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- The Putah Fire is estimated at 869 acres and 30% containment.
- Highway 128 reopened and all Yolo County evacuation warnings and advisories lifted.
- Cal Fire assigned 285 personnel with engines, bulldozers, tenders and one helicopter.
The roughly 870-acre Putah Fire in Yolo County has reached 30% containment as firefighters did not report an increase in the fire’s acreage overnight ahead of red flag conditions, Cal Fire said in a Wednesday morning update.
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The estimated 869-acre fire, an escaped prescribed burn, broke out about seven miles west of Winters near Highway 128 on Monday morning, officials said.
Highway 128, which was closed for about a day after the Putah Fire expanded Monday afternoon, is now open in both directions, Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit said. All evacuation warnings and advisories have been lifted.
Much of the Sacramento Valley, including where the Putah Fire is burning, is under a red flag warning from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said.
The Weather Service forecasts winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of up to 40 mph, along with low humidity and high temperatures. The conditions could allow for rapid fire spread, the service said.
Cal Fire said 285 personnel are assigned to the fire Wednesday, along with 15 engines, four bulldozers, eight water tenders and one helicopter.
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How did the fire start?
The fire was reported about 11:35 a.m. Monday after increased winds caused a 40-acre prescribed burn to escape and spread uphill in flashy fuels of grass, firefighters said.
By 4 p.m., the fire had burned 361 acres, Cal Fire said. At about 6 p.m., the Putah Fire reached steep, rugged terrain, making it difficult for firefighters to access and contain. Cal Fire reported the fire at 540 acres around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday before it rapidly expanded to 869 acres by 2:30 p.m.
Firefighters have not reported an increase in acreage since Tuesday afternoon.
Forward progress had been stopped on the fire’s right flank, closest to Winters, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Chris Aragon said in a video posted to social media late Tuesday afternoon. Aragon said that section of the fire was in “mop-up mode.”
Firefighters connected a control line from the left shoulder of the Putah Fire to the head as of Tuesday, Aragon said in the video. The left shoulder had previously caused firefighters the most problems, a Cal Fire LNU spokesperson said Tuesday, with the fire burning over control lines at multiple points.
Because of the red flag conditions forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, firefighters described Tuesday as a “pivotal” day as they worked to limit the potential impacts of strong winds and critical fire weather conditions.
Read more Putah Fire near Winters reaches 30% containment as red flag warning takes effect