Walbridge Fire Now Highest Regional Priority

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WALBRIDGE NOW TOP PRIORITY

At a 9AM briefing Thursday morning, Cal Fire officials said the Walbridge Fire currently threatening the Russian River communities including Guerneville, Rio Nido and Hacienda is now the highest priority fire in the LNU Complex which includes the Hennessey Fire and the Napa/Solano County Complex of fires.

AIR AND GROUND RESOURCES

That means more resources would finally be allocated to the fire today, including additional ground strike teams and air resources. The priorities according to Cal Fire would be building fire lines with bulldozers and hand crews in the hills north of the Russian River communities near Sweetwater Springs Road to halt the fire’s southeast spread, and to the north, to stop the northern edge of the fire from reaching the Dry Creek Valley. There is current one air attack plane assigned to the fire, but an additional two strike aircraft may be moved to the fire to douse active hot spots later today (Thursday). Helicopters which have been helping on the northern end of the fire may also rejoin the fight later today or Friday.

FIRE PROGRESS

Overnight the fire was held very near Sweetwater Springs Road by crews using backburning, and to the north the blaze moved about halfway down Mill Creek Road towards the Dry Creek Valley. North of there the Stewarts Fire crossed over Stewarts Pt Skaggs Springs Road, but spot fires north of that road were contained by crews on the ground. Today the northern end of the Walbridge Fire and the Stewarts Fire are expected to merge. A top priority according to Cal Fire will be to keep the northern outbreak of these fires from reaching the Dry Creek Valley and crossing over Westside and West Dry Creek Roads.

WINDS and WEATHER

According to Cal Fire, winds are expected to remain out of the northwest today, blowing to the southeast at about 10-15 mph. That is similar to Wednesday. An increase in winds in the afternoon may occur as it did on Wednesday, which sparked increased fire activity, especially in the northern part of the fire. Relative humidity levels have risen due to cooler marine air reaching the fire, which is helping to control extreme fire behavior.