No traffic westbound on SR-128 from this intersection. Traffic can move east on SR-128 and south on Pleasent's Valley Rd
- Butts Canyon Rd at Snell Valley Rd. This closure is staffed by a CHP officer. We do not want anyone traveling south on Butts Canyon Rd past this intersection
- SR-128 at Silverado Trail. This closure is staffed by a CHP officer and Caltrans
- Napa County Roads is working on the following closures:
- Atlas Peak Rd at Westgate Drive. No traffic north on Atlas Peak Rd. past Westgate Drive. This section of Atlas Peak is being or will be evacuated
- Soda Canyon Rd at Silverado Trail. Soda Canyon Rd. north of Loma Vista Drive is being or will be evacuated. We do not want any traffic on Soda Canyon Rd north of Loma Vista--it's easier to close it at Silverado Trail
Sonoma County:
- SR-1 @ Fort Ross Road- No traffic on S/B SR-1 and no traffic E/B on Fort Ross Rd
- SR-1 @ Meyers Grade Road- No traffic on N/B SR-1 and no traffic on N/B Meyers Grade Rd
- Fort Ross Road at Seaview Road- No traffic on W/B Fort Ross Rd. and no traffic on E/B Fort Ross Rd
- Myers Grade Road at Fort Ross Road- No traffic on S/B Meyers Grade Rd
- Dry Creek Rd at Dry Creek
- Yoaking Bridge Rd at Dry Creek
- Lyton Springs Rd at Dry Creek
- Westside Rd @ Dry Creek
- Wohler Rd at River Rd
- Odd Fellows Park Rd at Russian River
- Bohemian Hwy at Russian River
- Mosscow Rd at Hwy 116
- Hwy 116 at Hwy 1 (Move Hwy 1 at Myers Grade)
- King Ridge Rd @ Sewell Rd (private Rd with gates)
- Skaggs Spings Rd at Sewell Rd (Anvil Ranch)
