SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — A wildfire that sparked Tuesday on the outskirts of California's Wine Country has doubled in size over the last 24 hours and is threatening to spread west into Sonoma and Napa counties.
The Cold Fire ignited Tuesday afternoon near the Yolo-Solano county line and quickly spread to more than 4,700 acres by Thursday.
Officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the wildfire was 15 percent contained Thursday morning with more than 600 firefighters battling the wind-driven blaze.
The fire is burning on the southeastern shore of Lake Berryessa in steep, dry terrain that was charred last year by the 8,000-acre Wragg Fire. The fire is approximately 40 miles west of Sacramento and 25 miles northeast of Napa.
Campgrounds have been evacuated and a stretch of Highway 128 has been closed. The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to officials.
The blaze is churning through drought-ridden oak woodlands and is being fueled by strong south winds streaming in from the San Francisco Bay. Firefighters are struggling with limited access to the wildfire and are relying on six air tankers and eight helicopters to slow its advance.
Cal Fire crews are also battling a monstrous wildfire in Monterey County, near Big Sur. The Soberanes Fire has burned more than 51,000 acres and was just 27 percent contained Thursday morning.
Officials say the massive wildfire was sparked July 22 by an unattended illegal campfire and has now destroyed 57 homes and killed a bulldozer operator. A state of emergency was declared last week, and hundreds remain evacuated.
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