Crews have made progress on the Walbridge Fire, with containment at 58% as of Sunday evening, Aug. 30. With both the Walbridge Fire and the Meyers Fire, crews have shifted to recovery mode, mopping up the burn areas.
The Meyers Fire, located north of Jenner, is “pretty much done,” according to CalFire Operation Section Chief Chris Waters. The fire is 99% contained and has remained at 2,360 acres since Aug. 23. In a briefing on Aug. 30, Waters said the fire is being watched by one fire engine with some patrolling.
At the Walbridge Fire, crews are continuing to mop up the area and extinguish any hotspots that pop up along the line.
“One of the big hazards out here is actually falling trees, fire damaged trees are actually starting to fall and cause a significant hazard to fire line personnel,” Waters said.
Since the trees are beginning to pose an increasing threat to those on the line, Waters said that crews will be starting to work on getting rid of damaged trees that have fallen, or are likely to fall. In a meeting last week, CalFire Chief Ben Nicholls said that falling trees factor into the decision to let evacuees back into burn areas.
CalFire also released numbers associated with fire-caused structure damage or destruction during its evening update on Aug. 29. As of the latest update, due to either the Walbridge or Meyers fires, 118 single family residences were destroyed and seven were damaged, one piece of infrastructure was destroyed, 93 minor structures (defined as barns, outbuildings, etc.) were destroyed and nine were damaged.
A map of structure damage is being updated as CalFire continues its assessment of the areas impacted by the fires. To view the map, click here.
