Valley fire 100 percent contained, but mop-up work still to be done

The Valley fire, a destructive inferno that killed four people and scorched almost 120 square miles in Lake, Sonoma and Napa counties, was declared 100 percent contained Tuesday, Cal Fire officials said.

“It’s a huge relief,” said Capt. Joe Fletcher, a spokesman for the state firefighting agency.

But lingering flames from the blaze that erupted Sept. 12 on Cobb Mountain are not fully extinguished, nor is Cal Fire’s work by any means complete, he said.

The 76,067-acre fire is fully contained, but mop-up operations will continue for several weeks.

Officials are “reasonably confident” that the fire “will not pick up again,” Fletcher said. Helicopters are patrolling the area and crews are covering it by foot looking for hot spots, he said.

Crews are using multiple senses, looking for smoke, listening for the telltale crackling of flames, feeling for heat below ground and determining the difference between smoldering and outright burning material by smell, Fletcher said.

Fire sometimes burns underground, cropping up in an area that previously appeared clear of flames, he said.

About 250 people were engaged on Tuesday, Cal Fire said. At the fire’s peak, more than 4,000 people were involved.

Nor is Cal Fire’s work done when a wildfire is dead, Fletcher said, as landscape restoration work continues for months and possibly years.

The Valley fire, which destroyed 1,958 structures, including 1,280 homes and 27 multifamily structures, is the third most damaging wildland blaze in California history.

Four firefighters were hospitalized with severe burns sustained in the initial hour of the blaze.