Putah Fire near Winters 60% contained as crews work to slow spread in hot conditions
The 860-acre Putah Fire burning near Winters in Yolo County is 60% contained as crews continue to fight the blaze, Cal Fire officials said early Thursday.
Crews were expected to contend with high winds and triple-digit temperatures Thursday as the fire continued to burn along Highway 128 west of Winters. Firefighters made progress on firelines Wednesday evening, strengthening control lines and extinguishing hot spots, Cal Fire officials said in an update.
Cal Fire crews on Wednesday worked to bolster containment and slow the fire’s spread ahead of a Red Flag Warning issued for Thursday because of strong winds and temperatures forecast to reach 100 degrees in the Winters area.
“Firefighters have constructed strong containment lines and continue to patrol, mop up, and reinforce those lines ahead of the anticipated wind event,” officials said in a Wednesday update.
National Weather Service forecasters in Sacramento say the red flag warning from Redding south to Yolo and Solano counties continues through 5 p.m. Thursday. Winds from the north at 15 to 25 mph were expected to gust between 30 and 40 mph during the day. Dry conditions also persist, with relative humidity between 9% and 15%. Conditions were expected to improve overnight as humidity climbs between 25% and 50%.
Cal Fire officials said Monday’s Putah Fire was caused by an escaped prescribed burn along Highway 128 that jumped containment lines before spreading across steep, rugged terrain. Hand crews and air tankers have carried much of the firefighting effort, officials said.
Evacuations in the area were lifted earlier in the week, and no injuries or property damage have been reported.
Nearly 200 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze, including crews from Winters, Dixon, Vacaville, Madison and the West Plainfield Fire Protection District, as well as the Montezuma Fire Protection District in Solano County.
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