Cal Fire releases tally of destroyed Napa County homes

The lightning-ignited Hennessey Fire destroyed 254 single-family homes in Napa County, Calif., making it one of the most destructive in county history, Cal Fire reported Tuesday.

This was the most structural devastation since the fires of October 2017 that destroyed 655 rural houses in the county.

Another 35 homes were damaged by the Hennessey Fire, as well as five commercial buildings and 96 other minor structures destroyed, Cal Fire said.

The Hennessey Fire — an amalgam of numerous blazes started by lightning on Aug. 17 — has burned 317,909 acres in Napa and four surrounding counties, with 68% containment as of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire said. Road closures and mandatory evacuations remain in effect in some areas near Lake Berryessa.

The fast-moving fire killed a family of three on their property near Lake Berryessa and two residents of Solano County. On Tuesday, the Napa County Coroner's Office confirmed their identities: Mary Kathryn Hintemeyer, 70, Leo Thomas McDermott, 71, and Thomas Leo McDermott, 40.

The Hennessey Fire destroyed the most homes — 280 — in Solano County when it shot into a Vacaville residential area. Another eight homes were burned to the ground in Lake County and four in Yolo County.

Cal Fire said Napa County expects moderate smoke harm on Tuesday and Wednesday, with periods of clearing.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District extended its Spare the Air alert for the Bay Area through Thursday.

Tribune Content Agency
Natural disasters Distressed Real estate California
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