Glass Fire Consumes 58K Acres, 5% Contained: Napa County Latest

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Low humidity and above average temperatures allowed the Glass Fire to burn actively Thursday, growing by nearly 8,000 acres to 58,880 acres with 5 percent containment.

Firefighters were involved in structure defense in Angwin as flames threatened an area that hasn't burned in 70 years, Cal Fire said. The entire towns of Calistoga and Angwin both remained evacuated as crews worked to save a total of 28,835 structures in both Napa and Sonoma Counties.

"Flames made intense runs ... " Cal Fire said in an evening update. "Winds are blowing from the northwest, and the fire area is experiencing near-record temperatures and very low humidity."

A red flag warning for breezy northerly winds and critically dry conditions took effect at 1 p.m. Thursday and continues through 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area.

"North winds through Thursday morning will push across Napa county and impact the Glass Fire and the hills above Calistoga, potentially pushing the fire towards Angwin," the weather service said. "Increasing northwest winds arrive Thursday afternoon during the peak of the burn period along with very low humidity. Northwest winds increase Thursday night into Friday morning with gusts 25 to 30 mph with little or no humidity recovery. Breezy northerly winds continue through the Friday burn period with continued hot temperatures.

"Fire will spread rapidly due to the combination of hot temperatures, very dry fuels, breezy northerly winds and low humidity, with the highest threat to active portions of the Glass Fire or those areas with unsecured or open fire line."

The Glass Fire has now destroyed 153 single-family homes in Napa County and damaged 26; in Sonoma County, 67 single-family homes have been destroyed and 43 damaged.

The number of commercial structures (businesses) destroyed in Napa County reached 189 Thursday night, while five commercial structures have been destroyed in Sonoma County, according to Cal Fire.

#GlassFire is 58,8880 acres and 5% contained. pic.twitter.com/0REM2j41Hg
— CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 2, 2020