Cold Fire Grows Rapidly, Forces Evacuations Near Lake Berryessa

WINTERS, Calif. (CBS13) – The Cold Fire has burned more than 1,700 acres in just over five hours and it's still zero percent contained. Cal Fire has been working with 500 firefighters from all over the area to try to get it contained, including Caltrans and California Highway Patrol.

"I saw the fire coming over the hill here so I'm just leaving," said Ron Scharton, was staying at the Cold Canyon Resort.

The flames raged across the hills for hours on the north side of Highway 128. It started as a brush fire just before 5 o'clock and quickly consumed acres of brush and grass.

"There's fires all over the state right now so we're trying to get resources as fast as we can to get here, " said Russell West, Fire Captain for Calfire. "The drought's not helping and everything is tinder dry out now so it's not helping with the fire spread."

On the other side of the hill, Rich Lokey spent the evening enjoying family time at Canyon Creek Resort.

"Pretty safe area here, green grass, a lot of clearings and stuff so if it gets close, we'll leave," Lokey said.

Marissa Marcotte lives in Livermore but rushed up to Winters when she heard about the fire.

"Our friends called us and they're at their honeymoon and they said there was a fire at their ranch," she said. "So me and five other of us drove up here to get all of their trucks and trailers and horses and try to get the cows moved somewhere safe."

Over at Canyon Creek, Will Moss hoped the flames would stay at the ridge and not make their way down the mountain.

"Ah, I'm a little worried that it's going to come down here but hopefully it doesn't," he said.

An eight-mile stretch of Highway 128 is still blocked off from Pleasant Valleys Road to Markley Cove Resort.