#BREAKING: #PutahFire north wind is bringing smoke in from fire burning near Lake Berryessa. You smelling it? pic.twitter.com/cheXdKQzRR
— Sandhya Patel (@SandhyaABC7) October 4, 2013
Were you one of those people last night who, rather than going in search of news yourself, simply took to Twitter to complain that San Francisco smelled like a campfire? If so, you were certainly not alone! Lots of people did. It's fine. Don't be embarrassed. Anyhow, the mesquite smell was not, as several people and SFFD fire fighters thought, coming from burning buildings in Nob Hill, the Mission, Alamo Square, or anywhere else in the city. Rather, it was smoke from a wildfire raging in Napa County blown south by 20-50 mph winds.
The "Putah Fire," as authorities are calling it, broke out near Lake Berryessa around 8:30 p.m. last night, burning around 750 acres and offending many San Franciscans' delicate olfactory sense in the process.
Why does the whole of San Francisco smell like bonfire tonight?
— Christopher D. Lewis (@NewHarpsichord) October 4, 2013
I can smell it at Alamo Sq/Divis #SF #DoYouSmellSmoke
— SF Bud (@SF_Bud) October 4, 2013
It smells smokey at the embarcadero and I know because I'M STILL HERE
— miche (@michesf) October 4, 2013
As of this morning, Cal Fire crews say the blaze was 75% contained. They hope to have the whole business snuffed out by Friday evening.
