Large wildfire breaks out in rural Yolo County

Firefighters are battling a large wildland fire that broke out Saturday afternoon along Highway 16 near the rural community of Guinda in Yolo County, a Cal Fire official said.

Smoke from the so-called County fire was visible in Sonoma County, Cal Fire Capt. Kamron Gangbin said.

“We’re sending a lot of units that way,” he said. Official reports had the fire at up to 4,000 acres and growing, with no containment.

Cal Fire said 38 engines, eight water tenders, 12 helicopters, nine air tankers, seven bulldozers and 10 hand crews were battling the blaze.

The County fire, initialy called the Guinda fire, was burning south of Guinda near County Road 63 about seven miles north of Cache Creek Casino. Some structures are threatened but none have burned, Gangbin said.

The blaze was driven by red flag weather conditions of high temperature, gusting winds and low humidity, Cal Fire said.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect between County Road 63 and County Road 76, west of Highway 16, plus the Murphy Ranch area. An evacuation center was set up at Rumsey Grange Hall off Highway 16.

The new blaze comes as the Pawnee fire in nearby Lake County has flared up, prompting an evacuation order affecting about 200 residents of the Double Eagle Ranch subdivision. Those residents had just been allowed to return on Thursday.

Check back here for more details on the County fire in Yolo County. For updates on the Pawnee fire, please see the separate story on that fire.

--Guy Kovner