Re-entry materials, supplies for residents returning to burn areas

Residents returning to areas burned in the Meyers and Walbridge fires should stop at controlled entry checkpoints (called Commodity Points of Distribution or CPODs) operated by the County of Sonoma to receive critical safety information and equipment. To ensure that only residents enter the burned areas, staff will verify residents’ addresses. 

While the Walbridge Fire burned areas remained closed, residents of those areas are encouraged to go to the checkpoints today through Friday to receive materials, including a pair of goggles, a pair of nitrile gloves, one N95 mask, one Tyvek suit with booties, two heavy duty garbage bags, and two bottles of water.  In addition to supplies, residents will receive important safety information.

Sonoma County officials encourage residents to exercise caution as they return to their homes. The burned areas are under a Public Health Order advising extreme caution due to health hazards, including toxic debris from burned household items. Re-entry to these areas is at residents’ own risk. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes and clothes for returning to areas that may have hazardous debris and ash. 

The three drive-thru re-entry checkpoints will be open today through Friday, August 28, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents will be asked to remain in their cars and to wear facial coverings. The three checkpoints are at the following locations:

• Bodega: 17499 Bodega Hwy, adjacent to the cemetery and near the Hwy 1 and Bodega Hwy intersection. 
• Healdsburg: Healdsburg Park and Ride at the corner of Healdsburg Avenue and Grant Avenue. Easy access to and from Hwy 101. 
• Sebastopol: Ragle Ranch Regional Park, 500 Ragle Drive, Sebastopol. First parking lot past the main entrance kiosk. 

For the Meyers Fire, all evacuation orders have been downgraded or lifted. For the Walbridge Fire, the majority of evacuation orders have been downgraded or lifted with the exception of the zones located in the active fire area (from North of Rio Nido and to West of Dry Creek). Zones that remain under mandatory evacuation are listed below. Determine your zone by entering your address on the evacuation map located at socoemergency.org.

Please continue to adhere to road closures and any evacuation warnings. Please drive slowly and yield to emergency personnel in the area. 

Some road closures still remain in effect including River Road and Hwy 116 are closed from the Hacienda Bridge to Old Cazadero Road. Hwy 116 is also closed at Drake Road coming into Guerneville. People going to the Monte Rio, Camp Meeker, Jenner and the Cazadero areas are encouraged to use alternate routes to return home.

Residents should exercise an abundance of caution when returning to their homes and are encouraged to follow these safety recommendations. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes and clothes for returning to areas that may have hazardous debris and ash. Check your refrigerator for food that may no longer be safe to eat and do not eat food that has been exposed to flames, soot, or smoke. Be sure to continue to wash your hands, sanitize surfaces regularly, and follow other COVID-19 recommendations.  Additional information about returning home safely can be found at socoemergency.org/recover.

The county is still under public health orders for COVID-19, so physical distancing, wearing a facial covering and not gathering with people outside of your household is still in effect. Continue to wear a cloth or surgical mask to protect yourself against COVID-19, but note they do not protect you from wildfire smoke. Instead, wear a N95 respirator mask to protect your lungs from wildfire smoke. If your N95 has a one way valve, prevent the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a cloth face covering or surgical mask on top of your N95 mask. For more information about the health order, visit socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus.

Areas that remain under evacuation orders or warnings

Alerts will be sent for each area as it re-opens. Continue to follow the instructions of first responders in the area. 

Evacuation Zone - 1B3

• East of McCray Ridge Road and Pool Ridge
• North of Old Cazadero Road
• West of King Ridge Road
• South Skaggs Springs Road

Evacuation Zone - 1D4

• East of Old Cazadero Road
• North of Russian River
• West of Armstrong Woods Road and Sweetwater Springs Road
• South of McCray Ridge Road and Pool Ridge

Evacuation Zone - 1D5

• East of Armstrong Woods Road
• North of the Russian River
• West of Westside Road
• South of Sweetwater Springs Road

Evacuation Zone - 2A3

• North of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road to the eastern edge of Lake Sonoma
• Everything west of the eastern edge of Lake Sonoma to the western boundary that runs north along the ridge line from the intersection of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road at Old Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road to the interception of Rockpile Road at Cooley Ranch Road north to the Mendocino County Line. This is a very rural area with no clear defining boundaries.

Evacuation Zone - 2E1

• South of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road
• North of Palmer Creek Road and Stewart Point Skaggs Springs Road
• West of McCray Road
• East of Wallace Creek Road

Evacuation Zone - 2E2:

• South of Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Road
• North of Chemise Road
• West of the center of Dry Creek (the actual creek)
• East of Wallace Creek Road

Evacuation Zone - 2E3

• South of Chemise Road
• North of Westside Road
• East of Wallace Creek Road
• West of the Center of Dry Creek (the actual creek)

Evacuation Zone - 2E4

• South of Palmer Creek Road
• North of McCray Ridge Road and Sweetwater Springs Road
• East of the Dry Creek (the actual creek)

Evacuation Zone - 2A2 (warning remains)

• North of the Dry Creek and the northern fork of Lake Sonoma
• West of Dutcher Creek, City of Coverdale city limits and Hwy 128
• South of the Mendocino County line