Quick Summary
- 64-acre Canyon Fire burns southwest of Stebbins Cold Canyon and Quail Ridge
- Handful of hikers evacuate Stebbins, and the trails remain off-limits for now
- High heat, low humidity and wind pose danger — hikers advised to check conditions in advance
Updated 10 a.m. July 26: Cal Fire reported just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday (July 25) that crews had achieved 100 percent containment of the Canyon Fire, while holding the size to 64 acres.
Updated 3:30 p.m. July 25: Cal Fire reports 95 percent containment of the Canyon Fire, with the acreage unchanged at 64 acres. Evacuations have been lifted and Highway 128 is open again.
Updated noon July 24: Cal Fire reports 90 percent containment of the Canyon Fire, with the acreage unchanged at 64 acres.
UC Davis’ Stebbins Cold Canyon and Quail Ridge reserves remained closed today (July 23) due to the nearby Canyon Fire: 64 acres and 65 percent contained as of this morning.
The brush fire started at 1:15 p.m. Monday (July 22) at Highway 128 and Wragg Canyon Road, in Napa County, and covered more than 50 acres by nightfall, by which time the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported 60 percent containment after a heavy attack on the ground (15 engine companies and six hand crews) and from the air (five tankers and three helicopters). Cool temperature and relatively high humidity overnight allowed continued progress on the ground, officials said.
Cal Fire’s 9 a.m. update noted no injuries, and no structures lost or damaged. Authorities on Monday ordered the evacuation of nine homes along Highway 128, and planned to evaluate this afternoon whether to allow the residents to return. The fire’s cause was under investigation.
Nearly one-hundred-fifty personnel were assigned to the fire today, including 10 engine-truck companies and six hand crews, along with three bulldozers and four water tenders, assigned to build and reinforce fire lines, mitigate hazards and douse hot spots.
The fire was burning about three miles southwest of Quail Ridge, a research reserve, and four miles southwest of Stebbins Cold Canyon, which is popular with hikers, at the south end of Lake Berryessa.
Sarah Oktay, director of the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve, said Solano County authorities oversaw the evacuation of a handful of hikers — the only people in the reserve at the time — and kept others from entering the reserve. She reported there were no researchers at Quail Ridge on Monday.
Highway 128 remained closed between Monticello Dam and Wragg Canyon Road, according to Cal Fire, which said it would evaluate whether to reopen the road this afternoon.
Oktay said people are asked to stay off the Stebbins trails until further notice. When the trails reopen, and you're thinking about going for a hike, remember to "always keep an eye on conditions before heading out,” Oktay urged. “High heat, low humidity and wind make for very dangerous conditions in the Coast Ranges.”
The Canyon Fire broke out the same day as the 8,051-acre Wragg Fire of 2015 that burned over the Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve, which remained closed for a year afterward. The fire, caused by a vehicle, burned for 15 days.