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You are here: Home / community / Sonoma County Fires Update

Sonoma County Fires Update

October 23, 2017 by Donna Martinez 2 Comments

Sonoma County fires

Sonoma County Fires Contained by Wednesday

Sonoma County fires, expected to be contained by Wednesday, October 25, have been on our minds lately (see earlier blog post about the North Bay fires). Without doubt, many of you have been following the progress of our fabulous men and women firefighters  as they battled this and other fires in neighboring wine country counties.

 

Farewell and Thanks to our Firefighters

At its peak Thursday, 5,422 firefighting personnel were assigned to the firefight in Sonoma County. Even our volunteer North Coast  Firefighters gave their all to saving people while for some their own homes burned to the ground. Later Thursday evening a quarter-inch of rain gave aid to their efforts.

Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean explained about 1,000 firefighters have been released from the incident. There are also about 2,500 national guard units deployed to the area, he said.

The “demobilization” process will intensify in the coming days as firefighters from 78 different agencies wrap up their work and resources are needed down south, said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean.

Many Able to Return to Properties

The announcement that more and more owners are able to return to their properties to inspect the damage is good news. We hope that you and yours were spared the horrors of the firestorm. Sadly one of our good friends lost everything.

 

We too, watched with great concern as the fires crept dangerously close to our home in Windsor. Thankfully though, the firefighters were able to manage it’s pending onslaught. By lighting a controlled backfire they stopped it in its tracks.

An evacuation map for Sonoma County, available at https://tinyurl.com/centrallnuevacs, shows current evacuated addresses.

 

Important Facts About Sonoma and Sonoma County Fires

California, and especially northern California has had a long history of fires. Despite the recent horrific videos and photos of the fires in the Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino many businesses and homes remained unaffected.
Now, with the recent wildfires mostly contained, Sonoma County is once again ready to receive visitors. Here are some of the facts you should know about the Sonoma County fires and their actual effect to locals and tourists alike.
  • Sonoma County is large – more than 1 million acres in size. More than 90 percent of Sonoma County isn’t affected by the recent fires.
  • The majority of Sonoma County hospitality businesses remain open, see  www.sonomacounty.com.
  • 2017 winegrape harvest was 90 percent complete at the onset of the fires. The crushed grapes and their juice crushed fill the tanks.
  • Close to 98 percent of Sonoma County’s wineries were not affected by the fires.
  • Many events throughout Sonoma County are happening as planned. Find out more at www.sonomacounty.com/events.

Sonoma County Fires and The Sea Ranch

The Sonoma County fires indirectly affected Sea Ranch. Road closures, heavy smoke and evacuees seeking refuge over the last weeks have impacted our small community. I am so very proud at how the Mendonoma region stepped up to offer a helping hand and comfort.

Below is important information for those of you planning a vacation trip to The Sea Ranch in the next few days.

Roads opening

Good news about road opens previously shut down due to the Sonoma County fires continue. The CHP opened Highway 12 Friday evening. For the first time in many weeks traffic flowed directly from Santa Rosa to Sonoma. However, for those of you planning travel that will take you through Santa Rosa we strongly recommend you check road conditions and any road work plans that may cause delays or detours (Click here for District 4 CalTrans projects in the Bay Area Counties and Jenner Traffic and Road Conditions).
As of this posting, some Santa Rosa roads remained restricted. According to CHP spokesman, Jon Sloat, the Hopper Avenue exit on Highway 101 southbound and the Mendocino Avenue/Old Redwood Highway exit on Highway 101 northbound remain closed through the weekend.

Traffic Congestion Due to Drivers Viewing Damage Caused by Sonoma County Fires

CHP reported traffic was heavy throughout the day on Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa. Many motorists slowed to view the damage caused by the Sonoma County fires.

More than 30 road closures remain in effect throughout charred areas, including many roads off Highway 12. For information on closures, go to roadconditions.sonoma-county.org.

Outdoor Burning Banned

CalFire suspended all outdoor burning, permitted or not, until further notice in State Responsibility Areas.  Those areas include Sonoma, Lake and Napa Counties.  The Sea Ranch is within a State Responsibility Area.

Sonoma County fire, courtyard, gas barbecue
Abalone Bay provides a gas barbecue

Abalone Bay provides our guests with a propane barbecue so you are not directly affected by this ban. However, if you plan to do some camping or are visiting another home you need to be aware of the burn suspension details.

The burn suspension includes campfires (except within organized campgrounds when facilities exist to keep the fire fully contained), warming fires including beach fires, and ceremonial fires.  However, CalFire permits fires contained in a device intended and designed for such use.

When you do outdoor cooking make sure properly secure your devices and  properly dispose the coals when the cooking is complete.

Remember you could face financial responsibility for any fire over which you lose control.

Housing Opportunities for Those Displaced by Wildfires

As you know, the recent wildfires destroyed thousands of homes throughout Sonoma County.  The devastating fires of the last several days have made the Sonoma County housing situation worse. Sonoma County alone has lost at least 5% of its housing stock. The fires have not discriminated, taking working class to high end housing and leaving ashes of many people’s lives.As a result, many people were in need of short or long term housing.

Housing in Sea Ranch

Sonoma County has established a central registry of available rental units for those who lost their homes.  Meanwhile, The Sea Ranch Association continues to cooperate  with the County to identify properties in our community that might be available for rent either through individual members or the various property management companies.

Abalone Bay had no availability for temporary housing for the Sonoma County fires’ evacuees. However, we donated to various GoFundMe charities.

How You Can Help In Housing

Sonoma County has been struggling with a housing shortage and the devastating fires of the last several days have made the situation worse. Sonoma County alone has lost at least 5% of its housing stock. The fires have not discriminated, taking working class to high end housing and leaving ashes of many people’s lives.

This local area housing crisis affects our neighbors, our workforce, as well as our hospitality and tourism trade. Remember that a community without housing and employees will not thrive any more than a community without jobs.

If you can participate in the rehousing effort by offering you second home, vacation rental, granny unit, unauthorized unit or other “housing” for 6 months or more, please send an email to acrabb@live.com of Sonoma County Lodging Association with the following information.

  • Property address
  • Number of Bedrooms
  • Number of Baths
  • Lease limit (Maximum # of months available)
  • Lease per month
  • Contact Name
  • Phone Number
  • Contact email
  • Website if available

Your Thoughts, Your Celebrations

We’d love to hear from you how the Sonoma County fires, and those of our neighboring counties impacted you. What are some of the things that you have done to assist others? Do you know of other verified charities, or special requests made of those struggling to make a new life?

Let us know of the incidents in your neighborhoods that we can celebrate together. In what other ways are you supporting those in need as a result of the fires? Please share your thoughts, and celebrations in the comments below.

We also invite you to share this post with your social media contacts, your friends, and family.

 

Filed Under: community Tagged With: California fires, fire, Mendocino National Forest fire, Napa Fires, North Bay Fires, Sonoma County Fires

About Donna Martinez

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. A. R. says

    August 4, 2018 at 7:16 am

    First am very very sorry about do many who have been out out of their homes because if the fires. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Secondly, I cannot find out what the air quality is like in Sea Ranch. Is there any posting about this! Is there smoke? Little? A lot? How is it being handled with visitors as well as evacuees. We are happy to help should we come up

    Reply
    • Donna Martinez says

      August 4, 2018 at 5:05 pm

      Thanks for your question and concern. Our air quality at Sea Ranch is generally clear. Even with last October’s fires (October 2017), it was good. To check air quality before you go, I suggest you visit the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution website. Another great resource specifically for The Sea Ranch is through WeatherBug. Click here to see how it is currently.
      Currently, many of the evacuees from the Mendocino Complex fires happening now (August 2018) appear to be staying with friends and family. Gualala River Campground and the Manchester KOA also offer space for large groups and familis. We do appreciate your concern. This article in the Press Democrat lists ways you may be able to assist victims of the fires.

      Reply

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