Fire crews are responding to a wildfire that broke out Thursday afternoon on the Sonoma Coast north of Timber Cove, forcing the closure of Highway 1 and spurring evacuation orders and warnings affecting rural residents and visitors.
The Woodside Fire had grown to an estimated 50 acres by 4 p.m., burning through coastal prairie and forest on the west side of Highway 1 near the entrance to Woodside Campground at Salt Point State Park. Woodside and Gerstle Cove campgrounds within the park have been evacuated, a state parks official confirmed.
Just before 4 p.m. the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation order for SON-1D1 bewteen Fort Ross and the northern end of Salt Point State Road near the coast including Walsh Landing, Seaview and Stump Beach. An evacuation warning was issued for SON-1D2 further inland including Table Mountain, Toners Place and Goat Rock.
The fire, with an active front north of Ocean Cove, was moving south through heavy timber, driven by winds out of the north, according to the wildfire tracking app WatchDuty. Crews were attempting to keep the fire from crossing Highway 1 into the heavily forested hills to the east.
An affected stretch of Highway 1 leading through the area has been closed, the California Highway Patrol confirmed. The area is lightly populated, with Highway 1 serving as the main traffic corridor.
Though smoke could be seen from the Ocean Cove Lodge, just south of Salt Point State Park, no official evacuation advisories had reached the area, according to someone who answered the phone at the private lodging site.
The Woodside Fire burns on the Sonoma Coast north of Timber Cove, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Fire lookout cameras for the region showed a heavy plume of smoke amassing over the coastal bluff and ridge.
Several airtankers and helicopters have been enlisted in the response, along with ground crews.
Emergency dispatch traffic indicated authorities are tentatively considering evacuation orders or warnings for residents in the Timber Cove area to the south.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
