Santa Rosa to have Tubbs Fire memorial at last

New memorial planned for 2017 Tubbs Fire victims in Santa Rosa

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved and commissioned a memorial to honor the victims of the 2017 Tubbs wildfire that killed 22 people.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved and commissioned a memorial to honor the victims of the 2017 Tubbs wildfire that killed 22 people.

It could be a monument, a reflecting space, or both, solely depending on what the survivors want to honor the victims.

More than eight years after the Tubbs Fire scorched 37,000 acres of Napa and Sonoma counties, killed 22 and incinerated Santa Rosa's Coffey Park and Fountain Grove hamlets, a lasting tribute will soon become a reality.

Coffey Park

"We only reviewed artistes' past projects and their qualifications. We did not ask for any initial designs," said Tara Thompson, Creative Sonoma’s Director.

Chosen for the task, renowned California sculptor and landscape artist Cliff Garten, whose work will stand permanently in Santa Rosa's Nagasawa Community Park.

"So we selected this artist, Cliff Garten, based on his part experience with projects similar to this and his expertise with doing community engagement," said Thompson.

The community’s wishes and desires will be turned over to the artists' team. Then it's their job as the artist to turn that into something that is reflective of and representational of what they heard.

The design will be nothing less than a fully transparent community effort.

"What this memorial will look like is really going to be shaped by survivors and community members who were a part of our community at that time. And it means we can really start with community engagement and designing the memorial," said Thompson.

The Santa Rosa Fire Marshal, who fought the fire as his home burned to the ground, is part of the team assembled to pick the artist and rally the community.

"We're also insuring that the community is really, truly part of this process and that's exactly what some of the next steps will be, making sure that everybody who wants to have a piece of this has a piece," said Fire Marshall Lowenthal.

Fire survivor and retired pediatrician Abe Wachsberg says, whatever the design, the most basic emotion at the time of the fire should somehow be reflected in the work.

"The thing that is maybe is underestimated is how scared so many people were. People actually feared for their lives," said Dr. Wachsberg,

Twenty-two people lost their lives, and they are the central reason for this effort.

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