Updated Wednesday, Aug. 26, 7:30 a.m. —
According to an update from CalFire, the Walbridge Fire is 54,923 acres and 19% contained. The Meyers Fire is 2,360 acres and 97% contained.
With 17% containment of the Walbridge Fire and 97% containment of the Meyers Fire under its belt, around 80% of county residents who were under either a mandatory evacuation or an evacuation warning were able to return to their homes Tuesday, marking a new step in the progression of Sonoma County’s fight in the LNU Lightning Complex Fire.
“Crews are making great progress and the weather is cooperating, so we’re cautiously optimistic that we’re making headway out here today,” said CalFire Division Chief Ben Nicholls in a Tuesday night fire briefing.
While many people were allowed back into their homes today, there is still work to be done to help ensure that the fire doesn’t break lines. A more consistent weather pattern has meant that those on the front line have been able to dig in and build on the lines they had created, resulting in a 10% jump in containment between 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 7 a.m. on Aug. 25.
On Tuesday, worked to connect the dots of Wine Creek Road to Koch Road and work further to stop the spread of the fire before it hits West Dry Creek Road. Crews have also been working to connect a line from Mount Jackson Resort Road to Sweetwater Springs to prevent the fire from heading down to Hacienda, and are working bulldozers in the Los Lomas area and above the Cedars.
“That’s the last large portion of open line we have to button up in the open country. We’ve got a lot of work left to do on the east side and the south side,” Nicholls said.
To declare specific areas of a fire “contained,” Nicholls said that CalFire has to determine that the fire line is so strong that it won’t falter with wind flare ups or stray embers that fall outside of the line.
Last night, the fire made its way to the valley floor of Armstrong Woods, but was a “low intensity backing fire.”
“We rallied the fire engines that were in the park protecting structures after they had successfully protected those and put a hose lay in around the base of the slope next to the Colonel Armstrong tree to keep the fire from damaging the most significant tree in the park,” Nicholls said.
District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins commended the work that everyone on the front lines of the fire is doing.
“With limited resources and an unprecedented amount of acreage across the state on fire at the same time, they have made extremely bold stands at some of our narrow winding roads in west county, saved homes and barns and really accomplished an amazing amount of work with very limited resources,” she said.
While consistent weather should allow crews to continue to make headway on the fire, county officials reiterated that the fire is still active, with the terrain of the area still posing challenges to the containment process.
“To those residents who are able to come home today, welcome home,” said Hopkins. “I can’t wait to see you in the line at Speer’s Market in Forestville or out socially distanced on the west county trail. I’m sure it will be wonderful to sleep in your bed tonight. Those unfortunately who are still under mandatory evacuation orders, stay strong and let us know if you need anything. Truly, we are here working for you. We want to make sure that you have a safe and appropriate place to stay during the duration of your evacuation.”
The county has set up three re-entry checkpoints for those heading back to their homes. The checkpoints will be open on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will have safety information and supplies to help residents return safely to their homes. The checkpoints are being done in a drive-thru manner, and people are asked to remain in their cars and to wear facial coverings. The re-entry checkpoints are located at the following locations:
● Bodega: 17499 Bodega Hwy, adjacent to the cemetery and near the Highway 1 and Bodega Highway intersection.
● Healdsburg: Healdsburg Park and Ride at the corner of Healdsburg Avenue and Grant Avenue. Easy access to and from Highway 101.
● Sebastopol: Ragle Ranch Regional Park, 500 Ragle Drive, Sebastopol. First parking lot past the main entrance kiosk.
Hopkins asked that people from outside of the area don’t come visit the west county and lower Russian River area until the fire is contained and everyone is allowed back into their homes.
“I want to remind any potential visitors that we are still in the midst of a major fire disaster in west county in particular,” she said. “I would also like to acknowledge that a lot of our local fire agencies are also our EMS responders, so calls responding to increased visitors — which does create an increased demand for calls for service — does actually negatively impact the resources that we would have for the front line of the fire.
“We love you visitors in west county, we know you support our local businesses, but for now it is not the time to visit. Please do wait until all of the mandatory evacuation orders are lifted. We will welcome you with open arms then and I know our small businesses will appreciate the support,” Hopkins said.
