Glass Fire evacuations lifted, threat continues

CALISTOGA, Calif. (KGO/NBC) – Residents of Calistoga, California are back home after a wildfire forced them to evacuate last week.

Evacuation orders have been lifted as the containment of the glass fire grew to 30%.

Kitchen staff at the Hydro Grill in Calistoga are cooking again after a long week of being shut down.

The town was evacuated a week ago due to the approaching Glass fire.

Hydro Grill owner Gayle Keller said this homecoming is bittersweet because so many in the valley have lost everything. She said, “We’re happy to be back, we have a house and a business and some people don’t, it breaks my heart.”

The town is slowly repopulating, coming back to life.

Calistoga resident Ana Estrada, who is now back home, said, “Can’t wait to have everything set up and rest at home.”

Jacapo Parisi showed us where the spotted flames last week, he’s happy to find his home, just as he left it. “We’re happy to see our small town safe, thanks to firefighters doing a hard job whole week,” Parisi said.

Meanwhile, northeast of Calistoga, the Glass Fire may be making its last stand off Highway 29. CAL FIRE choppers are still dousing hot spots as the fire pushes towards Lake County, fueled by dry brush.

Evacuation orders are still holding, but Xitalaly Vazquez has decided to stay, saying, “It looks like things are better, still burning to the east, still in danger.”

But cooler weather conditions this week soon help firefighters.

Tom bird, Cal FIRE incident meteorologist, said, “With a pretty high degree of confidence, we can say that we have passed the peak of the most extreme condition that we’ve seen across the fire since its initiation.”

Many are giving firefighters a lot of thanks.

Vazquez said, “This is our seventh evacuation since 2015, we’ve been saved every time, so thank you!”

Some Calistoga residents have lost their homes in the fire.

An investigation is still underway into what started the fire, which has burned more than 65,000 acres.

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