Fire burning northeast of St. Helena

Home » News » Local

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Comment

By Register Staff

St. Helena coverage

October 31st, 2009

Upvalley recall election set

October 26th, 2009

$8 million donation to St. Helena Hospital

October 21st, 2009

St. Helena schools may ask to extend bond

October 5th, 2009

Coolest thing on four wheels

October 4th, 2009

St. Helena may scrap business caps

Fire officials have ordered home evacuations Upvalley due to a large vegetation fire in the area of Deer Park and Sanitarium roads northeast of St. Helena.

As of 11 p.m., the fire had burned 200 acres and destroyed two structures. Eight to 10 mile-per-hour winds were pushing the fire south.

About 400 firefighters are on scene, according to CalFire. CalFire air tankers and helicopters are expected to return in the morning.

The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at St. Helena High School at 1401 Grayson Ave., St. Helena.

Officials have closed Deer Park Road, Howell Mountain Road, Crystal Springs Road and Glass Mountain Road.

Fire officials could not immediately say how many homes have been evacuated in the area. As of late Friday evening, officials allowed residents from the Mund Road area through the road block at Sanitarium and Deer Park.

65 comment(s)

SouthNapa wrote on Oct 10, 2008 6:05 PM:

" Deer Park Road is northeast of St. Helena. You may want to correct the headline.

Does anybody on the Register staff ever proofread their articles? This happens every day! "

MarkMiwords wrote on Oct 10, 2008 6:08 PM:

" The fire scanner said it was a car fire that turned into a brush fire. Thank you for keeping us posted. "

MarkMiwords wrote on Oct 10, 2008 6:18 PM:

" SouthNapa: I asked the Register about this fire. I inadvertantly reported it as North West of St. Helena. Please forgive me. It is close. I have a number of friends there and it's frightening scene. I'm a bit shook up about it. "

Froggie1559 wrote on Oct 10, 2008 6:58 PM:

" Napa County Sheriff's Dept. Search & Rescue team has been dispatched to help with evacuations in the area. "

antipc wrote on Oct 10, 2008 7:29 PM:

" Tis' the season for fires.

Thank a tree hugger for making it more difficult for our firefighters to do their jobs.

Hope everyone is ok & no houses are lost. "

kkjp wrote on Oct 10, 2008 7:38 PM:

" 150-200 acres, 2 structures destroyed. Read status at http://calfire.blogspot.com/2008/10/ca-lnu-deer-park-wildland-fire-50-to-60.html. "

lol wrote on Oct 10, 2008 8:10 PM:

" I live on Crestmont, and we're under mandatory evacuation - the fire is becoming somewhat contained, but about 150 acers have burned, and they are not letting us back into our homes. They also told us that two structures have burned, but would not say if they were homes or what. "

Powell Yang wrote on Oct 10, 2008 8:42 PM:

" Report from Herb Lamb Vineyards, fire is still burning heavy. From what I've gathered, the car fire started across the street from Viader. As of now, Viader is safe, keep your fingers crossed. "

napablogger wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:13 PM:

" Whats an Acer?

I live south of Yountville and had to close my windows the smoke smell was so bad. I could see the huge billowing smoke in the sky before the sun went down, now an occasional flame leaping up. "

dire-wolf wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:23 PM:

" hey antipc, explain what is up with your tree hugger comment...this is a residential area, are you upset that the property owners didn't clear their 100 ft defensible space? "

4466 wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:23 PM:

" I live in Angwin and work in the valley so I was alarmed to discover that the roads were closed. I own horses and worried how to reach them. So I took hwy128 to Pope Valley to home. Angwin is safe as I hope that no one has lost their homes. For PUC/Traid to develop Angwin will put more people in danger when a major fire erupts. "

SouthNapa wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:27 PM:

" MarkMiwords: It's understandable for you to be shaken up by it. However, it is important for the Register to provide accurate information. I hope everybody up there stays safe tonight and hopefully the firefighters will stay safe as well. "

citizen wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:42 PM:

" I drove up to Angwin from Hwy 128, off of the Trail, and then up through Pope Valley. Only about 35 minutes. Why are people sleeping at St. Helena High School? "

MarkMiwords wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:48 PM:

" cbs5.com has raw footage and is updating on a regular basis. For those who are stuck and can't get up the hill, there is an evacuation center at St. Helena High school. For those evacuated, there is a center at PUC. Call 967-4207 for info on road closures. "

4466 wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:58 PM:

" MarkMiwords: Please note that residents can reach Angwin via hwy128 to Pope Valley so why sleep in a cold gym? "

lol wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:08 PM:

" I just drove back from the police blockade - a house and garage have burned down across the street from Crestmont Dr. The wind has died down some in the past 10 minutes - we'll wait and see what happens between now and morning (when the planes can start dropping again).
There are a lot of firefighters here from multiple counties, along with our volunteer FD from Angwin, and the St. Helena FD. I'm above the fire, and we don't have too much smoke here, so I guess the winds are blowing the smoke down hill. "

Powell Yang wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:19 PM:

" Police just showed up at Herb Lamb. Mund Road is now being mandatory evacuated. "

laloquera wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:20 PM:

" Here's a link for info. of the "DEER FIRE" on CAL-FIRE's website.

http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents_info.php "

citizen wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:26 PM:

" Per Channel 2 News, Mund Rd. and Sunnyside Rd. now being evacuated. "

spellingbee wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:39 PM:

" It's ok KGO has the same problem.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/north_bay&id=6443918 "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:47 PM:

" lol, I wonder if you're my neighbor? I live north and uphill from the fire. I hope the winds do not shift otherwise Angwin could be at risk. We saw the smoke shortly after the fire started today. We called 911 to report it. The CDF hadn't yet arrived but we were informed that they were on their way.

Angwin residents were walking down White Cottage later on. The road was lined with the curious. I even saw an older woman, probably 80. walking alone down the road at dusk to evaluate the situation. I was concerned about her safety. This is scary for those of us who live up here. I think it's a wake up call; a forewarning about what could happen if further development occurs in this area.

As predicted, the Angwin sirens didn't do their job in forewarning the Angwin population about an approaching fire. Many of the people I contacted had no idea about an approaching wildfire.

Many people had to travel through Pope Valley to get home. Some people were in a panic because their kids were home alone. They could see the smoke in the distance as they traveled Upvalley but were turned away when they arrived at Deer Park and Old Howell Mt. Roads. Their kids were teens but they were still stuck at home alone without transportation off the hill.

Very few people want to admit the very real risk we face up here. We need a plan which involves the community, not a bunch of so called community organizers who want to pretend this isn't a real risk because they want to protect the Triad Development. "

suze wrote on Oct 10, 2008 10:48 PM:

" And what is your suggestion Antipc - cut ALL the trees down just in case there is a fire? Defensible space is mandatory I do believe. Only a fool would not clear trees and brush from around a rural home. My heart goes out to all involved in yet another blaze in unusually windy conditions. "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:03 PM:

" Mund Hill and Sunnyside? That's by Foothill Elementary School. This fire is heading southwest and downhill away from Angwin. There are a lot of homes located back there behind the school. Hope everyone is ok. This isn't all that far from the hospital. If the winds continue blowing south, I think less populated areas will be affected. "

hrtsafyreca wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:30 PM:

" 200 acres now, Jim lost his home, and old family friend! And my family down on Mund road may have to leave. They have horses down there. I hope someone is helping them. I would try to help but they wont let anyone up there. I do hope they can get ahold of this fire soon. "

Roy Piper wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:36 PM:

" I was at Herb Lamb all night. It looks like the firefighters have done a great job and the fire is well contained, but not out. Two homes lost according to police. The worst seems over at this point. I hear David Abreu helped out with his Cat Tractors. The fire was scary but I see 75% less flames at 11pm than at 8pm. "

Sam A. wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:46 PM:

" We live at 1091 Deer Park. Right up the hill from Bremer and down the hill from Viader. Any idea where the houses which burned were located? "

laloquera wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:50 PM:

" channel 7 news has footage of one of the structures that was lost....www.kgo.com "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:57 PM:

" Is the fire still in the Crestmont area? Anyone know? Or has it completely moved downhill? A family member is heading home right now. Is Old Howell Mt. still blocked off? "

Sam A. wrote on Oct 10, 2008 11:58 PM:

" It's hard to tell anything from their footage. We have our fingers crossed. "

bjd417 wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:02 AM:

" hello everyone-

I stumbled upon this page via the frenzy to get information about this fire. My mother lives on Mund road, and has evacuated down here to the bay area where i live, does anyone know if the fire has destroyed any more homes?

She is quite worried if her house has been burned down. any info would be greaty apprechated.

Hope everyone is safe and god bless "

sammy wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:15 AM:

" bjd417, I've only heard that one home burned, and the owner was on the news, no mention of any other homes at this point. hope that helps relieve a bit of your Mother's worried mind. "

bjd417 wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:17 AM:

" thank you sammy, stay safe. "

beagle wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:20 AM:

" I am so thankful for all the fire fighters working to protect the lives and homes of all those involved. Especially, our very own DEER PARK volunteer fire department. These men and women give their time willingly and are often not mentioned. "

Baraki wrote on Oct 11, 2008 1:23 AM:

" As of an hour ago, only one home had burned -- Jimmy McDonald's house. I think a barn on his property burned too. Those are the only two structures I know of. The fire looks much less intense from Mund Road than it did a few hours ago. No more mandatory evacuations according to a CHP guy I talked to. "

shoot the messenger wrote on Oct 11, 2008 6:16 AM:

" Anyone know the status on Foothills Elementary? Last night it looked like the fire was much higher, but haven't seen anything updated about whether the wind shifted. "

UpValleyWhiner wrote on Oct 11, 2008 6:19 AM:

" Hey Powell,
What is the cross street where the fire actually is. I have Friends in the area, but don't know where the fire is EXACTLY. Andrea's Friend! "

hrtsafyreca wrote on Oct 11, 2008 6:56 AM:

" Looking out towards the hill today, it looks like smoke still lingers. I am scanning the new for any information. I am thankful that the fire deptartment responsed as fast as they did. They know how bad the fire can get on that mountain. It's a great fear for the number of folks that live in that area, and their fears came true last night. I am saddened that Jim lost his him, but glad that he is alive to see another day. I have a few pictures of what the fire looks like about 1 hour after it started, when they thought they had control of it. I pray that everyone is ok this morning. "

Elizabethinnapa wrote on Oct 11, 2008 7:29 AM:

" Can anyone tell me if Herb and Jennifer Lamb are okay? We are so worried about them and all who may loose their homes.
Thank you to the amazing firefighters-I love in Angwin and feel so fortunate to have our Cal FF, Deerpark volunteers and Angwin volunteers-you are all one in a million! "

Margo wrote on Oct 11, 2008 7:32 AM:

" Who is this Jim, that lost his home? I feel so bad for those involved. I can put some things together if they have children, please let me know. "

kkjp wrote on Oct 11, 2008 8:17 AM:

" There is a serious fire in Napa County that has consumed at least 300 acres and some structures, forced evacuations, and brought a firefighting response from (according to CalFire) 146 engines, 47 crews, 16 dozers, 10 watertenders & 4 helicopters, and it's relegated to one photo on page 2 of today's Register, and no online update of today's status of the fire? Bad reporting job, Napa Register. "

Lola wrote on Oct 11, 2008 8:18 AM:

" It's 8:08AM does anyone know what the status is of the fire? I can't find any news on the Register site after 11:00PM last night. Thanks and I'm sure others are interested as well. "

lol wrote on Oct 11, 2008 8:25 AM:

" Just spoke with Sheriff at Deer Park Rd. and White Cottage road block. They expect road closure to last all day, as there are still lots of hot spots, and the winds are expected to pick up this afternoon. The fire has moved down the hill towards St. Helena. The airplanes are out and dropping this morning, I can see and hear them. There is not much smoke in the air at the moment - I got a birds eye view from the top of angwin. Pray for calm winds, and the safety of our fire fighters. "

JoeCitizen wrote on Oct 11, 2008 8:31 AM:

" I just called CAL FIRE in St. Helena.
They informed me that the fire was 40% contained. That old Howell Mtn. Road from 4-Corners to the Pope Street Bridge was open as of 8:00 AM, Sat. morning. Also, that the Foothills Adventist Elementary School was safe. "

kkjp wrote on Oct 11, 2008 9:04 AM:

" There's a fire update as of this morning posted on the Angwin Fire Dept.'s website at www.angwinfire.com. That site also has an Angwin Evacuation Plan, although it doesn't seem that was needed. "

14obama wrote on Oct 11, 2008 9:15 AM:

" "Thank a tree hugger for making it more difficult for our firefighters to do their jobs." "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" !Hey "antipc" ! I suggest you hug a tree yourself before you come down on tree huggers ! You have no idea of how stupid your comment is. Hugging a tree is spiritual. Actually,the trees know more than you do. "

localmama wrote on Oct 11, 2008 9:45 AM:

" Can NPR please give us an update on the fire. The last report was as of 11pm last night. This is making travel arrangements difficult. "

Griffo wrote on Oct 11, 2008 10:06 AM:

" I echo the comment on the paucity of news re: the Deer Park fire.
I am impressed though that I found a Register on my driveway this morning. Congratulations to the delivery person! "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 11, 2008 10:52 AM:

" I'm expected this fire to be downplayed by the Triad development supporters. We are VERY fortunate (for most of us) that winds didn't shift in the direction of Angwin. We have so much accumulated dead brush in our forests. We really need to take care of it this winter. People REALLY need to clear 100 feet back. it's law but I'm not sure it's well enforced. There are many rentals up here with landlords who do not maintain them well. The lack of maintenance of one dwelling can adversely affect other dwellings in the area. Homeowners need to trim tree branches up so that there isn't a ladder effect from below. And probably one of the most important things to do is to clear gutters out and any vegetation, decorative or otherwise from around the perimeter of the home.
You can replace your decking with non combustible material. If you are forced to evacuate, you want to leave your home with some level of confidence that it will withstand the initial stages of a fire, before firemen arrive.

One of my worst fears was having a fire jump Deer Park Road cutting off the flow of rescue vehicles and forcing them to retreat and come up the back way. Someone had their act together yesterday because I heard sirens also coming from the direction of Pope Valley. They did a good job. This could have been much worse. I assume it's primarily under control today? "

flowergirl wrote on Oct 11, 2008 10:54 AM:

" Thank a tree hugger? You are so right we should just cut down all those damn pesky trees that way we wouldn't have this problem. Hope everyone is safe and the fire is contained soon. "

napaski wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:01 AM:

" Just back from way up Deer Park Rd. DO NOT go sightseeing. It's not safe and you will get in the way. The firefighters have their hands full and there are many CDF trucks. They really should move the road block further down Deer Park Rd and not let anyone up there who isn't an owner. The Foothills Adventist Elementary School is safe. Hills to the east and north which face west are burning for sure. CDF are strategically located everywhere - especially near threatened homes and structures. It's very impressive and as a homeowner I am extremely thankful for them! There are 100s of them there! No tanker drops yet this morning that I could tell, Choppers working it. It's more than just smoldering and it's still a very serious situation.

VERY windy up there. "

livesinangwin wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:08 AM:

" Here is the current info from the CalFire website on the deer fire.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents_deer.php "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:09 AM:

" Here's an update from the CDF: Containment of the fire is still at 40%. 300 acres have burned. There is mandatory evacuation on Crestmont Drive. The Crestmont Drive area is closed. Deer Park Road is closed between Four Corners and Upper Sanitarian Rd. If you need to exit Angwin for any reason, Pope Valley Road and possibly Old Howell Mt. Road are open. "

Powell Yang wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:11 AM:

" UpValleyWhiner,

I am not exactly sure what the cross streets are where the fire started, had initially heard Sanitarium and Deer Park Road.

Elizabethinnapa,

As far as I know Jennfier and Herb are fine. Police did show up at their door last night for mandatory evacuation, but I didn't get any more updates from my friend Roy Piper that was hanging out with them. So no news is good news. "

jt wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:24 AM:

" It seems there was an attempt to suggest that a car involuntarily burst into flames.

So was the fire an indirect result of a cars engine overheating?

Will this be one out of the many fires in that area that wasn't the result of criminal motivations known as arson? "

res wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:57 PM:

" it started with a car accident

http://www.angwinfire.com/Angwin_Fire/Angwin_Fire_Department.html "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 11, 2008 1:15 PM:

" jt, rumor has it that a vehicle was swerving as it traveled on Deer Park Rd. yesterday. The driver pulled over and there were others who stopped to assist him as it was very apparent he was having engine problems. Whether the engine was on fire at the time I do not know. The driver probably had no idea that when he pulled over his vehicle would ignite a forest fire.

Has anyone noticed increases in flight traffic during the past hour? I'm going to phone CDF for an update. I'll ask whether or not Angwin is perceived to be in any sort of danger. I mean, how concerned should we be? No one is communicating anything to the residents of Angwin. I'm guessing that we should not be concerned? I was going to pick up pine needle litter today but I'de rather wait for another day if it's not urgent. "

res wrote on Oct 11, 2008 2:54 PM:

" started with a car accident "

upvalleygirl wrote on Oct 11, 2008 4:40 PM:

" Cannot see the eastern hills of deer park from st helena's west side. Fire still burning? "

skeptic wrote on Oct 12, 2008 1:33 AM:

" the roads are all open now. i understand that 2 homes were burned, not 1. anybody know anything? a friend took pictures showing how the hospital was spared. it is a fact that when i called 967-4207, the road closure number to call without bothering emergency personell, i was told that all roads from angwin in the evening of friday were closed. except the road to pope valley was open, contrary to what they said.people who worked at the hospital, who were allowed to go down old howell mountain road in the early morning.
thanks to the 9 tanker crews, the spotter plane pilots and helicopter pilots and hundreds of others including prisoners, for saving so many homes in the area. you can see where they stopped the fire from crossing the road to the hospital. it is a stark contrast of blackened and partched earth and nice greenery.
no sirens went off in angwin so there was a lot of confusion but word of mouth eventually helped and this blog did too. "

WorksInNapa wrote on Oct 12, 2008 3:20 PM:

" I’m glad that the fire is almost under control. I don’t understand the “tree hugger” comments unless they aren’t allowing brush and dead trees to be cleared where fire hazards exist. I also don’t understand using this fire as an anti-growth weapon. How many more auto accidents causing fires will occur if developments are allowed? One thing is for sure - land owners should keep the fire barriers up as required by law. "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 12, 2008 6:14 PM:

" WorksinNapa, have you ever traveled up here to Angwin? We have steep, very heavily wooded terrain which would be difficult to access if a bottleneck occured during a firestorm. The cause of THIS fire may have been unusual, but there are many other causes of fire besides a vehicle starting a spark alongside a road.

The problem with the development is that if Angwin must be evacuated, there are few routes out of here. The higher the population, the greater the threat. More development equals more people. Add to that the number of students who might be in session and the elementary school students who might be separated from their parents and have no way of getting off the hill. We have very few ways of getting a the existing population off the hill if Angwin is threatened by firestorm. Is it wise to add more people to this? I mean this fire got started and I never even heard the Angwin fire siren go off. What's that about? Right now we don't even have an adequate way of being forewarned about an approaching fire. "

antipc wrote on Oct 12, 2008 7:15 PM:

" Dire-wolf & suze,

Our firefighters would be a lot safer if the forests were manageged responsibly, rather than following the dribble of the tree-huggers.

BTW, people that believe they can live amognst the trees without having a a fire barrier are doomed to lose their livelyhood & possesions.

Be sure you can aford to rebuild without my help. "

antipc wrote on Oct 13, 2008 7:55 PM:

" 14obama, our current forestry practices have come from the tree-huggers idealism's which are now proving to be a failure. So go get yourself educated about forestry & then comment with something intelligent. I hate to see people lose their homes & possessions listening people like you. "

WorksInNapa wrote on Oct 13, 2008 9:00 PM:

" vocal-de-local – I enjoy my frequent visits to Angwin. The swimming hole off Liganta Ave is great. The cave off of Pine Place is very interesting and fun to explore. The vistas of Pope and Chiles Valley are great from lookout points behind the Airport and off of Ink Grade Rd.. And if I just want to relax with an easy walk I can go to Los Posadas State forest. The main roads are winding but I wouldn’t call them narrow since it is two way traffic. I haven’t seen the evacuation plans for Angwin but wouldn’t both lanes be used to get out of town? If so the normal bottle necks wouldn’t exist. You seem to bring up firestorms often. It’s very good to be prepared but there is no reason to have a fear of them although there are a lot of reasons to respect any fire.

I was up that way today and this time I observed the homes and their yards. A very large number of them sure looked like brush and trees needed to be trimmed back. Proper landscaping can help hold off fires and new developments can provide a larger buffer zone to fires which might approach. Also more homes means more taxes which could be used to provide better fire protection gear at the firehouse. Of course I’m saying this as an outsider. The local community should decide what they wish with growth.

I don’t live in Angwin but I am curious: How many firestorms have ever been recorded up there? "

vocal-de-local wrote on Oct 15, 2008 1:05 AM:

" worksinnapa, how many firestorms have been recorded in the Oakland Hills? All it takes is one devastating experience to turn into an uncontrollable catastrophic event.

I do agree with you that people up here are way too lax about trimming brush back. Perhaps this fire will make the reality sink in. We should fine those property owners unwilling to follow the rules.

I also agree that forestry practices have contributed to the problem. When a fire sweeps through an area, a forest that is kept thinned out like it would be in nature is less damaging overall to the environment. When we thin a forest, we are doing the job that we wouldn't allow nature to do for itself. Our environmental policies (I consider myself an environmentalist btw) have led us to allow nature to do it's own thing which is to grow unchecked. But nature, if left to its own device, would burn much of California up every few years without human intervention.

We cannot allow fires to burn uncontrollably anymore. We must thin the forests out in the same way that nature would have done it back before we intervened. And we should require that all property owners thin their land at their own expense at least 200 feet back from any road. We should also not allow dense development in rural areas. It's stupid and irresponsible. "

Join the conversation

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Create an account

Comment Guidelines

The goal of the story comments section at NapaValleyRegister.com is to have an open, thought-provoking, civil community forum for all issues.

What gets your comment posted?

• Staying on topic

• Keeping your comment to 300 words or less

• Avoiding name-calling

• Addressing your comments to the message rather than the messenger

What gets your comment deleted?

• Personal attacks

• Derogatory remarks

• Name-calling of any sort

• Going off-topic

• Hate speech

• Racially-insensitive comments

• Implying guilt of a subject in a crime story before there is a court verdict

• Posting e-mail addresses

• Posting comments of a commercial nature

• POSTING WITH ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

• Linking multiple comments together with "to be continued..." to get around the 300 word limit.

The fine print

- Comments are either approved or denied. We do not edit comments.

- You are welcome to modify and resubmit a denied comment.

- Comments may take several hours to be posted.

- Comments posted are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of NapaValleyRegister.com, its employees or its parent company.

- Do you have information on a story? Please go to our virtual newsroom to send us a news tip.

- If you feel a posted comment has violated our guidelines, please contact online@napanews.com or add a comment indicating you have an issue and our moderators will review the comment in question.

Search: