Wildfire Scorches Over 6 Square Miles; Hundreds Flee Homes, Napa County, California

A rapidly-expanding wildfire, near the popular tourism area of Napa Valley, California, has burned nearly 6 square miles and has forced the evacuation of 200 homes.

By Thursday afternoon, the Butts Fire in remote Pope Valley grew to 4,300 acres from 3,800 acres according to Cal Fire. Authorities said none of Napa Valley’s major wine vineyards are threatened by the fire.

More than 1,000 firefighters battled the blaze, which was 30 percent contained by Thursday afternoon, officials said. More firefighters arrived from Alameda to help fight the blaze on Thursday morning. 

The fire started in vegetation just around noon Tuesday in Butts Canyon and grew rapidly into Tuesday night, according to NBC Bay Area.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for about 200 homes on the west side of 7800 block of Butts Canyon Road north to Snell Valley Road, according to Cal Fire. People in the Berryessa Estates subdivision have also been ordered to leave.

The wildfire is 30 percent contained, according to Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is unknown.

Video from CBS San Francisco appeared to show burned buildings. The fire has damaged one home and nine other structures, according to KTVU. In addition to the mandatory evacuations, another 180 homes were threatened.

Temperatures in the 90s were expected Thursday. The fire exploded because of dry conditions across the state, Berlant said.

Gov. Jerry Brown said he has secured federal funds to help fire departments cover the cost of battling the blaze.