The CalFire Lake/Napa Unit says the Picket Fire is 5% contained as it continues to burn over 2,100 acres near Calistoga. A priority on Friday has been the dozer work on the right flank, an area that’s seen active fire. Cal Fire says the 15 assigned dozers are establishing control lines and providing access. They are being supported by aerial firefighting operations to tie in the control lines from Rattlesnake Ridge, wrapping around to Sugarloaf Mountain to protect communities that lie further to the east. Several areas are under evacuation orders in the northwest corner of Napa County, a few miles south of the Lake County line and west of Lake Berryessa. At least 435 personnel are on the scene> the fire started Thursday afternoon. It is one of the biggest in the region so far this season.
The crews near Calistoga are dealing with high heat that is blanketing interior communities. Highs could top 100 Saturday with the National Weather Service heat advisory in effect until 11 PM tomorrow for interior parts of Mendocino County and Lake County. The good news about the fire risk is that while humidity remains low, forecasters expect only light winds and little risk of lightning through early next week.
It’s pear harvest season, and some students in Lake County have had a chance to see how it’s done. They took part in the AgVenture Program, put on by the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture. The students with an interest in agriculture got a comprehensive look at how pears get to market at the Panella Orchards and at the Scully Packing Company in Finley. Organizers say that for most of the participants, it was the first time to see the full scope of the pear market and what pear farming involves. Next up–in September, the AgVenture program will lead a group into the vineyards for a close-up of the Lake County wine grape industry.
