Sonoma County Fairgrounds to Be Opened to Evacuated West County Residents

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EVACUATION CENTER

Sonoma County is preparing to use the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to house evacuated residents from the 13-4 Walbridge Fire. The Sonoma County Emergency Ops Center estimates that 8-12 thousand people are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Other evacuation information is here: www.socoemergency.org

PRESS CONFERENCE

At a 9AM press conference supervisors Lynda Hopkins and James Gore along with emergency management director Chris Godley said the 1500 plus acre fire 13-4 Wallbridge north of Cazadero would not be getting additional air support due to the vast number of other fires buring in the area. One helicopter and one fixed wing aircraft were assigned to the blaze according to Godley. Hundreds of firefighters are on the ground fighting the blaze.

The LNU Complex in Napa and Solano County are burning through highly populated areas, and command the majority of local air attack resources. In addition, other fires in the Bay Area and Southern California are making resources to fight the fire scarce.

At noon bulldozers will converge at Guerneville preparing to clear a fire perimeter north of the Russian River communities. Also confirmed is that the southern edge of the fire has entered the Armstrong Redwoods, at the Bullfrog Pond area. Otherwise the fire is generally along the McCray Ridge Area and the drainage just south of there at its southern edge. Steep, rugged terrain, embercast with spot fires, and little to no cell service in the area is making coordination difficult.

The supervisors also said the fire is unlike the Kincade in 2019 and October Firestorm in 2017 in that winds are not expected to be as high, giving fire crews and residents time to react, and the fire is not burning into as heavily populated areas as either of those fires.

MUTUAL AID

State Senator Mike McGuire says with state firefighting resources stretched thin the state has requested mutual aid from outside the area. The request includes an additional 125 fire engines.

WINDS

As of Wednesday at 9AM, winds were light and blowing from the northeast to southwest. There were stronger winds on the ridges. The light winds have been helping firefighters.

Winds are forecast to increase and begin to blow increasingly from west to east later Wednesday.