In California, Woodside Fire forces Salt Point State Park evacuations, closes Highway 1

A fast-moving wildfire on California's Sonoma County coast has led to evacuations at Salt Point State Park and forced the closure of part of Highway 1, disrupting travel and raising air quality concerns for nearby communities.

What happened?

The Woodside Fire was first reported Thursday afternoon near Timber Cove and had grown to 143 acres by early Friday, with crews reaching 30% containment, according to CBS News.

Heavy timber near Timber Cove along Highway 1 is fueling the Woodside Fire, and the terrain has made conditions tougher for firefighters as the emergency response has expanded.

"We expect to make great progress today. We are going to continue to see smoke, and we hope to open Highway 1 within the next one to two days," Cal Fire incident commander Marshall Tuberville said in a video posted to social platform X.

#WoodsideFire Update:

Here's an update from Incident Commander Marshall Turbeville on the current status of the Woodside Fire. pic.twitter.com/hsH6BJlGQF

— CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) July 31, 2026

Authorities have not identified any structures in the fire's immediate path, but they still ordered evacuations in several coastal areas while crews worked on containment.

A stretch of coastline defined by Fort Ross Road, Kruse Ranch, and Hauser Bridge roads, the coastline, and the south fork of the Gualala River is under mandatory evacuation orders, CBS News reported. Those orders include Salt Point State Park, Timber Cove, Stillwater Cove Regional Park, and the Ocean Cove Private Camp.

In a separate precautionary measure, officials issued an evacuation warning northwest of Cazadero for areas above Fort Ross Road, below and west of Kind Ridge Road, and east of the south fork of the Gualala River.

As the response continued, officials closed Highway 1 between Timber Cove Road and Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road, blocking a key coastal corridor. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Why does it matter?

Beyond the burn area, smoke became another concern: the Bay Area Air District said the Woodside Fire could affect air quality in Sonoma and Marin counties, and Sonoma County health officials issued an advisory, CBS News reported.

What's being done?

Firefighters continued working to contain the Woodside Fire, while local agencies maintained evacuation zones and monitored conditions along the coast.

CBS News reported that the Bay Area Air District also issued a Spare the Air Alert through Saturday because of possible smoke impacts. During a Spare the Air Alert, wood-burning devices cannot be used.

Sonoma County Public Health warned that areas of Sonoma County may experience "'unhealthy' or 'very unhealthy' air quality" and that "people may experience adverse health effects from the smoke over Sonoma County and across the region."

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