"Someone's boat slipped off its anchor (in Tomales Bay by Inverness) and floated toward the pier just north of the Inverness yacht club's pier. My husband and our neighbors got to it before it crashed and tied it to the pier. A Park Service boat seemed to be looking for it but stopped short of where it's tied up. Tried to call them but couldn't get through to tell them what happened and where the boat is. Hopefully the owners will see it." (Thx AM)

"Power back on in the SG Valley. According to a neighbor, it was a Trump metallic helium balloon tangled in the wires by the SG Presbyterian church and a PGE truck was dispatched to remove Trump and restore power to the people. Seriously it was a Trump balloon." (Thx RC and JF)

On crowded weekends like this, unfortunately, there are lots of emergencies and lots of sirens. WMF doesn't post them all on Facebook, but I do try and tweet them out on the WMF Twitter feed. So if there are sirens and you're wondering why, best to check either the WMF Twitter feed or the WMF web site (where the twitter feed is also).

Those recent sirens are an accident in Marshall:
https://twitter.com/WestMarinF...

WMF Web site:
http://www.thewestmarinfeed.co...

You can also download the PulsePoint app which will give you the same information in real time.

Spotted this week on Tomales Bay. Either it is the West Marin version of the Loch Ness monster or people in a small boat who took it upon themselves to tow in a large water hazard.

The #woodwardfire flare up at sunset from Limantour Rd. Marin County Fire is aware of it. It is within the perimeter and the fire is still 100% contained. (Thx HRM)

Via KWMR: "A large plume of white smoke is visible originating from within the Woodward fire area. Marin County fire says they are aware of it."

Small road side vegetation fire in Point Reyes Station. Fire crews say they have it out now.

People reporting smoke in Point Reyes and there is a fire notification on pulse. No further news at this time.

"Yesterday's #fireWeatherWatch has been upgraded to a #redFlagWarning and now includes the addition of the North Bay Valleys and the East Bay Valleys. Strong offshore winds will be gusty, especially at higher elevations with dry conditions prevalent from Wed. AM thru Fri AM."

LINK: https://twitter.com/nwsbayarea...

News from the Point Reyes Light this week:

Relief on the horizon for dramatically salty Point Reyes water:
"The district is looking to build a second well on the Gallagher Ranch, so even less water is needed from the Coast Guard wells. The district board raised rates in 2016 to help pay for its construction, and after boring three test wells that didn't pump enough water, crews found a productive location on the pasture."
LINK: https://www.ptreyeslight.com/a...

Park hopes for new loops on ranch roads:
"The proposed trail changes pertain to both the seashore and the northern district of G.G.N.R.A. The first is to use an old road grade to connect Pierce Point Road, which extends north across the peninsula, to L Ranch Road, thereby facilitating access between Tomales Point and Marshall Beach. The short, roughly mile-long road creates the opportunity for a new loop."
LINK: https://www.ptreyeslight.com/a...

Inverness and Bolinas step up water restrictions, warn of rationing:
"IPUD, which uses water from streams and creeks that descend from the Inverness Ridge, has particularly limited storage capacity: its tanks turn over the water they contain every three days."
LINK: https://www.ptreyeslight.com/a...

This video was shot by a dash cam two weeks ago on the PR/Petaluma Rd. I drove this road the other day and there were trucks everywhere and lots of cars driving very fast. Please drive safe everyone. (Thx CC)

LINK: https://twitter.com/westmarinf...

Via PRNPS: "The #WoodwardFire is 100% contained but Warning sign STILL Red exclamation mark symbol BURNING No entry. Please continue to respect area closures to keep yourself and first responders safe.:

VIdeo of fire here:
https://twitter.com/PointReyes...

Closures here: https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn...

Medical emergency at Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. Unclear what it is.

This cool little site from Vimeo lets you look out someone else's window for a little while. Look hard enough, and you might find one in Inverness, CA. https://www.window-swap.com/wi...

Unfortunate. "Rain chances previously forecast from late today through Saturday across the Bay Area have all but vanished. However, mostly cloudy sky conditions and cooler temperatures will prevail today through Saturday."

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

People asking about the helicopter in Bolinas: "CHP H-30 just assisted Marin County Fire with an overturned boat off the coast of Bolinas. All parties are accounted for and were rescued by Marin County Fire watercraft. Luckily none of the occupants were injured." (thx LW)

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/CHPGo...

Car rolled over on PR/Petaluma Rd. No word on injuries. Please slow down. Please don't text and drive.

"A pattern change possible by mid-October, Stay tuned." 🙏

LINK: https://twitter.com/NWSSacrame...

It is critical to help conserve water in Inverness. Thank you.

The community in Seahaven in Inverness got together and pitched in to buy two PurpleAir sensors. So now we have air quality sensors at Chicken Ranch Beach and further up the hill on Via De La Vista. Thank you ER and FC or hosting them!

PurpleAir link:
https://www.purpleair.com/map?...

Understanding the sensor numbers:
https://thebolditalic.com/unde...

Our hearts are broken for Todd Shoberg's family and friends. From his partner Kira: "Yesterday (9/28/2020) our world was shattered completely to the ground without any comprehensible way of bringing it back up. Todd Shoberg was involved in a head-on collision in West Marin and lost his life. Todd is survived by his partner Kira + his two daughters Charlie (2) + Ashlyn (8). In addition to being a loving partner + father, Todd was an incredible chef. Through his love of food + local agriculture, he was able to provide for his family as their main source of income." Here is a link if you wish to support his family:

GoFundMe Page:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-...

MarinIJ Story:
https://www.marinij.com/2020/0...

A rough day today between the fires and the car accident. Here is sunset in Point Reyes. Be safe. Be loving. Life is short, (Thx SC)

"One driver was killed and another was injured in a head-on collision involving a big rig in West Marin on Monday, the California Highway Patrol said. The crash was reported around 9:10 a.m. on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road just west of Novato Boulevard, CHP Officer Andrew Barclay said.

The driver of the station wagon was westbound when the vehicle drifted for unknown reasons into the eastbound lane and struck the truck head-on, Barclay said. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene."

Via CHP Marin: "It seems that a few people on here have formed the opinion that this crash was caused by the big rig. In this situation, the station wagon that was traveling west on Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Road drifted over the center line and into the opposing lane of traffic where it struck the truck head on. We are speaking with a couple of witnesses that saw the station wagon prior to the crash and are providing more information for our investigation.

There is also a thread about the trucks impeding traffic as the traverse the back roads through Marin. We have handled numerous traffic complaints regarding these trucks, from going too fast to going too slow. If you have specific traffic complaints, please feel free to contact our office at (415)924-1100 so we know what's going on. We can't be everywhere at once, and we do enforcement along the entire Marin coast line, so letting us know of a specific place where there is an issue will help us conduct "targeted enforcement." We also bring the traffic complaints to the attention of the delivery coordinators on the jobs that they are driving to so that they can speak with their people.

Slow trucks are required to pull over to allow traffic to pass once there are 5 or more vehicles behind them, HOWEVER, only when it is safe for them to do so. Drivers are quick to judge when and where a truck should pull over, but there are more factors to worry about in a fully loaded gravel truck than in a normal vehicle. The truck needs enough space to slow down on the roadway, not the shoulder, and they need to be sure the shoulder can actually support their weight. Areas around the reservoir are great for that, but a lot of the areas east of that have very few, if any places to pull over. If they can't safely pull over somewhere it means everyone behind them needs to be patient until it's possible for them to allow everyone to pass. We've been stuck behind them as well, so we get the frustration, but we'd rather be caught in that delay than have a truck roll off the hill because they pulled onto a soft shoulder or ended up not being able to stop in time on a gravel shoulder."

FULL STORY: https://www.marinij.com/2020/0...

SFD Construction is scheduled until Fall 2021:
https://highways.dot.gov/feder...

Via KWMR "Point Reyes Petaluma Road at the Cheese Factory closed both directions due to a traffic collision. Closures at Nicasio Valley Rd, and Novato Blvd."

Head on car v semi truck accident on PR Petaluma Rd. Might be a major injury requiring airlifting a patient out. Expect delays.

For those of you that heard the loud crash and sirens last night, it looked like a pickup truck missed the curve on SFD by Bear Valley Rd./white house pool and went into the ditch. Sounds like no one was injured.

"Update on fire near the lighthouse area:
Acreage: 5.6
75% containment as of 4 PM
Crews do not anticipate any further fire growth at this point.
Started:10:35am. Location: near the end of the LH Access Rd

Thank you to all participating agencies! Red Flag thru tomorrow evening."

Via PRNPS

An iconic shot of the vegetation fire in Point Reyes today up. (Thx SP)

Elk activists protested in Point Reyes today outside of McClure's Ranch.

A better view of the vegetation fire in Point Reyes out by the Chimney Rock caused by a downed power line. (Thx SP)

There is a vegetation fire in Point Reyes out by the Chimney Rock caused by a downed power line. One to two acres in low grass.

Water rescue underway off Dillon Beach for a kayaker missing since this morning.

Absolutely packed day in West Marin. Be prepared for a lot of traffic. And a medical emergency which required helicopter transport in Inverness. Hopefully that person ok.

URGENT: As you may have seen at the post offices, Inverness is in a Stage 1 Water Emergency Shortage . Please refrain from any outdoor watering Friday through Monday. (thx TB)

LINK: https://www.invernesspud.org/r...

If you would like to help support the Arti Cafe in Lagunitas which was vandalized last night, there is a GoFundMe page set up here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/reb...

If you have ever eaten at the Arti Cafe in Lagunitas, you know how kind and loving they are and how good their food is. Last night, in a despicable act of hatred and cruelty, someone vandalized their restaurant.

MORE PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/nicol...

"A man who was killed in a motorcycle crash in West Marin on Tuesday has been identified as Daniel Cameron Turchie, 19, of Pinole, the coroner's office said.

The crash happened at about 6 p.m. Tuesday on Shoreline Highway north of Point Reyes Station and about 300 yards south of the Giacomini Ranch, the Marin County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division said.

Turchie was riding north when he failed to take a sweeping turn in the road, crossed into the other lane and struck a utility pole, the coroner's division said.

He was found unconscious 30 feet down an embankment. Resuscitation efforts failed at the scene, the California Highway Patrol said."

FULL STORY: https://www.marinij.com/2020/0...

Fatal motorcycle accident on Rt. 1 just north of Point Reyes. Both lanes closed for now, please avoid the area. (thx BM)

"The Point Reyes National Seashore released a final version of a controversial plan Friday to extend leases of historic ranches in the park and to cull some tule elk to prevent conflicts with private ranching.

In its final environmental review of the park's general management plan amendment, the National Park Service's preferred option is to extend leases for private ranchers from five-year terms to up to 20-year-terms. The 24 ranching families in the park and neighboring Golden Gate National Recreation Area would also be able to diversify their livestock beyond cows on a case-by-case basis to include other animals such as goats, chickens and pigs.

To address conflicts between the free-roaming Drakes Beach tule elk herd and ranches, the plan would allow park staff to kill some elk to keep the population to 120 elk. The herd had 138 elk as of the last count in late 2019."

"David Evans, owner of the D. Rogers Ranch lease in the seashore, said he was pleased with the park's proposal, saying it will ease the uncertainty of short-term leases, provide more economic security through livestock diversification, promote improved land stewardship and potentially allow visitors to access ranches."

"Fleur Dawes, communication director for In Defense of Animals, said the park service should expect more pushback including protests and other actions in the coming weeks."

FULL STORY: https://www.marinij.com/2020/0...

FINAL PLAN: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/d...

Found by the side of the PR/Petaluma Rd near the olive ranch. Stolen? Trash? (Thx BM)

More fire weather coming. Make sure you are prepared. "Early indications is that this early Oct event will have potential to bring record heat to CA and possibly other areas. This will coincide with weak offshore flow, so should spread all the way to coast and bring extreme wildfire burning conditions once again."

Sign up for local alerts:
Marin County -www.alertmarin.com
Marin Sheriff - local.nixle.com

Get your defensible space ready:
https://youtu.be/otMDwt03E-o

Have a plan and a go bag;
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/em...

Very important voting info from Wade Holland in the Point Reyes Light: "The good news about November's general election is that voting in person at a polling station will be available on four days, from Saturday, Oct. 31, through Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The bad news is that only three polling stations will be open in all of West Marin.

Covid-19 is impacting this year's election in many ways, including reducing the number of polling stations in the county from 89 to just 29. The three West Marin polling places will be at the Bolinas Community Center, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and the West Marin Health & Human Services Center on Sixth Street in Point Reyes Station. These centers will be open for voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Election Day, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

A major change this year is that Governor Gavin Newsom has directed that a vote-by-mail ballot be sent to every registered voter. Lynda Roberts, Marin's registrar of voters, recommends using the mail-in ballots rather than going to the polls. She also urges that completed ballots be mailed back well before Election Day. To be counted, vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, Nov. 3, and received by the county by Friday, Nov. 20.

Ballot drop-off boxes will also be available around the clock through Election Day at 12 locations in the county, including at the Bolinas Community Center and the Health & Human Services Center in Point Reyes Station.

Voter pamphlets will be mailed on Sept. 24, and the vote-by-mail ballots will be sent out on Oct. 5."

FULL STORY: https://www.ptreyeslight.com/a...

Don't feed the coyotes please. "A woman was hospitalized this week after a coyote bit her leg on Tennessee Beach in the Marin Headlands, authorities said.

The woman told park rangers the coyote was acting aggressively as it approached her Tuesday afternoon on the remote beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. After the animal bit her, she walked the 1.7-mile trail back to Tennessee Valley Road and drove to a hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries, according to a spokesman for the National Park Service.

Using a piece of the woman's clothing, park officials are attempting to collect a sample of the coyote's DNA. The genetic information will be used to identify and track the animal as part of a new program that aims to address the growing problem of coyotes approaching people in search of food in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said park service spokesman Charles Strickfaden.

He said park rangers have noted a "large increase" in reports of people feeding coyotes. As a result, "food-conditioned coyotes" are increasingly approaching visitors to beg for food."

LINK: https://www.marinij.com/2020/0...

Car accident on SFD in Inverness by Dream Farm Rd. Hopefully everyone ok. Drive safe, the roads are slick today.

"Nearly one in three people here in Marin County will leave, part of the roughly 700,000 who his models suggest may abandon the broader Bay Area as a result of sea-level rise alone."

https://www.nytimes.com/intera...

REMINDER: Areas closed to all visitors due to the Woodward Fire.

The area and all trails south of Limantour Road and Bear Valley Road, west of Highway 1 (aka Shoreline Highway), and north of Stewart Trail are closed to all visitor access until further notice.

These areas include, but are not limited to:

Limantour Road is closed to all visitor access until further notice.

The Bear Valley area is closed to all visitor access until further notice. This includes:
Bear Valley Visitor Center Access Road
Bear Valley Visitor Center
Bear Valley Picnic Area
Bear Valley Trailhead
Earthquake Trail
Kule Loklo
Morgan Horse Ranch
Woodpecker Trail

Coast, Glen, Sky, and Wildcat Campgrounds are closed until further notice. Campers will receive a notification and refund via email.

Also closed are Bear Valley Trail, Horse Trail, Sky Trail, Laguna Trail, Glen Trail, Greenpicker Trail, and Coast Trail north of Stewart Trail.

MORE INFO: https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn...

Via Point Reyes National Seashore "Happy 58th Birthday Point Reyes National Seashore!! On September 13, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore. To learn more, visit nps.gov/pore." (Photo WMF)

"#WoodwardFire Update, 09/13/20 Firefighters will perform a burnout operation about 10 a.m. at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to provide a defensible space for the center's Morgan horses."

LINK: https://twitter.com/PointReyes...

This video does a good job of explaining why and when when the air quality will get better. Short answer: next week.

https://twitter.com/PaulKPIX/s...

[Sound On] At Kehoe Beach in @pointreyesnps hundreds of blackbirds gather around sunset in the thick fog and smoke.

LINK: https://twitter.com/westmarinf...

Via Point Reyes National Seashore "For those of you who have been asking about the wildlife in Point Reyes during the #WoodwardFire, we thought you might be happy to see that this bobcat was caught on camera just outside of Incident Command Post (where we coordinate as a team) yesterday."

LINK: https://twitter.com/PointReyes...

It was orange yesterday. The smoke is so thick right now. Some additional information about all of that:

"To get a sense for how dark it was in CA yesterday, here are solar radiation observations from my backyard weather station for 3 recent days. Much darker than a typical foggy day, and it was effectively sunset ~3 hours too early."

"The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air. Strong winds over the past few days transported ash from fires in northern California and the Sierra Nevada into the region.

These smoke particles scatter blue light & only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange. If smoke becomes too thick in a certain area, most of the light will be scattered & absorbed before reaching the surface, which may cause dark skies."

"Very little change in the smoke across the SF bay area the next 18 hours."

RADIATION LINK: https://twitter.com/feet_pinoc...

ORANGE LINK: https://twitter.com/AirDistric...

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

Wires down on PR/Petaluma Rd past farm stand. Expect delays. Thx @alexporrata

"Effective today (9/9/20) at 4 p.m., the Marin County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the Marin County Fire Department is lifting the remaining Evacuation Warnings in West Marin."

Local Point Reyes Station radio station KWMR featured on the home page of the LATimes.com web site today.

"In a place where local news is otherwise a once-weekly paper or a conversation at the post office or local market, the radio station has long been a trusted source of knowledge when emergencies hit.

"There is a weird parallel between COVID and a wildfire in a way in that they are these dynamic situations but they are slow moving also," (Jeff) Manson said. "Stuff isn't changing hour to hour and yet people are really hungry for information."

He and (Amanda) Eichstaedt have learned if they don't put out facts, small town gossip will take over."

LINK: https://www.latimes.com/califo...

An incredible shot of the #woodwardfire in Point Reyes. Taken Aug 20, 2020. (Thx FP)

Some local residents have asked about the salinity intrusion that happened to the wells in Point Reyes Station. Here is the North Marin Water District's post from Aug 20th explaining what happened:

"Salinity Intrusion in West Marin System Source Wells
Unprecedented salinity intrusion has occurred in two wells which North Marin Water District uses as sources of drinking water in the West Marin system.

These two wells, located near the former Coast Guard housing property in Point Reyes Station, have experienced periodic and seasonal salinity intrusion for many years. In 2015, NMWD completed permitting and construction of a well and pipeline that brings water from a different source, out of the reach of tides. This third well is situated approximately a mile and a half east of Point Reyes station adjacent to the Gallagher ranch.

Unfortunately, the third well is unable to produce enough water to meet 100% of the volume demands of our customers in the summer months and the salinity intrusion at the Coast Guard wells has continued to worsen, likely due in part to sea level rise.
This year, under dry-year water conditions, we have seen the salt levels in the water produced from the Coast Guard wells rise to unprecedented levels. While there is no direct health concern from the salt for most people at this concentration, it does affect the taste. Customers that may be on sodium restricted diets should consult their physicians to see if the additional sodium is a concern for them.

Additionally, bromide, a component of the salt water that has increased, can also contribute to the formation of disinfection byproducts. We have taken every action available to keep disinfection byproducts as low as possible and continue to monitor their concentrations. If they rise to an unsafe level we will, in consultation with the California Division of Drinking Water, communicate this to our customers.

In order correct the situation, North Marin Water District is actively working to construct additional sources of water that are not prone to salinity intrusion. The acquisition of land, planning and permitting have been going on for two years. We hope to have this new source constructed and available for water supply in 2021.

Emergency water conservation measures remain in place and reduced water use decreases our dependence on wells impacted by salinity intrusion.

More information about water quality can be found at https://nmwd.com/your-water/wa...

If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed here, please call Pablo Ramudo, Water Quality Supervisor at 415-761-8924."

FULL POST: https://www.facebook.com/North...

PR LIGHT ARTICLE:
https://www.ptreyeslight.com/a...

The Point Reyes National Seashore is closed today, as are all of the local beaches like Shell Beach and Chicken Ranch. Someone reported seeing kayaks in the Nicasio Reservoir today, that is also not allowed. With COVID and the heat, these are challenging times. But we're also dealing with the #woodwardfire and a red flag warning and need to give first responders, law enforcement and fire fighters the time, space and focus to do their work. Thank you. Be safe.

Here is the video update from the new #woodwardfire incident command for today.

"We saw an increase in activity last night. Not unplanned, cleaning up the unburned fuel, no threats to the containment lines. Today's plan is to have hand crews out cleaning up fire lines.

Prepared for the warm, windy day. Critical fire day today. Ridge tops never cooled off and primed us for another hot day today. Around 100.

This is the last hot day, pattern change, a storm system moves through the area which will bring us gusty winds this evening.

Then we will transition back to the marine layer putting the fire back into relative humidity.

Challenging weather for all the fires in the state with the wind coming. We have two strike team engines to be prepared.

Also potential power shut offs and safety shut offs, but not targeting Marin County as of now.

Might see a helicopter today keeping things cool and within the perimeter."

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Anyone else seeing the #woodwardfire flames tonight? Here is a shot from the Point Reyes Station mesa. (Thx AW)

Via Marin County: "Stinson Beach has been shut down as traffic and crowding has become a problem on #Hwy1."

LINK: https://twitter.com/kcbsamfmtr...

The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 2 which has been managing the #woodwardfire since last weekend is transitioning today and handing over command to a Type 3 team from the Great Basin.

With so many fires in California raging right now, we are so grateful to our local fire fighters for rushing in when the #woodwardfire went from 7 acres to 50 acres in the blink of an eye. And to the Northern Rockies team who came in with a huge range of expertise and were able to oversee the fire management from 0% containment to the 93% containment (along with those super scooper planes, helicopters and ground teams).

The local community stood by, watching the huge plumes of smoke rise up over our community, wondering how bad it was. And every day Mary Rasumussen, Brandon Cichowski and Scott Shuster (along with local resources Jason Weber and Brenton Snyder and a whole bunch of other folks) would get on the interwebs at 9:30am to give us the daily update and help us to understand what was going on the park with the fire, with the evacuations and everything else fire related. Thank you for that. And thank you to the outstanding ASL interpreters and the Spanish language translators who ensured it was accessible for everyone.

Goodbye Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 2, thank you for putting your blood and sweat into this fire to keep us safe. Good luck on your next mission. And welcome Great Basin. As Brandon says, "things are looking really good." Let's hope so. Be well, stay safe.

English video update for Sep 6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Spanish video update for Sep 6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Full #woodwardfire incident report:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photo...

Via PRNPS #WoodwardFire Daily Update:

Area Burned: 4,813 acres
Containment: 93 %
Total Personnel: 301
"¢Crews: 6
"¢Engines:13
"¢Helicopters: 2
"¢Masticators: 1
"¢Water Tenders: 3

Downloadable PDFs and more information on incident webpage: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7062/

A smokey sunrise over Tomales Bay in Inverness this morning. (Thx AN)

A view of the #woodwardfire from Point Reyes today. Photo by Felix Chamberlain.

"Effective today (9/4/20) at 6PM the Marin County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with Marin County Fire are reducing the Evacuation ORDER for Silverhills Rd, Fox Dr. and Noren Way to an Evacuation WARNING.

The evacuation center at the Marin Center is now also closed.

The following areas are now under an Evacuation WARNING:

Silverhills Rd, Fox Drive, Noren Way
Inverness Park
Bear Valley Visitor Center and NPS Headquarters

We are asking that the public stay away from coastal west Marin this weekend. With a multitude of fire personnel still assigned to the fire, there will be a large amount of firefighters traversing west Marin to the fire and we expect smoke to continue throughout the weekend.

In addition, additional emergency calls due to visitors on the coast and the heat could cause a strain in resources on standby in case of a new fire or the need for additional resources on the Woodward Fire. The Point Reyes National Seashore remains closed to the public. PLEASE avoid West Marin."

LINK: https://local.nixle.com/alert/...

Spotted this very cute family in Olema who come out at 7pm each night to cheer on the firefighters as they finish their shift working on the #woodwardfire.

#WoodwardFire Update: Thursday, September 3, 2020

Area Burned: 4,626 acres
Containment: 57%
Total Personnel: 486
"¢Crews: 11
"¢Engines: 37
"¢Helicopters: 4
"¢Dozers: 1
"¢Masticators: 1
"¢Water Tenders: 5

Via PRNPS "On a slightly different topic from the Woodward Fire, we have a temporary job opening for a Traffic Control Aide at Point Reyes National Seashore (when it re-opens). Please help us spread the word!"

LINK: https://www.nps.gov/pore/getin...

Via Bay Area NWS: "Deep marine layer this morning will keep temperatures near normal today with some minor warming Friday. More significant heat event looks on tap for this weekend with Excessive Heat Watch in effect Saturday thru Monday."

Please remember, the Point Reyes National Seashore is closed for the weekend because of fire operations. Be safe everyone.

LINK: https://twitter.com/nwsbayarea...

Via Hog Island Oyster Co.: "So happy to feed some of the AeroFlight Super Scooper crew who came by the farm the other day. These guys have been scooping water out of Tomales Bay to help fight the #woodwardfire raging just south of us. Beyond grateful for this crew and for all of our first responders!! Folded hands"

Via @MarinSheriff - Evacuation WARNINGS for the following communities have been LIFTED:

Olema
Inverness
Drakes View
Sea Haven

Other evacuation warnings and orders around the fire REMAIN in effect:

Silverhills (ORDER)
Inverness Park (WARNING)
NPS HQ Bear Valley (WARNING)

Reposted because original graphic was blurry.

A lot of people have asked about these columns of smoke behind Inverness Park. According to the #woodwardfire video update today, those are controlled backburns by Limantour Rd behind Silver Hills.

From the #woodwardfire video update today:

"Containment continues to rise. There has been some backburning on Limantour Rd. right behind Silver Hills which are the columns of smoke that people have been seeing and reporting. Management action points are under discussion which may reduce the evacuation warnings and orders, possibly tomorrow or Friday if those action points are hit. The Point Reyes National Seashore will be closed through Labor Day weekend."

English version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Spanish version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

#WoodwardFire
Total Personnel: 508
Size: 4,538 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained: 41%

LINK: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incid...

"Madeline Hope said the part of the Silverhills area where her home sits, and where evacuations are mandatory, is about a quarter-mile from where the fire is burning.

"If we lose everything, we still own the land and we can rebuild," she said.

Ken Fox has been a volunteer firefighter in the town of Inverness for three decades. He said he was evacuated last week from Fox Road, named for his father, in the Silverhills evacuation zone to escape the encroaching Woodward Fire.

He said he has not been directly fighting the blaze but has helped advise on the best trails and roads for firefighters to use to drive in bulldozers and other equipment to surround and beat back the blaze with controlled burns."

FULL STORY: https://www.sfchronicle.com/ba...

People are sneaking water into the elk in Point Reyes during the fire.

"At 6 p.m., as his shift came to a close and he drove away, the small bucket-brigade crept in (to the Point Reyes National Seashore). They were transporting roughly 200 gallons of water to the park's tule elk, who they say are dying from dehydration "” and unable to reach other water sources because of a fence around their preserve "” as drought conditions worsen in the region."

A statement from the park: "While we sympathize with their concerns, the safety of firefighters, fire personnel and local residents during the Woodland wildland fire is the park's number one priority. Taking action without permits and permissions from the NPS and while the park is entirely closed to all public access due to the Woodward Fire is unlawful. The park has communicated with concerned citizens that our monitoring indicates adequate water is available. We have park staff, who are authorized to be in this otherwise closed area, monitoring water availability for the elk at Tomales Point today."

Photo of elk rutting taken by Carlos Porrata taken just before the Woodward Fire. Carlos and Tom Killion have a show at Toby's in Point Reyes Station through September.

LA TIMES LINK:
https://www.latimes.com/califo...

NPS FAQ:
https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn...

"Today's #woodwardfire update (thx AW):

Acreage: 4,465 with 25% containment

Crews continue to make progress to contain the fire, great news considering the extremely difficult terrain and thick vegetation (30-40 foot high brush in some places). Aircraft are available but due to heavy smoke and fog have been used on a more limited basis in the last several days. The water scoopers are no longer assigned to the #woodwardfire and are now deployed to Arizona.

Large falling trees pose the biggest risk to firefighters and skilled crew are removing them on and near the firelines.

Thick heavy smoke is caused by the burning of dense vegetation. It is expected to lessen once winds pick up.

Evacuation orders and warnings are still in place. Backburns are within 1/8 of the top of Fox Drive."

English Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Spanish Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...