Putah Fire containment at 15% in Northern CA after prescribed burn escapes
A prescribed burn escaped its control lines and became a vegetation wildfire that grew to more than 300 acres Monday afternoon west of Winters, prompting a large-scale response from Cal Fire crews in Yolo County.
The Putah Fire was reported at 11:35 a.m. off Highway 128, just west of Winters, after increasing winds caused a 40-acre planned burn scheduled for the same area through Friday to escape its control lines, according to Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. The blaze had torched about 120 acres as it burned uphill in light, flashy fuels just before 1 p.m., a spokesperson for the unit said. By 2:20 p.m., the wildfire had grown to 300 acres.
At 4 p.m., the fire burning 30 miles west of Sacramento and 11 miles north of Vacaville was burning uncontained as an aerial platform known as FIRIS mapped the fire at 361.7 acres.
As of Monday evening, the fire was 15% contained. All aerial firefighting resources had been released, and firefighters continued containment and line-construction efforts on the ground.
Highway 128 in Yolo County, between Pleasant Valley road to the Solano County line, was closed due to the fire, according to Caltrans District 3. Motorists were advised to take alternative roads and to expect delays, the department wrote on X.
Prescribed burns are controlled fires designed to clear vegetation that can serve as fuel, reducing wildfire risk. They must meet specific criteria, including ecological benefit, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines, and are usually planned to occur within a large window of time, a Cal Fire spokesperson said.
A red flag advisory for dangerous fire conditions in the Sacramento Valley region, issued Monday morning and in effect from Wednesday at 11 a.m. to Thursday at 5 p.m., was considered in limiting the time frame of the prescribed burn, originally scheduled through Friday, officials said.
“Right now, we’re just working on containing this fire,” a Cal Fire LNU spokesperson said. “Aircraft and air tankers have been working on trying to box it in with fire retardant and slow it down.”
Winds in the area were gusting between 15 and 20 mph from the south and west, according to gauge data collected by the National Weather Service.
No structures were threatened by flames. Evacuation orders had been requested for Golden Bear Estates and Bobcat Ranch as of 11:45 a.m., according to a Facebook post from Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District.
At least 10 engines, two water tenders, six helicopters, three dozers, 10 hand crews and 200 personnel were assigned to the Putah Fire, according to firefighters. Two additional helicopters for aerial firefighting overnight were requested, along with seven more bulldozers as firefighters worked to create contingency lines ahead of the fire.
“This remains an active firefight,” a Cal Fire LNU spokesperson said.
This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 1:56 PM.
