California wildfires: Firefighters ‘confident’ despite growth of Pickett Fire

The Pickett Fire in Napa County, Calif., has grown to more than 10 square miles (26 square kilometres) and was 11 per cent contained as of early Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. About 190 people were ordered to leave their homes, while another 360 were under evacuation warnings as the fire threatened about 500 structures near Aetna Springs and Pope Valley, said Jason Clay, spokesperson for Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. “We had about 1,800 acres of growth yesterday. A lot of that growth was actually beneficial for our firefighting… today will be our turn day where we’ll cut this head of this fire,” said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Jeremy Pierce. Pierce added that they’re “confident” in their plan.

• Wildfires in California and Oregon grow, prompting evacuation orders