Officials allowed residents who were evacuated in a Napa County wildfire to return to their properties early Wednesday.
“It’s a soft reopening,” a Cal Fire spokesperson said. “Only residents are allowed in the area to check on their properties.”
The Old Fire broke out northeast of the city of Napa near Old Springs Road at around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and quickly tore across more than 500 acres of parched landscape in about six hours.
Cal Fire said on Twitter Wednesday morning that the blaze went from 5% to 15% containment overnight and the total acreage burned remained at 570 acres.
“Firefighters worked hard overnight and made significant progress,” Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire reported that the blaze had reached 50 acres at 4:18 p.m. on Tuesday. By 5 p.m. it had doubled in size, and by 9 p.m. the fire had reached 570 acres.
Flames threatened homes on Soda Canyon Road and evacuations were ordered, Napa County Office of Emergency Services said. An evacuation advisory was issued for areas between Silverado Trail and Soda Canyon Road.
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Fire fighters battle flames in the Old Fire in Napa County that broke out on May 31, 2022.
Cal Fire
Most of Soda Canyon Road remained closed Wednesday morning.
Smoke from the fire could be seen from miles away, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an advisory for the North Bay regarding hazy, smoky conditions in effect through Wednesday.
Smoke from the fire is expected to impact the Napa Valley with isolated pockets of elevated air pollution levels near the fire, the district said. But pollution levels are not expected to exceed the national 24-hour standard, so a Spare the Air Alert is not in effect and air quality is not expected to reach unhealthy levels.
