Napa County declared a local emergency as the Pickett Fire expanded to 6,803 acres with 13% containment and threatened more than 600 structures. The proclamation, pending gubernatorial approval, enables access to state and federal resources for response, recovery, mitigation and cost reimbursement. Evacuation orders covered nine zones with additional warning areas and some advisories lifted. Schools in affected communities faced closures or restricted activities due to air quality concerns. More than 2,000 personnel and extensive equipment were deployed to reinforce containment lines, cut control paths and work in steep, hard-to-reach terrain.
County CEO and Director of Emergency Services Ryan Alsop signed the proclamation Sunday, citing danger to rural areas including unincorporated parts of Calistoga, Pope Valley, Aetna Springs and Angwin, according to a county news release. The declaration, which still requires approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom, allows the county to tap state and federal resources for emergency response, recovery, damage mitigation and reimbursement for extra costs due to the wildfire.
Howell Mountain Elementary in Angwin closed for the day, though officials expect to reopen Tuesday for its roughly 90 students. In nearby Pope Valley, about 30 students returned to class under close watch of air quality monitors, with outdoor activities restricted. Evacuation orders remained in nine zones across the fire's footprint, stretching from Calistoga near Silverado Trail and Pickett Road northeast through the Palisades and Swartz canyons to Pope Valley Road. Six nearby zones were still under warning, though the advisory for Angwin was lifted.
By Monday, the fire's impacts had stretched into daily life across Napa County's northern reaches. On the fire line, more than 2,000 personnel with 227 engines, 23 water tenders, 10 helicopters, 67 bulldozers and 53 hand crews pressed into steep terrain to shore up containment. Crews cut fresh paths into hard-to-reach canyons and reinforced old dozer lines carved during the 2020 Glass Fire and later expanded through partnerships with local Firew
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