The Pickett Fire in Napa County, which started on August 21 in the town of Calistoga, has now burned nearly 7,000 acres, an area which is about 10 square miles, and is only 13% contained. And yesterday a state of emergency was declared in the area, which has many residents under evacuation orders. The fire comes just a few years after the devastating Glass Fire in 2020, which rocked the winemaking communities in both Napa and Sonoma, destroying many vineyards and wineries and leaving many questioning wether the harvest had been impacted by smoke taint.
Approximately 1,000 firefighting personnel have been deployed to the impacted area, which is mostly residential at this point. Air quality warnings have been issued for Bay Area residents as well by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as smoke from the wildfire spreads across the region. Other wildfires in the West are currently blazing in both Montana and Central Oregon.
Unfortunately, wildfires have become the “new normal” in California, especially in these wildlife-adjacent wine growing regions. Warmer temperatures and reduced precipitation have led to much dry landscapes that make for longer fire seasons and areas that are prone to rapid and intense fire spread.
Damage assessment is ongoing. There has been no confirmation of structures damaged and/or destroyed. CalFire is encouraging residents to stay abreast of updates on their site here.
