Fire investigators believe a propane tank stored next to a water heater caused a fire that did about $20,000 damage to a residence on Homewood Avenue in west Napa on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire started on the back porch of the home, where the water heater was housed inside a wooden closet, Napa Fire Capt. Ron Vick said.

"There were some propane cylinders used for a barbecue stored next to the water heater," Vick said. "One of the cylinders was slightly turned on, leaking propane, which found its way to the water heater pilot light and ignited."

The fire damaged the exterior of the house and several items that were stored on the porch, Vick said.

The heat of the fire cracked a bathroom window, which shattered when firefighters hit it with the water hose. This caused smoke and heat damage inside the house, Vick said.

There was an adult and a child inside the house when the fire broke out. Vick said the occupant told firefighters she heard a loud noise on the porch and called 911.

No one was injured.

Crash closes Trail, knocks

out power for hours

A solo vehicle crash closed Silverado Trail for hours and knocked out the power for numerous residents in the Calistoga area early Tuesday morning.

Around 6 a.m., Tuesday, a Toyota sport utility vehicle driven by Robert Palmer, 52, of Sonora, ran off the road and mowed down a power pole, ripping it from the ground, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Palmer was not injured.

However, the crash brought PG&E and fire crews and CHP officers to the scene, forcing the closure of the Trail from Calistoga to Dunaweal Lane, diverting traffic to Highway 29, CHP Officer Jaret Paulson said.

It took about 12 hours to replace the power pole.

The accident killed the power to 51 PG&E customers in the surrounding area, PG&E spokeswoman Jana Schuering said.

Electricity was not expected to be restored until late Tuesday, Schuering said.

The Trail was reopened by early afternoon.

Mail thefts in rural Napa County

Sheriff's detectives are trying to nail the culprits who have been snagging mail from rural mailboxes in the Circle Oaks area and on the avenues off Coombsville Road.

So far, no arrests have been made in Napa County, according to Napa County Sheriff's Capt. John Robertson.

However, Frank Estrada was arrested on suspicion of mail theft in Fairfield, Robertson said. "Some of the mail they recovered belonged to Napa County residents."

Robertson said mail theft, which often leads to identity theft, is an ongoing problem, especially in areas where there are mailboxes alongside the road.

"We urge people to get locked boxes. Mail theft seems to pick up this time of the year when people are sending money, checks and gift cards in the mail for Christmas," he said.