The Sonoma Sheriff just held a mini-briefing (the big one with Cal Fire, Emergency Services and everybody is scheduled for 1 PM).
You can watch the 9:30 briefing here:
https://www.facebook.com/sonoma.sheriff/...939600105/
The biggest new thing is that they are moving into a recovery phase. They are bringing in civilian search and rescue teams so as not to divert police officers that have other things to do. They are bringing in cadaver dogs. They will begin with targeted searches for people reported missing who live in the burned areas who can't be contacted other ways. That currently stands at upwards of 400. (The number of missing goes up and down all the time as people are reported and located, and duplications are removed from the list.) They say that some bodies they have already found were nothing but ashes and bones. In some cases, identifications were by means of implanted metal surgical parts like hip replacements. The Sheriff says that there are currently 436 National Guard troops in Sonoma County.
Big Mendocino County community meeting/press briefing set for 2 PM in Ukiah. Everybody is going to be there: Mendo County, Mendo Sheriff, Lake County, Lake Sheriff, Calif Office of Emergency Services, CHP, Caltrans, PG&E, Red Cross, US Forest Service, National Guard, National Weather Service and Cal Fire. I expect that it will be live-streamed and that there will be a link to it on Mendo Sheriffs and Mendo County facebook pages.
http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/admin8327985/...4_2737.pdf
The Mendo facebook page says 12 noon. But whatever (I'm inclined to think 2 is more likely), the video should be on this page:
https://www.facebook.com/mendocinocounty/
There's currently a briefing taking place in Willits. Watch it live here:
https://www.facebook.com/mendocinocounty...=3&theater
I just watched the Willits briefing. News sounded mixed. Fire is under control in many areas, fire lines are holding and Willits itself is out of danger. But conditions are deteriorating in some areas, including some areas where people live, and evacuations are continuing. They sound worried about this weekend when they fear that winds may pick up again.
Lots of very granular detail about the situation on particular roads and mountains, places that I didn't recognize. I think that some of the people at this meeting will be at the Ukiah meeting too, so given that it's 10 minutes to 12, the 2 pm time sounds about right.
They said that there are fire crews in Mendocino County from all over, San Diego, Washington State and even South Carolina. The helicopters are still active. The locals sounded frustrated that they aren't being allowed back in to evacuation areas, but the reply is that they aren't safe.