2017 North Bay Wildfire Affected Areas; Resources for Bay Area Cities and Counties

The 2017 North Bay Wildfire Affected Areas Map displays the geographic extent of the four 2017 North Bay Wildfires, as well as the number of structures damaged or destroyed within the fires’ perimeters. The map gives a good sense of just how large the fires were, and how destructive. In addition to the lives lost, there were nearly 6,000 structures reported as damaged or destroyed within the Tubbs Fire alone (#2), taking out a major chunk of Santa Rosa’s (and the wider region’s) housing stock. In response to this regional emergency, MTC and ABAG have offered technical assistance, staff resources and other key information for local elected officials, city managers and the public. 

MTC and ABAG’s resilience program staff have been on the ground in the North Bay helping local officials for the past two months. The resilience team also developed these resources for Bay Area Cities and Counties that elected officials and other staff may find helpful in the aftermath of the North Bay fires. These resources include tools for recovery and rebuilding, funding opportunities, case studies, and other support. While many of these tools are not wildfire specific, the lessons learned can be applied across different disaster types.

In addition, MTC has secured the services of Henry Gardner, a past ABAG executive director who was also the Oakland City Manager during the Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991. Mr. Gardner will be in the North Bay once a week to assist local city managers with their recovery efforts. 

Suffice it to say, the regional agencies are ready to help Sonoma and Napa counties however we can. We are still in the early stages of determining what that help looks like as the rebuilding phases of the recovery proceed. First and foremost, we are looking at how we may provide - or help secure - both planning resources and financial or capital resources, whether public or private. In particular, with our Sonoma partners we are exploring various grant opportunities that MTC could provide from its own portfolio of funding programs or from various near-term state discretionary funding opportunities.

Stay tuned for more information.