Firefighters continue to strengthen lines around County fire in Yolo, Napa counties

One day after the Pawnee fire in Lake County was completely contained, another small blaze ignited nearby Monday, though it was halfway under control within a few hours.

The new fire was reported at 4:46 p.m. in the area of New Long Valley Road and Spring Valley Road northeast of Clearlake, said Cal Fire spokesman Will Powers.

The fire had consumed 80 acres of vegetation and moved into the Pawnee burn area, though firefighters were able to stop forward progress and had already reached 50 percent containment, Powers said Monday evening.

“It just bumped into the Pawnee burn,” he said. “The Pawnee kind of helped it stop.”

No evacuations were ordered and no structures were damaged or threatened, Powers said. The cause is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, the County fire in Yolo and Napa counties now is 75 percent contained as an army of firefighters continues to battle the huge blaze.

Flames have scorched 90,288 acres during the 10-day-old fire, which is burning north and east of Lake Berryessa. On Monday, crews continued strengthening control lines while mopping up stands of brush still burning inside the fire’s perimeter.

Temperatures Monday approached 100 degrees in some of the fire areas.

Mandatory evacuations remained in place for residents west of Highway 16 to Berryessa Knoxville Road, south of Old County Road 40 and north of County Road 53. Also, west of Highway 16 to the Yolo-Lake county line and north of County Road 40 and south of the Yolo County line.

Evacuations have been lifted along the eastern shore of Lake Berryessa, east to the Napa-Yolo county line, north of Highway 128 and south of the intersection of East Side Road and Knoxville Berryessa Road.

The fire started on June 30 near the Yolo County town of Guinda.

The fire has destroyed 20 structures, damaged three and still threatens almost 100.

The County fire is the largest of more than a dozen wildland blazes burning in California from the Oregon border to San Diego.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport. You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @thejdmorris.