Crews battlinga wildfire raging through California wine countrysaid a window of favorable weather conditions was aiding 2,000 firefighters gain ground in the struggle to protect hundreds of homes and businesses. The Pickett Fire in Napa County, about 55 miles north of San Francisco, was 21% contained late on Aug. 26, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection − Cal Fire. Humidity was rising and winds were decreasing, but those winds may pick up Aug. 27, Cal Fire warned in the update. The fire is one of many racing through California, Washington and Oregon amid a heat wave gripping the West. High temperatures, dry winds and low humidity have increased the frequency and growth of wildfires, according to theU.S. Forest Service. In Napa County, more than 10 square miles have burned and hundreds of residents have evacuated since the fire ignited Aug. 21. County officials issued a local health emergency "in response to imminent environmental threats to safe water supplies and hazardous waste and materials created from the ongoing Pickett Fire." Almost 300 homes, businesses and other structures were threatened. It was unclear whether any had been damaged as of late Tuesday. "Large stands of dead timber are contributing to persistent interior burning and heat along the fire's edge," Cal Fire said. "Damage inspection teams are working to identify structures that have been impacted by fire." In Colorado, the Lee Fire burning on the state's Western Slope has grown and burned more than 215 square miles. The fire, one of the top five largest in state history, was 90% contained. Colorado is suffering through its worst fire season in several years. Gov. Jared Polis signed anexecutive ordertwo weeks ago declaring a disaster emergency in Colorado because of critical fire weather conditions fueling multiple fires. Some relief from the heat is in sight. Temperatures will be above average again Aug. 27, but a new weather system and increased cloud cover will ease the heat wave in the Northwest, the National Weather Service said. A respite is also coming for the northern, interior mountain West − although relatively warm overnight temperatures in the 60s to lower 70s should persist through the night Aug. 27. Evacuation ordered:Pickett Fire engulfs more than 6,800 acres The U.S. isn't alone in combatting severe wildfires this year. In Canada, the National Wildland Fire Situation Report says the number of fires is about average for this time of year − but the area burned to date is "significantly more than the 10-year average." Wildfires have burned more than a 4,000 square miles of land in the European Union this year so far, the most since official records began in 2006, EU data showed. The area ravaged by blazes as of Tuesday is bigger than Cyprus, and higher than the total in any year on record, data by the EU's European Forest Fire Information System showed. The previous record was in 2017, when the area burned by wildfires was around 3,850 square miles. Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Firefighters battle wildfire racing through California wine country
