Walbridge Fire Update 10AM Friday

Walbridge Fire Update Friday 10AM
55,353 Acres, 25% Containment
Meyers 2360 Acres, 98% Containment

GENERAL FIRE BEHAVIOR

The fire recorded no growth for a 2nd day, and crews focused on connecting existing dozer and hand containment lines to consolidate containment and keep the remaining hot spots under control in the unlikely event of a wind or other dangerous event. When the lines are connected, containment will rise sharply as district chief Ben Nicholls said on Thursday that crews have lines constructed around most of the fire perimeter. As of Friday, isolated hot spots included Pool Ridge Road north of Guerneville, spots along Sweetwater Springs Road, spots in the northwest corner of the fire, and in the Felta Creek area.

TROUBLE SPOTS

Fire crews were working above the Guernewood area just west of Guerneville to contain troublesome flareup along and near Pool Ridge Road. Elsewhere the fire continued to smolder in spots along Sweetwater Springs Road east of Mt. Jackson, and in the Felta Creek area. Backfires were used in some areas on Thursday to remove fuel and stop the ground fire spread in areas of the Felta Creek drainage and on the northwest corner of the fire west of Lake Sonoma.

OUTLOOK

On Thursday Fire Chief Nicholls said it would likely be a week before the Armstrong Redwoods Road would be reopened, as the fire is still being monitored and put out in the canyons north of Guerneville. Residents in the sparsely populated area north of Guerneville, along with those in Rio Nido, are among the last of the fire evacuees to be kept out of their homes. Others still evacuated include rural areas west of Westside Road who live in the canyon areas within the fire perimeter.

LOSSES

Sonoma County Emergency Manager Chris Godley said on Thursday that almost 100 homes and structures were known to have been destroyed in the Walbridge Fire, most of those in the Mill Creek Road area and other rural canyons. This number will be rising as a full assessment is done by Cal Fire in the days ahead.

WEATHER

Weather conditions look favorable through the weekend with a gradually weakening marine layer leading to a warm up next week. Early next week there is a chance of a brief offshore wind event, but at this point forecasters do not believe it will be strong enough, if it occurs, to cause fire weather advisories to be issued.

ASSISTANCE CENTERS

Sonoma County is operating two assistance centers this weekend similar to those opened in the wake of the Kincade Fire last fall. They will be in the West County Community Services Building, at 16390 Main Street in Guerneville, and at the Healdsburg High School gym at 1024 Prince Ave in Healdsburg. There fire victims can get help in a one-stop-shop setting, including assistance with filing claims with FEMA, insurance providers, and accessing a variety of community and Sonoma County resources.

Much of this information is posted on www.socoemergency.org

In addition, for residents returning home, Sonoma County has set up three drive through checkpoints where information and PPE supplies will be distributed. They are:

17499 Bodega Highway near the Hwy 1 intersection for those returning to coastal areas.

The Healdsburg Park and Ride Lot at Healdsburg and Grant Avenues for those returning to the eastern fire evacuation zones.

Ragle Ranch Regional Park 500 Ragle Drive in Sebastopol for those returning to Russian River communities and other areas. The checkpoints will be open from 10AM to 7PM Friday.