A fast-moving grass fire tore through a rural property near Napa Road and Hyde Road in unincorporated Sonoma County on Saturday, destroying two large barns, several motorcycles and vehicles, and burning into the attic of a nearby home before crews stopped its spread. Multiple firefighters were injured battling the blaze, and California Highway Patrol shut down Napa Road for about four hours as crews worked the scene.
The Schell-Vista Fire Protection District responded to the report at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to The Press Democrat. What began as a vegetation fire quickly extended to nearby structures, Chief Mike Mulas said, and the flames ultimately consumed roughly 1.3 acres. Crews managed to defend the rest of the threatened home even as the barns and their contents, including several motorcycles, vehicle parts and other equipment, were destroyed.
Containment came quickly. Per WatchDuty incident tracking, the fire reached 85% containment by about 1:31 p.m. and was declared fully contained roughly twenty minutes later, at 1:52 p.m. Even after containment, fire units stayed on scene, patrolling the property until about 10 p.m. Saturday night as a precaution. The blaze burned at the property.
Firefighters Hospitalized, Then Released
The report notes multiple firefighters were injured while working the incident. All were released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon, and as of Sunday the cause of the Hyde Fire remained under investigation.
The response fell to a district with deep roots in the area. Schell-Vista traces its history to a volunteer fire department started by local ranchers in 1942, formally becoming the Schell-Vista Fire Protection District in 1955. Today the district covers roughly 100 square miles of unincorporated southeastern Sonoma County and serves about 4,500 residents, running a 24/7 staffed headquarters on Broadway in Sonoma along with an unstaffed station on East Napa Street that together field approximately 800 calls for service a year, according to the district's own records.
A Family Legacy in Local Firefighting
Assistant Chief Mulas comes from a family long tied to fire protection in the south Sonoma Valley. His father, Mitch Mulas, served as Schell-Vista's fire chief for more than 40 years after co-founding the district, according to a report from CBS San Francisco. That continuity has shaped how the district operates today, which includes career staffing. Voters approved a fire assessment in November 2018.
Saturday's fire also occurred as other fire activity was being reported in the region. Fire-status updates also referenced the Lucas Fire.
Napa Road's History of Closures
The four-hour shutdown of Napa Road came months after a fatal crash on the road. Hoodline previously reported on a fatal Napa Road crash in June that prompted warnings of delays and detours, but Napa Road was not fully shut down.
Rural fires have also been part of Schell-Vista's work. Saturday's fire was smaller in acreage but still involved structure defense and firefighter injuries.
