Wildfire at Lake Berryessa burns at least 6 structures, triggers Napa County evacuation orders

A 150-acre wildfire that broke out on the south shore of Lake Berryessa in Napa County Saturday had destroyed at least six structures and forced residents of a tightly-packed rural subdivision to flee, Cal Fire officials said.

Napa County sheriff’s officials started issuing mandatory evacuations at about 5 p.m. for ?Berryessa Highlands, an unincorporated community of about 200 homes on Lake Berryessa’s south shore.

A resident first reported the fire just before 4:30 p.m. off Steele Canyon Road, Cal Fire Division Chief Mike Wilson said.

The terrain is steep with homes built along the ridgeline and there is “one way in and one way out,” Wilson said.

Cal Fire quickly deployed four air tankers and two helicopters to help ground crews battle the flames, Wilson said. By 7 p.m., there were 20 engines, eight hand crews and two bulldozers battling the fire.

“We basically have the same strategy for every fire: Heavy ground and air resources just to give it the most aggressive attack possible - and this was no different,” Wilson said. “They added a lot of resources early on because it’s so heavily populated.”

There were no reports of injuries.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter @jjpressdem.