Valley crew called to Napa blaze

Four Kenwood firefighters were among the more than 1,500 battling a wildfire near St. Helena that consumed 300 acres before being contained Sunday morning.
“When our engine got there, we were immediately assigned to a structure in front of the fire,” Kenwood 0fire Capt. Daren Bellach said Monday. “After that, we were  immediately assigned to assist a hose-lay going along the head of the fire.”
Bellach, along with firefighters Will Darr, Jack Ayers and Matt Clawson, left Kenwood Friday at 5:30 p.m. for the so-called “Deer Fire,” which had begun 45 minutes earlier after a vehicle struck a rock as it left the roadway in the community of Deer Park, according to Cal Fire officials. The vehicle’s driver attempted to suppress the spark-lit fire but was unable to keep it from spreading.
The wind-whipped blaze burned through heavy brush and rough, steep terrain, destroying one home and two other buildings. Two minor injuries were reported. The incident drew agencies from all over California. Calmer winds and higher humidity on Saturday helped with containment efforts. Kenwood’s engine returned to quarters at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Deer Fire was the fifth California wildfire this season that summoned help from Sonoma Valley’s fire departments, including the Summit Fire in May near Santa Cruz, a Butte County fire in mid-June, and the Telegraph Fire near Yosemite in late July. Crews also spent nearly a month fighting a series of lightning-struck fires from late June to mid-July.