Via Marin County Sheriff: "Evacuation warning area expanded in Olema to east side of Highway 1 to Olema Hill.

Out of an abundance of caution based on increased fire behavior on the Woodward Fire this afternoon, evacuation warning areas in Olema are being expanded.

The following areas are now placed under a warning:

- Highway 1 at the greenbridge (Lagunitas Creek) south to the intersection of Highway 1 and Sir Francis Drake (Southern Intersection in Olema).
- Sir Francis Drake to the top of Olema Hill - everything north of Sir Francis Drake.
- Everything between the above intersections to the east to Olema Hill and west of Highway 1.

Residents should be prepared to evacuate in the event of an evacuation order. Prepare a go bag, and prepare your home for evacuation. Charge your electronic devices and make sure you are registered for Alertmarin.org to receive the most up to date emergency notifications."

LINK: http://nixle.us/C5QSW

Via KWMR. Listen to 90.5 or at www.kwmr.org for #woodwoardfire evacuation updates. Be sure to sign up for alerts at www.alertmarin.org.

"An evacuation order has been issued due to the Woodward Fire. The following areas are now under evacuation order:
- Silverhills Rd
- Fox Drive
- Noren Wy

You need to evacuate immediately. Evacuate down Sir Francis Drake Boulevard toward Point Reyes. Please be mindful of Firefighting resources as you are evacuating.

If you have alt. means of lodging, we encourage utilizing those. If you don't, evacuation center established at Marin Center, near Civic Center. There'll be check-in location at the front parking lot & staff to assist you."

#woodwardfire evacuations are underway in Silverhills Rd, Fox Drive and Noren Wy south of Inverness Park. Bear Valley Rd is closed. Please avoid the area. Non residents are being turned around.

MARIN SHERIFF: Evacuation ORDER for Silverhills Rd, Fox Drive and Noren Wy south of Inverness Park due to Wildfire. nixle.us/C5QL4

Thick smoke and a two helicopter attack on the #Woodward fire in Point Reyes late on Monday afternoon. Lots of air support out here, seems like fire very active. Shot from Olema Hill. Make sure you have your bags packed, animals ready in case of evacuation. Make sure you are signed up for alerts at http://www.alertmarin.org.

A local Inverness resident expresses his gratitude for the super scoopers as they attack the #woodwardfire for the fourth day in a row.

A lot of detail about the #woodwardfire today in the morning briefing. Watch the video to get all the details. Unfortunately they did not get to the sheriff update at the end for some reason.

VIDEO LINK HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/marin...

FULL INCIDENT REPORT HERE:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incid...

I did another overlay with the latest Marin County Fire map onto the Point Reyes National Seashore trail map. Remember, this does NOT an actual map of the fire.

From Paul Doherty (GIS for EM Professor): "The perimeter is only generally mapped once a day by a nighttime infrared sensor on a plane and corrected by an expert. Satellite hotspots occur a few times a day but are not precise and are not reviewed / edit by experts."

- The pink area is the Woodward fire perimeter as of 8/23/20.
- The red area is USA Wildfires v1 current perimeter.
- The red dots are MODIS and VIIRS thermal hotspots and fire activity.

The most active part of the fire was on the northern perimeter with some "spotting" (small fires) which were "pressing their control lines" which is why they're concentrating the scooper planes there.

They're doing a lot work with bulldozers and crews to fortify all of the lines (fire breaks) around and off the fire to stop the spread. If the wind stays light today, sounds like they could make some good progress. Fingers crossed.

THE FIRE MAP LINK HERE:
https://marincounty.maps.arcgi...

Super scoopers are back early today and hitting the north perimeter. The tweet I took this still from said it was from the #woodward fire, but others disagree. I'll post it anyway with that disclaimer. Either way, the amount of skill those pilots have is amazing and they're doing something similar here.

Here is the link to the tweet and the video:
https://twitter.com/KreiderCou...

Via NWS: "We have CANCELLED the Red Flag Warning.

Stay weather aware as weak cells are still over the North Bay; however, most moisture has moved north of our area and instability has decreased giving us confidence to let the warning expire early."

LINK: https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea...

#WoodwardFire status briefing live NOW.

Watch on Facebook: http://facebook.com/marincount...

Watch on Zoom:
http://zoom.us/join
Meeting ID: 951 6747 3562
Password: 925738

Listen by telephone:
(669) 900-6833
Attendee ID: #
Meeting ID: 951 6747 3562
Password: 925738

Via Daniel Swain: "Finally some good news to report: last night's dry lightning event was less widespread & intense than earlier feared. Nearly all lightning spared Bay Area, though there were strikes in Central Valley & western Sierra foothills that may have sparked new fires.

What happened? Well, there was *plenty* of elevated convection just above everywhere, but it wasn't *quite* deep enough to generate much lightning. Models were slightly off with timing, and may have underestimated smoke effect, and that made all the difference.

Also: we still aren't totally out of the woods in NorCal. Dry thunderstorms are still expected today, mainly in northern 1/3 of state but possibly clipping North Bay. These could yet spark new fires. But all in all, a better than expected outcome."

LINK: https://twitter.com/weather_we...

Not related to the fire, but I was in Point Reyes Station at sunset tonight when some tourists accidentally stepped on the gas in the Palace Market parking lot, slammed their car into the side of the grocery store and knocked a bunch of food out of the frozen section. These are unprecedented times. Be safe everyone.

We're heading into the Red Flag Warning window. Be sure to have your bags packed and ready in case the evacuation status changes.

Via Daniel Swain: "Elevated convection has already developed offshore of Central Coast. WRF suggests this area of convection will expand/intensify as it moves N/NWward over Bay Area/NorCal later this evening.

Sometimes I post content targeted toward fellow meteorologists/scientists (such as this!). For those asking what this means: predicted dry lightning outbreak still on track for Bay Area & points northward this evening and overnight. Extent of lightning still unclear."

Via NWS Bay Area: "RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for the entire San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast from 5 am Sunday to 5 pm MONDAY (updated) for Dry Lightning and Gusty Erratic Outflow Winds from Thunderstorms."

LINK:
https://twitter.com/Weather_We...

Super scoopers are back attacking the #woodwardfire for the third day in a row. They have a different flight path and looks like they are targeting the north west corner of the fire.

The wind has switched which has resulted in terrible air quality in Point Reyes Station and Bolinas has improved. Stay inside with the windows closed if you can.

LINK: https://www.purpleair.com/map?...

Here is the report from Marin County Fire this morning:

2,689 acres. 5% containment

#woodwardfire status briefing: today at approx. 9:30am

Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marin...

Watch on Zoom:
http://zoom.us/join
Meeting ID: 951 6747 3562
Password: 925738

Listen by telephone:
(669) 900-6833
Attendee ID: #
Meeting ID: 951 6747 3562
Password: 925738

Most people who live and hike in Point Reyes are most familiar with the area through the trails and camps. It's been hard to orient a sense of the fire without those landmarks. I took the fire map from Marin County Fire and overlaid it onto the Point Reyes National Seashore trail map. It is important to remember that the fire map is not an ACTUAL map of the fire. It is some data points collected throughout the day about the fire.

From Paul Doherty (GIS for EM Professor): "The perimeter is only generally mapped once a day by a nighttime infrared sensor on a plane and corrected by an expert. Satellite hotspots occur a few times a day but are not precise and are not reviewed / edit by experts."

- The pink area is the Woodward fire perimeter as of 8/21/20.

- The red area is USA Wildfires v1 current perimeter.

- The red dots are MODIS and VIIRS thermal hotspots and fire activity.

You can find the WoodwardFire map here:
https://marincounty.maps.arcgi...

Here is the replay of tonight's Community Town Hall with important updates and information about the #woodwardfire in Point Reyes:

https://www.facebook.com/marin...

Perhaps today was the calm before the storm, but we ended on this note. Sunset at Olema Hill. The super scoopers made 62 drops dumping 93,000 gallons of Tomales Bay water on the #woodwardfire. Be safe. Be prepared. 🙏🏆🙏

This video shows exactly what's going on, on the frontlines of the #woodwardfire in Point Reyes. A lot of backbreaking work in intense heat and stress. Thank you to all these firefighters and pilots keeping us safe. If you see them in town, give them the thumbs up. (Thx SP)

https://www.facebook.com/watch...

The super scoopers are back in Point Reyes today fighting the #woodwardfire. 🏆🙏

"The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the North Bay Mountains and other parts of the Bay Area, which is in effect from 5 AM Sunday to 5 PM Monday. Dry lightning and gusty, erratic outflow winds over existing wildfires."

"The Woodward Fire burning in the Point Reyes National Seashore is currently 2,259 acres and 5% contained. Evacuation warnings are in place for multiple communities in West Marin. We know you have questions and we want to answer them. We will have a diverse panel of speakers from multiple agencies for the townhall.

We will be hosting a virtual townhall on Saturday August 22nd, 2020 at 5PM. The townhall will be available to watch live:

"¢ Watch Zoom meeting at www.zoom.us/Join or call (669) 900-6833

Meeting ID: 951 6747 3562, Attendee ID: #, Password: 925738

"¢ Watch live via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marin...

"¢ Watch online through Community Media Center of Marin

"¢ Watch on your TV: tune in to Comcast Channel 27 or AT&T Channel 99

Questions for the townhall can be submitted to townhall@marincounty.org. Questions will be taken until 12:00PM on Saturday August 22nd, 2020."

The Marin County Fire #woodwardfire press conference was this morning. Video starts around 8:00. Some of the main points:

https://www.facebook.com/watch...

- 2,259 acres and 5% contained.
- 20 engines, two water tenders, three helicopters, five hand crews, 26 overheard crew
- Fire is still moving N and NE which is the biggest concern
- In thick, dry Douglass firs, tough to fight
- Crews working on direct and indirect fire lines
- Hard to find the southern edge of the fire in the smoke
- Very concerned about wind and weather shift starting on Sunday with dry thunderstorms and lightning
- Still potential for fire to move long distances.

Evacuation warnings still in effect. Visitors should avoid the area. Local residents should be packed and ready to evacuate if necessary.

Multiple helicopters on scene working the #woodwardfire now. They've put in a request for air attack and firefighters are on the line working on direct and indirect lines.

"Update as of August 22nd

Samuel P. Taylor State Park is CLOSED.

THIS CLOSURE INCLUDES CYCLISTS AND HIKERS.

Due to the Woodward Fire, we have evacuated and closed the park. We will remain closed until further notice.

We are very sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding during this time."

(Thx MT)

An incredible helicopter rescue last night in the #woodwardfire. So many people putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. Thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/watch...

While the 'Canadians to the rescue' storyline with the super scooper airplanes today was compelling, it was not unfortunately not correct.

From the pilot Jason Robinson: "We are from the US! Eh! 🏴"â˜ ï¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ðŸ˜Ž. Scooper 261 crew from Colorado and Washington. Scooper 262 crew from Oregon and Minnesota. Happy to help and will prob be back tomorrow.

We are often confused with the Canadian super scoopers. Although we have a few Canadian pilots in our group, our company has been flying fires in the US since 1963. The aircraft is a Viking CL-415 that is more commonly used in Canada and Europe. This is a rare aircraft in the US and we operate 4 of them from our base in Spokane Washington. Happy to assist and we always appreciate the photos and videos.

Tomales Bay and the Marin area is incredible and there are a lot of dedicated firefighters on the ground doing there best with limited resources."

See more of their work in action here: https://www.facebook.com/aerof...

My apologies. Thank you Jason and your fellow crew!

Photo by DM.

This helicopter shot taken yesterday of the #woodwardfire shows the scale of the fire. This clip has some footage of the air drop (Thx SP):

https://www.facebook.com/54849...

Marin County Fire just released a new map visualization that is very helpful to visualize the fire footprint:

https://marincounty.maps.arcgi...

Another map is here:

https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F...

From Paul Doherty: "The perimeter is only generally mapped once a day by a nighttime infrared sensor on a plane and corrected by an expert. Satellite hotspots occur a few times a day but are not precise and are not reviewed / edit by experts."

#woodwardfire at 7:20pm from Olema Hill on Friday, 8/20/20.

THERE IS AN EVACUATION WARNING IN WEST MARIN due to the #woodwardfire. If you are not a local resident, please do not visit during this time. No surfing in Bolinas. Do not go into the park. Do not go to the Tomales Bay beaches.

Point Reyes National Seashore is closed until further notice. This closure is in effect due to the Woodward Fire that started the afternoon of Tuesday August 18th.

Shell Beach is closed.

Whitehouse Pool and Chicken Ranch Beach are now closed, along with Agate Beach, until further notice. This is for public safety due to fire activity in the region. Please avoid visiting anywhere near that coastal region at this time.

All areas in red on this map are closed.

Thank you.

#woodwardfire water scoopers on Tomales Bay. They waved as they flew over us.

Getting a little emotional as full water air support from Canada doing scoop rotations on Tomales Bay to fight the #woodwarefire. Thank you to everyone fighting this fire.

Air support just dropped a load of retardant on the north side of the #woodwardfire at 1:56pm on Friday, 8/21/20.

"Kathy Runion who operates the feral cat sanctuary needs immediate help to carry cat carriers down 40 stairs. Contact Peggy Day 415 608 2044 for details."

"Evacuation WARNING area expanded to include Olema, Inverness, Inverness Park and Sea Haven for Woodward Fire. All previous warnings still in effect."

"El área de ADVERTENCIA de evacuación se expandió para incluir Olema, Inverness, Inverness Park y Sea Haven para Woodward Fire. Todas las advertencias anteriores siguen vigentes".

LINK: http://nixle.us/C5HSL

EVACUATION ORDERS EXPANDED. PARK IS CLOSED.

"All previous evacuation warnings remain in effect.

The evacuation warning area is being expanded, out of an abundance of caution, for the following areas:

West of Highway 1 and Sir Francis Drake Blvd (northern intersection) to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. This includes the communities of Olema, Inverness, Inverness Park and Sea Haven.

Sir Francis Drake to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, continuing to the Bolinas Ridge Fire Road and the McCurdy Trail "“ all areas west of those intersections.

Point Reyes National Seashore west of Highway 1 is now closed to all visitors.

We ask that coastal traffic be limited to local traffic only. There are very few evacuation routes from west Marin and there are multiple fire resources utilizing the roadways. It is imperative that we leave the roadways open in the event of an evacuation order.

An evacuation warning gives you time to prepare. Please prepare your home, prepare a go bag, charge your electronic devices and prepare your family and pets to leave immediately in the event of an evacuation order.

Register at Alertmarin.org and NIXLE to receive emergency notifications."

LINK: http://nixle.us/C5HSL

#woodwardfire from Olema Hill at 10:14am on 8/21/20.

Matthew Pera, a reporter for the MarinIJ, posted this yesterday: "Satellite view of the #woodwardfire in Point Reyes, now 1,500 acres *satellite image might not be entirely up to date and we haven't been updated on the fire's size since this morning. For context, here's a view of the 1995 Vision Fire that burned 12,354 acres and destroyed 45 homes in West Marin."

Note: Marin County Fire said the fire is at 2100 acres as of this morning.

LINK: https://twitter.com/MatthewRPe...

Here is the morning update from Marin County Fire.

Here is a weather forecast from Weather West run by Daniel Swain worth reading:
https://twitter.com/Weather_We...

Cooler today. Hotter going into the weekend. A possibility of another lightning event on Sun/Mon.

In case there was any confusion, the county evacuation center in Point Reyes Station at West Marin School is closed tonight (Thursday).

Here is the latest #woodwardfire map from: https://firms2.modaps.eosdis.n...

View of #woodwardfire on Thursday night (8/20/20).

Via Marin County Fire: "The Woodward Fire, located in the Point Reyes National Seashore, has burned about 2,000 acres of dense vegetation in a sparsely populated area of coastal Marin County since it started August 18 and is 0% contained as of 5:30 p.m. on August 20. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been damaged.
The fire, caused by lightning, has sent smoke plumes throughout Marin and San Francisco counties, partly leading to a Spare the Air Alert issued August 20 by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The fire continues to burn south of Limantour Road, north of the Bear Valley Trail, and west of Shoreline Highway (State Route 1). The area is steep with limited access on foot, causing challenges for firefighters. With resources strained in the state due to the large number of fires burning, aerial resources were not available until the afternoon of August 20. Previous resource requests were unfilled as aircraft was dispatched to other priority fires with imminent life and safety threats."

LINK: https://www.marincounty.org/ma...

Wind has picked up and smoke is billowing at #woodwardfire. Five planes circling with giant 747s dropping retardant.

#woodwardfire as seen from the youth hostel around noon on Thursday, 8/20/20. (Thx HM)

Via Marin County Fire: "The cause of the Woodward Fire has been determined to be lightning."

You can watch a recording of today's #woodwardfire press conference here (starts around 7:25):

https://www.facebook.com/marin...

- They address rumors that because the fire is on federal land, the park is just letting it burn (not true).
- There is an unprecedented drawdown on resources in California. Crews from Montana will be arriving to assist this weekend.
- Limantour Road is closed.
- Evacuation warning still in place for Olema down to Bolinas, be prepared to evacuate if fire starts to move and order is given.
- They strongly advise people to avoid the area and keep roadways near the fire zone clear for emergency personnel.

"This just in from the Point Reyes National Seashore Association:
With fires raging around the Bay Area, I'm writing to say I hope you are safe. I'm also happy to share information from the National Park Service and Marin County Fire on how to best access information about the Woodward fire currently burning at Point Reyes National Seashore.

How You Can Help
Our National Park Service partners are encouraging people to visit the Seashore at a later, safer time. IF you decide to visit the park right now, please use extreme caution. In addition to road construction activity, there is fire-related activity on park roadways. Hazardous conditions exist and capacity to support visitors is limited. As we know from the experience of the last few years, conditions can change rapidly.

The following areas are closed:
- Bear Valley Area
- Limantour Road
- Five Brooks Trailhead
- Coast, Glen, Sky, and Wildcat Campgrounds
-The area west of Bear Valley Trail and south and east of Limantour Road

Park closures due to #WoodwardFire are detailed here: http://go.nps.gov/pore/fire

Fire updates are being made on the Marin County Fire Department Information Hotline at 415-473-7191. Updates can also be found on the following Marin County Fire Department social media pages:

https://www.facebook.com/marin...
https://twitter.com/marincount...
http://instagram.com/marincoun...

I am grateful for the hard working fire crews and NPS emergency response and communications staff who are protecting lives and our precious park.

Take good care,

Donna Faure
Executive Director PRNSA )Point Reyes National Seashore Association)"

Live KWMR programming begins at 9 AM today. The only change from the Marin County Fire Department update of 7 AM is that the fire has grown to 1500 acres. Fire personnel are gathering this morning to get back to work. Richard Dillman will prepare an update for the recorded every 30 minute message this morning.

County asks everyone to call 415-473-7191 for any information and to sign up for AlertMarin if you haven't done so. AlertMarin is not NIxle; it is a telephone system for automatic phone calls from the Sheriff's Office, which is in charge of evacuations. Your home phone landlines should already be in the system, but you can register cell phones. It also sends emergency texts. Here is the link to sign up: https://www.marinsheriff.org/s...

Also follow the Marin County Fire twitter feed here:
https://twitter.com/marincount...

If any new developments warrant it, KWMR will go to more frequent announcements.

Listen to KWMR at 90.5 and on www.kwmr.org

Satellite map of #woodwardfire and other fires available at: https://firms.modaps.eosdis.na...

Aerial view of #woodwardfire from Wednesday afternoon by Stuart Palley. https://twitter.com/stuartpall...

A shot of the #woodwardfire from later in the day today from Limantour Beach showing how the fire burned down to the sand. (thx HM)

"ªThe view of #woodwardfire at 10:14pm on 8/1920 from Olema Hill. Wind is calm, fire is smoldering just over the ridge,"¬

A good video of the current state of the fire from above. Click through to see it on Twitter if it doesn't play.

https://twitter.com/marincount...

Shot of #woodwardfire from Limantour Beach at 1:10pm on 8/19/20. (Thx HM)

I was just at Shell Beach in Inverness and folks said that a state park official came and closed down the beach because of the fire. Have not seen official word on this yet. Anyone else have any information about state parks in the area?

"Due to the regional fires, Coastal Health Alliance will not be performing COVID-19 testing on Thursday, August 20th at the Point Reyes Clinic."

Shot of the #woodwardfire from Inverness at 10:30am. Local fire dept. representative said there is no immediate danger for Inverness, Point Reyes, Olema or Bolinas. Evacuation warning warning still in place for Olema and Bolinas. (thx SC and BE)

Updated link for the Press Conference: https://www.facebook.com/marin...

Via Marin Country Fire:
A briefing on the Woodward Fire will be available here starting at 9:30am:"¬

"ªLivestream on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/marin..."¬
"ª
"ªJoin by telephone"¬: (669) 900-6833"¬
"ªAttendee ID: #"¬
"ªMeeting ID: 951 6747 3562"¬
"ªPassword: 925738"¬

#woodwardfire at 7:58am this morning. Still smoking, occasional flame, it made it over ridge in one spot. Still light wind now, but supposed to pick up this afternoon from the west/northwest.

Via Marin County Sheriff: "Deputies and @NatlParkService Rangers worked hard through the night to clear numerous trails in the evac warning zone with little to no cell phone service. We located and help evacuate 25 hikers from different areas of the Point Reyes National Seashore."

"ª#woodacre fire still burning away in Point Reyes. Very light wind, hasn't made it over the ridge yet. Some scary looking flare ups though. Hope it moves slow until the morning at least."¬

Via Marin County Fire Department: "Evacuation Warning: There is a 700 acre fire burning West of Olema. Please gather medications, pets, critical papers, and be prepared to evacuate quickly if necessary. The evacuation warning area is in the map below. We will update you if evacuation is necessary. Please do not call 911 unless you have an emergency."

Here is the view of the fire from Limantour Road near Muddy Hollow trailhead. It's near the top of the ridge, but on the other side. And wind is blowing (and is forecasted to blow) from the NW.

Not a lot of new information on the fire. Wind is blowing NW, not a lot of air support available because of all the other fires. "New Fire "4-6 Fire" Point Reyes National Seashore (Smoke impacts to West Marin) MCFD is responding to the fire in the Point Reyes National Seashore - Adjacent to the Woodward Trail. Difficult access. No Structure threat, no evacuation orders. Trail closures to PRNSS." Photo via Marin County Sheriff

Another fire. "This is a new start. called the #4-6fire - initial reports from @marincountyfire is 7 acres near the woodward trail. difficult access. no structure threat or evacuations at this time."

Local resident Billy Wesner had $1,500 worth of equipment stolen out of his white Dodge pickup truck in Point Reyes Station last night including a power pole saw and a climb saw. If you have any information that would help him recover these items, please contact him.

The big stump which used to be the big tree in downtown Point Reyes Station is now officially gone. (thx PD)

Via Point Reyes National Seashore "Crews continue to work on the "4-5" fire near Coast Camp. It's 5 acres with 0% containment. Trail closures include Sky, trails off Bear Valley towards Sky, Coast near Limantour and Woodward Valley. Thank you firefighters and all support personnel! (cb)"

Via Marin County Sheriff's Office - "Remember back in February when Marin County Search and Rescue and multiple regional resources searched for Carol Kiparsky and Ian Irwin for 8 days and found them in Inverness?

Friday, one of our search managers and an Inverness Fire Volunteer had the opportunity to meet up with Carol and Ian, give them an overview of the search and then the team went for a hike to try and determine where they got lost.

This is invaluable information for our search and rescue team for future searches.

We are happy to report that Carol and Ian are doing well and have fully recovered."

Smoke drifting up towards Olema from a vegetation fire down by Limantour Beach. No word on status or size yet

START TIME: AUG 17, 9:56 AM
ESTIMATED RESTORATION: AUG 17, 2:15 PM
CUSTOMERS AFFECTED: 2083
CAUSE: Unknown - PG&E is investigating the cause.
STATUS: PG&E has assigned a crew to assess the outage.
LAST UPDATED:
AUG 17, 12:22 PM

"ªPower out in Point Reyes Station and Inverness."¬ Anyone know what happened?