'Final update': Deadly California wildfire contained
US News
‘Final update’: Deadly California wildfire contained
A massive California wildfire that left four people dead and four firefighters injured was fully contained late on Wednesday, nearly a month after the destructive blaze broke out north of San Francisco. The so-called Valley Fire that began Sept. 12 destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and buildings as it ripped through drought-parched timber across Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. The fire, along with another conflagration nearby, the Butte Fire, blackened more than 145,000 acres. By late Wednesday, containment of the Valley Fire — a measure of how much of its perimeter has been enclosed within buffer lines carved through vegetation by ground crews — was at 100 percent and Cal Fire had issued its “final” update on the blaze.
Helicopters may be operating over the fire area as part of the mop-up operation. Firefighters continue to improve existing lines and mopping up hot spots across the fire area.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
The current fire season has been especially intense, as California struggles through its fourth year of a crippling drought that has left forestland exceedingly dry and easy kindling for a blaze. Fire officials say the Valley Fire was the third most destructive in the state’s history.
