Point Fire Forces Evacuations of Sonoma County Residents and Wineries

Containment efforts on the Point Fire in Sonoma County continued Tuesday, June 18, as firefighters head into their third day battling the flames that erupted on Sunday, June 16. The blaze consumed just over 1,200 acres as of Tuesday morning, with 40 percent of the fire contained. The fire has impacted locals as an evacuation order affected residents in the Dry Creek Valley area, NBC Bay Area reports.

Also affected by the fire are nearby vineyards, ranches, and farms, which have also been forced to evacuate. Mercury Wine confirms that their ranch and horses were among those evacuated, and while places such as Ferrari-Carano Winery and Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves remain unaffected by the fire, they will be closed on Tuesday. So far, Cal Fire reports that just two buildings have been burned down by the fire.

Bob’s Donuts on Polk set to move

A midnight doughnut from Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street is the stuff of San Francisco legend. So it is with relief that despite failed negotiations with their landlord at 1621 Polk Street, plans will move forward with a move to 1720 Polk Street as previously announced. Notably, however, the major update on the moving news is that Bob’s Donuts will be allowed to expand into a neighboring business, meaning a larger dining room for customers. It’s unclear what the timeline is for closing the location at 1621 Polk Street, but Bob’s co-owner Donald Ahn told the San Francisco Chronicle in November that they plan to open the new space in 2025.

Favorite Berkeley beer garden reopens

Headlands Brewing

Berkeley’s Westbrae Biergarten is a favorite among locals, so when news spread that it was set to close, Headlands Brewing stepped in. Now, the beer garden at 1280 Gilman Street is set to reopen on Friday, June 21, under Headlands. There are some updates to the space, including the addition of extra fire pits, TVs for sports, upgraded seating, and live music events. There is also a new food menu with sausages and brats, smash burgers, tacos, and more. For more details, head over to East Bay Nosh.

Chinook salmon released into San Pablo Bay

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that it released one million young fall-run Chinook salmon, or smolts, into San Pablo Bay on Friday, June 14. In partnership with California State University Maritime Academy, the salmon were released into the waters at the Vallejo campus. Scientists hope the fish will help with the return of inland spawning. This release is in tandem with increased fall-run Chinook salmon production at four Central Valley fish hatcheries this year; the increased production “aims to compensate for poor environmental conditions in recent years that have contributed to low salmon stocks and the closure of recreational and commercial salmon fishing seasons,” according to the press release from CDFW. This is the first release of salmon from the Cal Maritime site in 40 years.

Update: June 18th, 2024, 6:55 p.m.: This post has been updated to show that two buildings were burned down in the Point Fire.