Monday, October 13, 2008

Car started Napa Valley fire



A wildfire that tore through 300 acres of Napa Valley and destroyed a home was caused by the simple act of a car turning onto the shoulder of a road, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Sunday.

On the shoulder, the car's undercarriage struck rocks, making sparks which ignited a fire just off Deer Park Road, said Cal Fire spokeswoman Suzie Blankenship. The driver, who was not publicly identified, tried to put out the fire, but the dry brush made it impossible.

"It got very big very quickly," Blankenship said of the incident, which began at around 4:45 p.m. Friday. Blankenship said the fire's origin was just west of a portion of Deer Park Road dubbed "the Devil's Elbow" because of its hairpin turn.

"It must have earned its name," she said.

The fire was contained at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and is expected to be under control with no hotspots by this morning. - sfgate

Always keep a good fire extinguisher in your car. Two if possible.

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