Napa fire history over the past 100 years includes major blazes that have taken their toll on our county and its people. Here’s a list of some of the historic Napa County fires:
* 1913: Fire started in Sage Canyon and burned south to the Delta, 1 fatality
* 1923: Mt. St. John fire started in Rutherford, and burned over Mt. St. John and west into Boyes Springs in a few hours. Cause: burning out bees.
* 1930s: Fire started on Mt. St. Helena and burned along the Mayacamas range to the Delta.
* 1964: Hanley Fire, at 72,000 acres, burned from Mt. St. Helena to Santa Rosa. Other fires occurred in the county at the same time: Conn Fire, Nunn’s Canyon fire, and the Mt. George fire. Causes: undetermined, 149 structures lost.
* 1977: Howell Mt. Fire, at 2,200 acres, burned Howell Mountain and threatened Angwin. Cause: vehicle fire.
* 1981: Atlas Peak Fire burned 20,000 acres in one afternoon, from Atlas Peak into Soda Canyon and the now Silverado Highlands. Cause: arson.
* 1982: Silverado Fire burned 2,000 acres on Mt. St. Helena. Cause: downed power lines started a structure fire in high winds.
* 1999: “16” Fire, at 38,000 acres, burned from Rumsey Canyon/Brooks in Yolo County to Lake Berryessa.
* 2000: Berryessa Fire, at 5,000 acres, burned the west side of Lake Berryessa. Cause: sparks from a boat trailer dragging a wheel with a flat tire.
* 2004: Rumsey Fire, at 28,000 acres, burned from Rumsey Canyon/Brooks in Yolo County to Lake Berryessa. The fire’s footprint was parallel to the one from the “16” Fire five years earlier.
There were common factors at play in all these fires. Major fires tend to occur during strong northeast wind conditions. These periods of high wind and low humidity cause fires to spread rapidly, with extreme fire behavior that is very difficult to suppress. Most, if not all, of these historic fires were caused by human activity.
The best way to address this risk today, as we shape a fire strategy for Napa County, is for every homeowner in the wildland area to create defensible space around their structure and along their driveway. This will minimize the chance of loss and make it safer for firefighters to approach if they are needed. Once we have accomplished this, we can begin to discuss the environmental benefits of fire and how to manage our Napa landscape for the long term.
Real Time Fire Map
http://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=b58439409a644a04a66a7e686f144258
Some would say the best way to fix this is eliminate mankind, as they are the cause of everything bad!!!! 8>)