NAPA, CA — A commercial vehicle fire at a local propane supply business quickly escalated on Thursday afternoon, June 11, 2026, spreading to nearby brush, forcing major highway closures, and triggering emergency protocol to prevent a massive explosion.

Emergency crews raced to the scene as multiple pressurized propane tanks began "off-gassing," threatening a highly volatile breach in the heart of Napa County's commercial district.

The blaze broke out around 3:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Devlin Road, directly adjacent to a local gas station. According to Erick Hernandez, deputy fire marshal for the Napa County Fire Department, a commercial vehicle caught fire on the property, and the flames rapidly spread to nearby dry vegetation.

The situation quickly grew dangerous as the intense heat compromised the integrity of the property's storage facilities. "Multiple propane tanks started off-gassing," Hernandez reported, explaining that the tanks began releasing highly flammable pressurized gas as a built-in safety mechanism to relieve extreme internal pressure. Firefighters had to act aggressively to keep the volatile vapors from igniting into a catastrophic chain reaction.

Recognizing the extreme explosive threat, Cal Fire units from the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit launched a multi-pronged defensive attack. The highest priority for the responding crews was a massive, nearby 30,000-gallon propane tank that was directly exposed to the rising heat.

To ensure public safety and give emergency crews room to operate, traffic authorities immediately shut down all lanes of U.S. Highway 29 and Devlin Road.

While law enforcement managed the massive gridlock on the highway corridors, fire crews focused continuous, heavy streams of water onto the 30,000-gallon tank to cool its outer shell and eliminate the risk of a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).

By 4:30 p.m., fire officials confirmed that the surrounding brush fire had been successfully contained. However, a large contingent of fire crews remained on-site for hours, continuously monitoring the heated metal structures and managing the remaining gas hazards.

A post-incident assessment revealed that while the business sustained equipment losses—including two pickup trucks, a forklift, and several smaller propane cylinders that burned completely—the core structures were saved.

Miraculously, due to the swift action of the regional fire crews and the timely evacuation of the immediate zone, no injuries were reported, and no neighboring buildings or gas stations sustained damage. The exact cause of the initial vehicle fire remains under active investigation by Napa County fire investigators.