6:24 p.m. - Cal Fire reports the Jerusalem Fire has grown to 20,500 acres in Lake and Napa Counties. Containment has moved to 16 percent. The neighboring Rocky Fire is now 95 percent contained and 69,636 acres burned.
8:20 a.m. - The Jerusalem Fire has now scorched 16,500 acres. It's just 6 percent contained.
Mike Yeun is with Cal Fire. He says the fire has lots of dry fuel.
"We're talking about a lot of different types of brush and fuels,' he says. "We have the light flashy fuels as well as the medium and heavy timber and heavy brush that we're dealing with as well."
Even though crews are transitioning from the Rocky Fire to the new fire, Yeun says they're up for it. Fire crews are steering the fire away from populated areas and structures.
Mandatory Evacuations are in place for the Jerusalem Valley area east of Spruce Grove. This includes Tinilyn Road, Nicholas Way, Jaclyn Road, June Bug Drive, Jerusalem Grade, Jerusalem Valley Road, Jerusalem Road, W Jerusalem Road, Canyon Road, Coon Flat Road, Daly Place and Morgan Valley Road from the Reiff Road intersection east to the Napa County Line and Reiff Road from the Morgan Valley Road intersection east to the Yolo County Line.
7:15 a.m. - The Jerusalem Fire has grown to 16,500 acres in Lake and Napa Counties.
"The weather had been cooperative the last couple of days. It still had been in the high 80s, low 90s in the temperatures," says Mike Yeun with Cal Fire. "But we expect temperatures to rise in the next several days into the weekend."
The blaze is six percent contained. It's been tough to get firefighters where they need to be.
"There's a lot of access problems," says Yeun. "There's not very many roads that lead to the fire's edge, which presents problems for our ground troops."
More than 100 people have been evacuated and about 50 homes are still threatened.
6 a.m. - The Jerusalem Fire remains mostly uncontained in Lake and Napa Counties. It has grown to 16,500 acres Wednesday.
Mike Yeun is with Cal Fire. He says firefighters are playing defense until they can steer the fire away from populated areas.
"The biggest thing right now is to stop the forward progress or move the fire away from structures," says Yeun. "We're trying to, again, minimize the damage."
Cal Fire is moving ground crews from the Rocky Fire to the Jerusalem Fire.
"We're making sure that fatigue level does not impede in their safety procedures and their personal safety," says Yeun.
About 151 people have been evacuated.
-Capital Public Radio Staff
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