Napa Homeowner Skips Evacuation To Defend Property From Advancing Wildfire
NAPA (KPIX 5) -- Napa was a city under siege Thursday afternoon, sandwiched between mountains ablaze. Flames from the Patrick Fire threatened Napa hillside homes like that belonging to Robert Fate Jr.
But Fate and his son vowed they would not give up and abandon their home to ... fate.
"I'm not leaving. This is our home, generations here. We're not leaving," Fate said tearfully.
Fire crews from Pasadena and Alhambra set up on the Fate property, determined to save it. They said the space the Fates cleared surrounding their home makes the battle worth fighting.
"We cut all the trees down -- these were cedars," Fate said. "We just cut them."
The Fates have everything important packed in a truck, ready to leave but they are one of the very few families still remaining. Many of their neighbors who evacuated attended a community meeting at Napa High School Thursday afternoon to get the latest updates.
Elsewhere in Napa County some people who had to escape the Atlas Fire four nights ago are being allowed to go home. Some houses below Atlas Peak are gone while others are still standing and returning residents feel relief mixed with sadness for neighbors who were not so lucky.
