NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire just inside the Napa County border is continuing to burn up large amounts of acreage, as fire resources from around the region arrive to help fight it.
The Butts Fire was first reported at 12:08 p.m. off of Butts Canyon Road in Pope Valley, just inside Napa County, as Lake County News has reported.
Initially, the fire was reported to have been about 30 acres, but by 5:30 p.m. reports from the scene indicated it had jumped to some 2,500 acres, with containment at 30 percent.
Evacuations had been ordered from the west side of the 7800 block of Butts Canyon Rd to north of Snell Valley Road and in Berryessa Estates, but for those residents who hadn't left the estates by 5 p.m. they were ordered to shelter in place, according to radio reports.
The Red Cross had set up an evacuation shelter at Middletown High School for Berryessa Estates residents who were able to leave their homes.
Thad Owens, a principal and emergency response coordinator for the Middletown Unified School District, said the Red Cross and school officials are on site with food and water for the evacuees at Middletown High School.
South County Supervisor Jim Comstock left a special Board of Supervisors meeting shortly before 7 p.m. in order to help with the evacuations.
The fire has been burning in a northeast direction. Early Tuesday evening, fire officials at the scene reported that the wind on the fire is starting to shift and come from the north.
Additional strike teams from around the region are responding, as well as tankers and air resources, based on radio reports. Some of the strike teams were being assigned to structure protection.
Butts Canyon Road remains closed at Highway 29 near Middletown, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Additional details will be posted as they become available.
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