Crews battle Calistoga brush fire through the night
Many Calistoga residents watched in wonder as helicopters and air tankers dropped water and fire retardant.
CAL FIRE says as of 11:15 p.m., 2,131 acres have burned with 0% containment. A total of 350 personnel will be working through the night to battle the blaze.
"It's pretty scary. You don't know how big it's gonna get," said Amanda Mcwane, who is relatively newer to Calistoga but dealt with fires for years as a long-time Napa resident. "Today I woke up and it seemed like a normal day."
Mcwane said she knows the firefighters are working hard in difficult conditions.
"Zero visibility I'm sure," Mcwane commented as she watched a helicopter continue dropping water.
"Grateful, thankful," said Valentin Nava of the firefighters too. Nava works in downtown Calistoga at a distillery and said his employer shut down early because of the fire. "Fire does affect a lot when they do happen."
One group of tourists from Michigan were disappointed, as they flew out here to celebrate a 40th birthday.
"Very depressing," said Roupan Kechichian. "We don't like the whole situation and what's happening."
Kechician's friend Ani Broglin hopes they can keep their Friday plans.
"Tomorrow we have wineries booked in Calistoga. They're telling us it's ok. We'll see," said Broglin. "We've had bad luck in California."
Derek Webb, owner of Triple S Ranch, has seen plenty of wildfires over the decades. He said he's seen a more aggressive CAL FIRE approach over the years.
What I've noticed is how quickly they're on these things," said Webb. "CAL FIRES - if you look at the fires they put out, it is remarkable."
Webb said he'll be paying attention to weather conditions, especially the wind.
"I personally think it's something we have to live with, manage. We just need to do a better job managing," said Webb. "My message to everybody is fire is just part of life."
