Pickett Fire Now 11 Percent Contained With 5,863 Acres Impacted: Officials

CALISTOGA, CA — The Pickett Fire in California's Napa Valley grew to 5,863 acres as of Saturday evening, with new evacuation orders in place as crews continued to battle the massive blaze.

Also, as of Saturday at about 7 p.m., CAL Fire officials said the fire was now at 11 percent containment.

The blaze began near Calistoga on Thursday afternoon before making a strong push east, going from the Pickett Lane area down onto the Napa Valley floor and into the Aetna Spring side of Pope Valley. Shortly after, evacuation orders and warnings were issued for many residents in the Calistoga area.

"Overnight, the Pickett Fire challenged primary control lines with slope-driven runs and short-range spotting; however, crews successfully held the fire within established contingency lines," CAL Fire said in Saturday morning's update. "Support from three night-flying helicopters was critical in assisting ground crews to maintain those boundaries."

As of Saturday morning, more than 1,200 personnel had been assigned to battle the blaze. Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state were also flying fire suppression missions as conditions allowed, officials said.

According to CAL Fire, crews on Saturday planned to focus on strengthening control lines along the fire's right flank near Friesen Drive and right shoulder towards Ink Grade to prevent further spread in that direction.

Currently, no injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged or destroyed, officials said. The blaze threatened wineries in the area, according to numerous reports.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, officials issued new evacuation orders for the following areas:

• POP-E001B- South of James Creek, West of Pope Valley Road
• NPA E121C- Upper third of Dutch Henry Canyon Road
• NPA E122B- North of Friesen Drive

Evacuation orders remain in place for zones NPA E115, E120, E114 and E121-B. Warnings still in place include zones NPA-E122A, POP-E001A, NPA-E107, E121-A, E122, POP-E002-B and ANG-E001.

Find your zone here.

Evacuees may go to Crosswalk Community Church, located at 2590 1st St. in Napa. Small animals are welcome. For large animals, please contact Napa CART (Community Animal Response Team) at 707-200-6555 or info@napacart.org.

On Friday, Napa County also issued a health advisory for residents due to smoke from the Pickett Fire.

"Currently, air quality in and around the City of Calistoga and in the Pope Valley and Howell Mountain areas is likely to reach unhealthy levels," county officials said. "If you can see, taste or feel smoke, you should immediately minimize outdoor activities. This is especially important if you have health concerns, are elderly, are pregnant, have a child in your care, or are part of another higher-risk group."