July 23--A fast-moving wildfire continued to grow near Napa Valley on Thursday as hundreds of firefighters swarmed the region to help.
The Wragg fire has chewed through 6,710 acres of drought-parched grass and brush in the rugged, steep terrain near Lake Berryessa, where erratic winds have driven the fire's spread and kept firefighters on the defensive.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the blaze was 5% contained Thursday afternoon. It has grown by at least 1,700 acres since Wednesday as the force battling it has swelled from 500 firefighters to 1,300.
"The fire has remained ... at a rapid rate of spread," Cal Fire said in a news release. "The terrain is brush-covered, rugged and steep, with difficult access. Winds are erratic."
The blaze first broke out about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday near Highway 128 and Greaves Road, Cal Fire said.
Flames spread swiftly through the steep, rugged terrain near the borders of Napa, Solano and Yolo counties, Cal Fire officials said.
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Evacuations were ordered for Cold Canyon, Mix Canyon and Quail Ridge. Three hikers in Cold Canyon were rescued, said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. Campers in the Canyon Creek and Lake Solano campgrounds were also evacuated, officials said.
About 200 structures are threatened in the Quail Ridge Community, Calfire reported. The Red Cross has opened an evacuation center.
The blaze prompted a closure of Highway 128 and Wragg Canyon, according to the state fire agency.
A vehicle collision was initially believed to have sparked the fire but the exact cause remains under investigation, Berlant said.
The Red Cross opened a shelter for evacuees at the Winters Community Center in Winters, Calif.
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UPDATE
2:19 a.m.: This article was updated with new acreage-burned numbers as well as updated numbers of firefighters battling the fire.
The first version of this article was published at 7:12 a.m.
