Fire Information & Resources
Note: all “blue” text will open a webpage for the information.
It is good to have a plan – see recent Round Up newsletter – in some cases in the fires that have burned in the past 48 hours, there was not even time to grab a “go bag.”
We heard tales of folks who left without even a shirt upon their backs, due to the dire nature of the flames approaching. We are now beginning to hear about folks who did not get out. Our hearts go out to those displaced, those who have lost their homes or businesses and to those who have lost loved ones in the recent devastating fires in Sonoma, Napa and other Northern California counties. This link from Cal Fire can be informational.
It may be a first that a nearby disaster caused evacuees to come to West Marin. We applaud those who have stepped up to offer places to shelter, food and compassion. The County of Sonoma has a great website and they have opened several shelters in the county for people who need a place to stay, closer to from where they have been evacuated. The Sonoma County Twitter Feed (you do not have to be a twitter user to view) is updating information regularly with many valuable links.
The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership has taken on the official role of coordinating volunteers and donations for Marin and Napa counties. NOTE: At the time of writing this, no volunteers or donations were needed: 2:30pm. You can check at CVNL.org for updates and you can make financial donations via their site as well as through the Red Cross.
I cannot stress the importance of knowing who your disaster council contacts are in your neighborhood. You can visit the Point Reyes Disaster Council website. They have many links to valuable resources AND they list all local area fire departments – they can connect you with folks in your immediate area who will activate when there is a disaster.Because KWMR is a small non-profit that survives on individual donations, we have limited staffing at all times, including emergencies. When an incident happens, KWMR activates our emergency announcement vetting and dissemination process. KWMR is committed to standards of fact-checking and accuracy that is not required on social media, and we encourage it in others. This means we really take the time to make sure the information we send out is as correct and useful as possible. The station will broadcast verified information that is specific to West Marin, which is received from law enforcement and/or official representatives of organizations involved in emergency response. Then, we update the information as necessary when conditions change and staffing permits.
In the case of the North Bay fires, which is an incident occurring outside of West Marin and beyond the scope of KWMR, we suggest that other media outlets may provide you with information more quickly. Stations such as KQED and KCBS have ample resources to bring you info on emergencies outside of West Marin, whereas KWMR will always remain your “go to” for local information.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has some very good information on regional air quality, which has been severely compromised during these fires due to wind direction.
Please know that KWMR will do our best to keep you updated on local information when it is available. This is a fine community, filled with compassionate people. These types of events can really bring out the best in humanity. Continue to support one another.
Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager and Executive Director
p.s. Don’t forget to sign up with Alert Marin! And about that Air Evacuation membership.…
p.p.s. Have you tipped a show yet? Different than tipping a cow, more fun for everyone involved.
California Statewide Fire Summary
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
This is from the Cal Fire website:
17 large wildfires that started in the past 24 hours continue to burn across California and have burned over 115,000 acres. The winds that fanned these fires Sunday night and Monday morning have decreased significantly, but local winds and dry conditions continue to pose a challenge. With the decrease in the winds combined with cooler weather, firefighters made good progress overnight. Sheriff officials have confirmed that 11 people have died as a result of the wildfires in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa and Yuba counties. These fires have already burned an estimated 1,500 homes and commercial structures. Several Damage Assessment Teams have been deployed to get a full account of the destruction.
Yesterday Governor Brown declared a State of Emergency in Napa, Sonoma, and Yuba Counties, as well as a State of Emergency in Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange counties.
Red Flag Warnings in Southern California due to gusty winds and high fire risk remain in place, but are expected to end later this morning. The warnings in Northern California have all ended, but breezy and dry conditions remain.
Historically, October is when California experiences its largest and most damaging wildfires. Residents are asked to remain prepared for wildfires. Learn more evacuation tips by visiting www.ReadyForWildfire.org.