Woodward Fire Holds At 2,860 Acres In Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Two firefighters were injured Thursday while working to contain the Woodward Fire in Point Reyes National Seashore, fire officials announced Friday.

The firefighters were hurt by falling debris from a tree near Bear Valley Visitor Center, the park's headquarters. Both were taken to a local hospital. One firefighter was released Thursday and the other was expected to be released Friday.

"There was a very fortunate outcome that definitely could have had some very serious ramifications," said Brandon Cichowski, the operations section chief of Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team 2.

A Douglas fir, with a 5-foot diameter, also toppled over Thursday on Bear Valley Trail. The tree blocked the road, which is on the east side of the fire.

"We are dealing with steep terrain, very large diameter fuels and a lot of hazards out there to our firefighters," Cichowski said.

As of Friday morning, the fire was holding at 2,860 acres and remained 8 percent contained, according to the incident management team. No structures have been damaged, but about 2,705 structures are threatened.

A total of 482 firefighting personnel were assigned to the fire Friday morning, including 13 fire crews, 28 engines, five helicopters, five dozers, two planes and two masticators.

The fire, ignited by lightning, sparked Aug. 18 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. The fire is expected to be fully contained by Sept. 8, officials said.

Evacuation Orders and Warnings

Evacuation orders remain in effect for Silverhills Road, Fox Drive and Noren Way south of Inverness Park. An evacuation center is located at the Marin Center, near the Civic Center.

Authorities are patrolling the evacuated areas 24 hours a day, Marin County sheriff's Lt. Brennan Collins said.

Evacuation warnings remain in place for the following areas:

• 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.

View an interactive map of evacuation order and warning areas.

Closures

Point Reyes National Seashore remains closed until further notice due to the Woodward Fire. All park roads and trails are closed. Backpack and boat-in campground operations are also suspended.

Limantor Road remains closed. Coastal traffic is limited to local residents only.

Air Conditions

Smoke from the fire continues to spread over Marin and San Francisco counties and has contributed to air quality alerts in the region.

Also see:

• Woodward Fire Now 8% Contained In Point Reyes National Seashore
• Favorable Weather Helps Crews Battle Woodward Fire In Marin
• Woodward Fire: 2,739 Acres Burned, 5% Contained In Marin County
• Firefighters Rescued From Fast-Moving Woodward Fire In Marin
• Point Reyes National Seashore Closed Due To Woodward Fire
• Wildfire Smoke Prompts Health Advisory In Marin County
• Woodward Fire Prompts Evacuation Orders In Marin County
• Woodward Fire: 2,259 Acres Burned, 5% Contained In Marin County
• Air Support Arrives To Help Fight Woodward Fire In Marin County
• Woodward Fire Burns 1,100 Acres In Point Reyes National Seashore
• Woodward Fire Prompts Evacuation Warning In West Marin