SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ The Cold Fire grew about 500 acres overnight as fire officials anxiously look forward to whether Wednesday afternoon winds will push the wildland blaze into more tinder dry oak woodland west of Winters, Calif.
"It looked good during the course of the night," said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean. "The winds that were predicted did not materialize overnight. But we are looking at strong winds coming up this afternoon."
Cal Fire roughly estimated that the fire had burned 2,200 acres as of Wednesday morning. The fire was 5 percent contained.
The Cold Fire prompted evacuation of a campground and residential area of about three dozen homes in the dry grassy slopes of western Yolo County. It started about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday off Highway 128, west of Pleasant Valley Road.
The fire is being fought in steep, remote terrain. Crews are hampered by a lack of roads.
About 50 engine crews are fighting the blaze in grass and oak woodland. Helicopters dropping big buckets of water and airplanes with fire retardant will attempt to keep the fire in check on Wednesday, McLean said.
Meanwhile, Cal Fire will attempt to get hand crews in to cut lines in order to slow the march of the blaze.
"The issues at hand are the topography and terrain," said McLean. "It is difficult access. It is so steep. The hand crews have to unload and hike quite a way in and that takes a long time, as you can imagine. The engine crews are following the bulldozers cutting line but they can only go so far as well."
No structures have been reported burned. The cause is under investigation.
McLean said the fire is burning in a remote area that sits roughly between the 8,000 acres burned by the Wragg Fire in July and August 2015 and the 6,500 acres blackened by the Monticello Fire in July 2014.
Both fires were near Lake Berryessa. The Monticello Fire was in Yolo County; the Wragg Fire burned in Napa and Solano counties.
Evacuations were in effect for Canyon Creek Resort off Highway 128 and Golden Bear Estates, a residential area off County Road 34.
