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Winters Fire Spreads Rapidly, Puts Yolo County Homeowners On Edge

YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) — A wildfire grew to more than 1,000 acres on Thursday, prompting evacuations and putting firefighters to work on fire lines throughout the night.

More than 500 firefighters and personnel are trying to get a perimeter around the fast-moving fire, but containment thus far is minimal.

The fire is burning along Highway 128, three miles southwest of Winters. Mandatory evacuation orders were put in place for Positas and Pleasant View roads near Highway 21 and Golden Bear Estates.

From the air to the ground, the Winters Fire fight escalated quickly. The cause is under investigation, but may be related to a blown tire.

The flames moved along the mountain ridge, torching dry grass.

"With the rains and so on, we've had a significant grass crop increase," said Jeff Johnson with Cal Fire. "We've had a significant wind increase, which caused the fire to accelerate and grow."

Michelle Noren at Berryessa Brewing Company said she was concerned driving into work, about a mile from the flames and smoke. Her sister was one of the people evacuated.

"She does have some horses. You have to load those all up, figure out where to put them."

For much of the day, the business stayed open, but everyone kept a close eye on where the smoke was going. As it pushes away from homes and businesses, crews will be working through the night to try and contain it.

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