North Coast wildfires inch closer to full containment

Rain has firefighters optimistic for a fast-approaching end to the fires but also concerned about ash runoff and stuck fire engines.|

Here is a quick take on the latest updates of wildfires in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and other counties.

12:30 p.m.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s officials have identified five of the eight people who died in the fire that burned through Redwood and Coyote valleys east of Willits, destroying more than 300 homes and forcing thousands of residents to flee.

The fast-moving blaze caught most of its victims in their homes. Three people appear to have died as they were fleeing the blaze, investigators said. They included 14-year-old Kai Logan Shepherd, who was running from the fire with family members. He was among the first three victims identified in the fire last week.

The newly identified victims are:

Steve Bruce Stelter, 56, of Redwood Valley, who was found near a vehicle outside his home on West Road. He appeared to have been overrun by flames as he prepared to flee in the vehicle. His home was destroyed by the fire.

Janet Kay Constanzo, 71, of Redwood Valley, who was found in the burned remains of West Road home she shared with Stelter, her boyfriend, authorities said.

Jane Gardiner, 83, of Redwood Valley, whose remains was found in her destroyed Tomki Road home along with those of her caregiver, Elizabeth Charlene Foster, 64, also of Redwood Valley. Gardiner and Foster had called Gardiner’s stepson about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, in the initial hours of the firestorm. They told him over the phone that flames surrounded the home and that they were awaiting evacuation by the fire department, sheriff’s officials said.

Margaret Stephenson, 86, of Redwood Valley, was found in her destroyed Tomki home. She appeared to be in the process of fleeing through the garage when she was overtaken by the fire, authorities said.

Last week, Mendocino County sheriff’s officials identified a Redwood Valley couple killed in the blaze, Roy Howard Bowman, 87, and his wife, Irma Elsie Bowman, 88. They died at their Fisher Lake Drive, home, which was destroyed in the fire.

The Redwood fire, which began about 10:36 p.m. Oct. 8, has burned more than 36,500 homes east of Willits. It was 85 percent contained on Thursday. Its cause remains under investigation.

12:15 p.m.

Road closures for Calistoga Road/Petrified Forest Road, including roads east of Calistoga Road from Santa Rosa to Sharp Road.

9:30 a.m.

Rain expected Thursday afternoon has firefighters optimistic for the approaching end to the fires but also concerned about ash runoff and stuck fire engines.

“The big news of the day is we’re expecting precipitation 2 to 4 p.m. then into the evening,” said Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal. “Any water helps, but too much can cause problems.”

Valley and lowland areas in Sonoma County can expect 0.1 inch of rain, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Walburn.

But some of the higher elevations ravaged by the Pocket and the Tubbs fires could see a half-inch of rain, possibly topping out at 1 inch around Mount St. Helena, Walburn said.

Ash runoff and possible landslides in fire-scarred areas are concerns with the coming rain, Lowenthal said. Fire crews are also preparing and repositioning throughout the day so heavy equipment and trucks don’t get stuck in the mud, he said.

7:45 a.m.

Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma county wildfires continue to move toward full containment as overnight weather cooperated with firefighters.

“The Pocket fire still needs a little more work to button it up but the Tubbs and Nuns held steady overnight,” said Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

Increased overnight humidity in higher elevations help hold the fires in place, Lowenthal said.

In Sonoma County, the Nuns fire moved up slightly to 82 percent containment after burning 54,423 acres since Oct. 8, Cal Fire reported Thursday morning.

The Pocket fire stands at 73 percent containment and has torched 16,552 acres between Cloverdale and Geyserville, Cal Fire said.

The deadly Tubbs fire reached 92 percent and has blackened 36,432 acres from neighborhoods in north Santa Rosa to the slopes of Mount St. Helena, Cal Fire said.

In Napa County, the Atlas fire inched closer to the end overnight moving to 85 percent containment Thursday morning, Cal Fire reports.

The blaze has scorched 51,624 acres in eastern Napa County, as well as parts of Solano County, and destroyed 431 structures, Cal Fire said. All evacuation orders have been lifted in those counties.

The Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino County is 85 percent contained, after charring 36,523 acres and killing eight people, Cal Fire said Thursday morning.

The Sulfur fire, which destroyed 134 homes in and around Clearlake, reached 96 percent containment. The Lake County fire has burned 2,207 acres since just before midnight Oct. 8.

You can reach Staff Writer Nick Rahaim at 707-521-5203 or nick.rahaim@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nrahaim.

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