Woodward Fire Burns 1,100 Acres In Point Reyes National Seashore

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A wildfire in Point Reyes National Seashore continued to spread for a second day Wednesday, burning hundreds of acres, prompting an evacuation warning, and sending smoke throughout Marin and San Francisco counties.

The blaze, called the Woodward Fire, had burned about 1,100 acres and was 0 percent contained as of 3 p.m. Wednesday. No structures were threatened.

A total of 94 firefighting personnel were assigned to the fire, including 15 engines, nine overhead, three hand crews, two water tenders and one dozer, according to the Marin County Fire Department.

"Crews were engaged on the fire line throughout the night," Battalion Chief Bret McTigue said during a news briefing Wednesday morning. "They are attempting to secure perimeter in strategic locations."

The fire, which was sparked by lightning, broke out shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday just south of the Woodward Trail, a few miles west of the Bear Valley Visitor Center in Olema and about a mile inland from Limantour Beach, according to Marin County Fire.

The blaze sent smoke across central and southern Marin as strong northerly winds pushed the flames south at a moderate rate of spread, McTigue said.

"The access of the fire is making it difficult, as we're not able to get engines directly into the fire line to put hose lines around the fire, which means that we need to get containment through hand-line construction."

Marin County Fire has requested additional resources, including aircraft and personnel, to help fight the flames.

"Numerous fires are burning throughout the northern region of California and the Greater Bay Area," McTigue said. "Aircraft resources are being prioritized to strategic fires that have immediate threat to life and property."

An evacuation warning was issued Tuesday evening in coastal sections of West Marin. The warning was directed to people living and visiting west of Shoreline Highway between Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Olema south to Bolinas, a stretch of about 11.5 miles. The warning area is sparsely populated.

An evacuation center was established at West Marin School in Point Reyes Station.

All trails west of Bear Valley Trail and south and east of Limantour Road were closed due to the fire, according to the National Park Service. Coast, Glen, Sky and Wildcat campgrounds were also closed.

West Marin residents and visitors were urged to stay off roadways. Limantour Road was closed.

The Woodward Fire sparked a day after a 17-acre wildfire burned near Mount Barnabe on the west end of Marin's San Geronimo Valley.

Also see:

• Woodward Fire Prompts Evacuation Warning In West Marin
• North Bay Area News Roundup: Fires, Evacuations, Deadly Crash