BY MADISON SMALSTIG, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Napa County’s public health officer has declared a local health emergency in response to the Pickett Fire, warning that toxic debris inside the 6,803-acre burn area could threaten the region’s water supply.
Christine Wu signed the proclamation Monday, authorizing the immediate removal of hazardous waste and other dangerous materials within the fire’s footprint. The decision follows confirmation from another county department and affected water districts of “increased turbidity,” or cloudiness, “and heightened demand on local water systems,” county spokesperson Linda Weinreich told The Press Democrat.
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Officials said recovery efforts must begin even before the wildfire is fully contained to protect public health and restore infrastructure. The scope and duration of the operation — expected to involve regional, state and federal partners — will depend on the damage assessment, Weinreich said.
It’s the second emergency declaration in recent days. On Sunday, County CEO Ryan Alsop signed a broader local emergency proclamation citing the fire’s threat to rural communities from Calistoga to Pope Valley.
Both actions were ratified Tuesday by the Napa County Board of Supervisors. The health emergency now moves forward, while the general emergency still awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. Wu’s proclamation will be reviewed periodically.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Pickett Fire was 17% contained, up from 13% a day earlier, Cal Fire reported. About 540 structures remain threatened, though no homes or buildings have been confirmed lost.
By 3 p.m., evacuation orders for two zones — E121-B and C — near Calistoga and the southeastern flank of the fire were reduced to warnings, and three zones south of the fire saw their warnings lifted. Orders remain in seven zones stretching from Calistoga near Silverado Trail and Pickett Road northeast through the Palisades and Swartz canyons to Pope Valley Road, with three additional zones under warning. Sheriff Oscar Ortiz said officials are meeting multiple times daily to discuss lifting restrictions.
By 6 p.m., containment on the fire had reached 21%.
In a Tuesday evening briefing, officials said more than 287,000 gallons of retardant and more than a million gallons of water had been dropped on the fire.
During the briefing, officials said they anticipate the fire will stay in its current footprint and not experience much growth.
“Everything is moving in the direction of lifting orders and lifting warnings,” Ortiz said Monday night. “But as you heard throughout the day we still have a lot of work to do we are not out of the woods.”
No injuries or deaths have been reported in the fire, Cal Fire spokesperson Caitlin Grace said.
Cooler temperatures and a marine layer that pushed into the fire zone Tuesday morning helped crews slow the flames and boost containment. Highs reached the mid-80s near Calistoga and the upper-80s around Aetna Springs, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 2,700 firefighters remain on the lines, supported by 248 engines, 29 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 75 bulldozers and 59 crews. They are focused on building and reinforcing containment lines, extinguishing hot spots and preventing smoldering materials from rolling beyond established perimeters.
The perimeter line must be cooled and reinforced before crews can move inward; otherwise, the fire could continue to spread, Deputy Operations Chief Steve Chapman said Tuesday afternoon. Along the eastern flank, crews set up chicken wire and T-posts to catch smoldering and rolling debris.
Some firefighters were flown to two helipads established in the northern portions of the fire, eliminating what would have been a miles-long hike through steep, rugged terrain. One of those landing sites proved essential in helping hand crews carve a line just above Calistoga on the southern flank, Chapman said.
“The potential for fire growth still does exist because the fuels around the fire remain very dry,” said Alexander Giery, a Cal Fire fire behavior analyst, during a briefing Monday night. “Though we do not think the probability of this is very high.”
Incident commander Dustin Martin said crews still had more than 2 miles of hand line to complete as of Monday evening.
“We are starting to make some ground, but I want to make sure everybody is aware… we still have a whole lot of work to do on this incident,” he said.
Temperatures will remain in the mid- to upper-80s through the week with slightly higher humidity before another warming and drying trend this weekend, meteorologist Brayden Murdock said. Winds are expected to peak around 20 mph in higher elevations during the afternoon and evening before easing at sunset.
“We’re not seeing any big swings the next few days,” Murdock said. “We’re not seeing very strong drying or moistening of our conditions.”
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District extended its wildfire smoke advisory through Wednesday for Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties.
Air Resource Advisor Julie Hunter said during the Tuesday evening briefing, though, that air quality conditions had greatly improved in the areas around the fire. All communities were in the good to moderate air quality range, she added.
Aetna Springs Road remains closed, while Pickett Road is open only to residents. The county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has begun assessing fire damage to vineyards and other farms, though no findings have been released.
Fire and law enforcement officials asked drivers traveling between Napa and the Pickett Fire to watch for heavy machinery moving in and out of the base at the Napa Valley Expo.
You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.