ANDERSON VALLEY
by Bill Kimberlin
July 18, 2008

     It is July 18, 2008 and beautiful smoke free weather has returned to the Anderson Valley. So if you have been searching for information about your place here or just thinking about taking a drive, you should be free to come up this weekend.

      The fires probably most affecting our air quality were the ones on Mt. View road and the ones near Navarro. These fires are about out now and Mt. View road has reopened.

     I ran into Alleah Middling who is a fire information officer. She said that she had to look Anderson Valley up on the Internet to find out where it was and was just now passing out Media Advisories and heading to Navarro to get an update.

     It seems to me that everybody is too busy fighting fires to give out much information but you can call 707-467-6426 for what ever Cal Fire has to report.

     If you see some low flying rotary aircraft these are from the Geographic Information System and they are mapping the fire perimeters. There are 33 crews and 140 engines working these "so called", Mendocino Lightning Complex fires. That includes 1687 fire fighters, 17 helicopters, 50 bull dozers, and 3 planes.

     Fifteen people have been hurt and one killed. The death was Bob Roland, a Anderson Valley Volunteer Firefighter, who suffered from respiratory distress while working on the Oso fire.