Woodward Fire
On August 17, 2020, a rare and spectacular night of lightning started a wildfire north of the intersection of the Woodward Valley Trail and the Coast Trail. The next day, a second fire was found nearby which quickly grew in size. Over the span of several weeks, the Woodward Fire consumed more than 4,800 acres of heavy coastal shrub, 4 to 8 feet tall, and old growth mixed conifer coastal forest in the Phillip Burton Wilderness Area and beyond. The fire’s boundaries were roughly Coast Camp to Bear Valley Trail and the ocean to nearly Limantour Road. It is expected to be fully contained by mid-September. The Sky Trail was in the middle of the fire. Trails within the fire zone include:
Coast Trail (several miles between Coast camp and Sky Trail)
Fire Lane (small portion near Sky Trail)
Morgan Trail
Sculptured Beach Trail
Extent of woodward fire on september 6, 2020 (93% contained, 4813 acres burned)
As a precaution, grasses and combustible materials on the ground were “burned out” to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the control line. This expanded the area consumed by the fire and will likely help prevent future fires by eliminating fuel. The fire came near to the Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) offices and the other structures in the Bear Valley area but firefighters ensured this area was protected. The firefighters did a controlled burn around the Kule Loklo structures to ensure they were preserved. Access to equipment and personnel was difficult to obtain early in the fire due to the many fires sparked in Northern California during that same lightning strike. The Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team 2 from Colorado took point working with Marin County Fire and Cal Fire to contain the fire to 93%. On September 6, they turned over command to the Great Basin Incident Management Team 4.
Favorite trees
It’s hard to know how much damage the old growth trees in this area sustained. I’m hoping my favorite trees were spared — the beautiful lichen-covered Douglas firs on the Mt. Wittenberg Trail near the intersection with the Sky Trail. There appears to be a small island where the fire did not fully burn so I’m hopeful. I don’t know when this area will be open again but my first hike will be to this spot. I’m holding out hope that the majestic old bay tree was also spared. It’s closer to the Coast Trail end of Sky Trail. I’m thrilled to see the Z Ranch Trail appears to have been spared as part of an “island” within the fire. I’m also happy the fire did not burn the last mile of the Bear Valley Trail which is lushly forested and enchanting.
panoramic view of majestic old bay tree on the sky trail
THANK YOU to all the firefighters and other personnel who worked hard to contain the Woodward Fire! Your daily updates were greatly appreciated by the community. I learned so much about the broad range of expertise needed to fight forest fires. The team included a meteorologist, communications experts, evacuation management by the sheriff’s office, and many others.
Update: By September 30, 2020 The Woodward Fire was 100% contained and burned a total of 4,929 acres.