9 years since devastating Tubbs Fire, Santa Rosa completes landmark Fountaingrove fire safety project

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - On the eve of the ninth anniversary of the devastating Tubbs Fire, fire officials and community members marked the completion of a critical wildfire mitigation project in Santa Rosa's Fountaingrove neighborhood.

9 years since Tubbs Fire

The backstory:

The Tubbs Fire, which ignited on Oct. 8, 2017, burned 37,000 acres across Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties. The conflagration destroyed 5,600 structures, including roughly 3,000 homes in Santa Rosa's Fountaingrove and Coffey Park neighborhoods, kicking off a series of Northern California megafires that altered the region's physical landscape, safety protocols, insurance market, and community confidence.

The latest mitigation efforts were carried out through a joint initiative between the City of Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs' Association, and Fire Safe Sonoma. The project was funded by a countywide Fire Safety Measure approved by voters in 2024.

Fire Safety Measure

Dig deeper:

"The Fire Safety Measure was a measure that was approved in 2024 and voted on by residents, community members all across Sonoma County," said Santa Rosa Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

In the nine years since the Tubbs Fire burned through the area, invasive plants, overgrown brush, and dense grass grew around dead and dying trees within the burn scars. Year-round vegetation management crews removed the accumulated heavy fuels to substantially reduce the risk of future fires spreading. Beyond retarding fire growth, the vegetation clearing creates a critical safety buffer along roads needed by fleeing evacuees and arriving first responders.

"This crew is a true vegetation management crew, countywide and working year round," Lowenthal said. "Vegetation management is one of essential tools in the tool box as we, as a community, have been utilizing of the last nine or so years."

Fountaingrove neighborhood

Local perspective:

The Fountaingrove initiative complements a massive 2025 vegetation project along Mark West Springs Road that created a contiguous firebreak and protected a critical evacuation corridor. Fire officials note that reducing fuel density prevents wildfires from gaining momentum, allowing firefighters to manage outbreaks before they spread out of control.

Local residents expressed strong support for the safety measures. Santa Rosa fire inspectors visited area properties to coach homeowners on establishing defensible space between their residences and the wildland-urban interface.

"Santa Rosa fire inspectors came out, and they coached us on how to trim back and have defensible space between our houses and the wildland interface. So far, I feel safer," said resident Sal Arroyo.

Other neighbors highlighted the value of dedicated local tax dollars.

"I definitely support these sorts of measures. I think it's nice to have local funding towards this rather than having to rely on state or federal funding," said resident Doug Ward.

Sandy McGuire, who rebuilt her home after it burned to the ground in 2017, reflected on the progress made across the county.

"I think it's working, I'm surprised that everything is happening the way it's supposed to and everybody is cooperating. I think it's great," McGuire said.

"Collectively, all these elements will help to mitigate the future wildfire threats," Lowenthal said, emphasizing that voter-backed funding dedicated specifically to fire safety continues to pay dividends for Sonoma County's short and long-term security.