SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) – Firefighters are making slow and steady progress on containing fires in the North Bay, but several towns remain evacuated.
The Walbridge LNU Complex Fire has forced the evacuation of numerous towns along the Russian River, including Guerneville.
“Cooling it down, slowing it down, and eventually suppressing it is the goal to keep it above these communities,” said Cal Fire firefighter Will Powers.
The fire has been burning in a heavy dense redwood forest with steep terrain, limited access, and lots of fuel that could go up in flames at any moment.
“We’ve had years of Sudden Oak Death issues, so we have a lot of dead trees on the hills. It’s been 97 years since we’ve had a fire here, said California State Parks environmental scientist Brendan O’Neil.
Fortunately, an air attack on Monday helped knock down a portion of the fire.
“The air support that we’ve had plays a key role in cooling this fire, suppressing it enough that crews can get in without a safety risk,” Powers added.
O’Neill said that it will take a while before any annual visitors can safely return to Armstrong Woods.
On a positive note, the trees lost will create an area for new seedlings and ultimately a new generation of redwoods for Armstrong Woods, according to park officials.
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