Santa Rosa Ends Fire Season After Investigations Lead to 13 Arrests
Santa Rosa declared the end of its local 2026 wildfire season Wednesday after rain and favorable weather reduced fire risk. Firefighters responded to more than 50 vegetation fires during the season, which began May 29.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 2 min read
Vineyards in Napa Valley in autumn. Photo: Brocken Inaglory / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
Santa Rosa declared the end of its local 2026 wildfire season Wednesday after rain and favorable weather reduced fire risk. Firefighters responded to more than 50 vegetation fires during the season, which began May 29.
The fire department said investigators examined 39 suspicious fires between June 22 and Oct. 4. Police joined 20 suspected-arson investigations, and the joint work resulted in 13 arrests. KRON4 also reported the figures Thursday.
The declaration suspends annual weed-abatement inspections effective Nov. 4. The city expects to resume issuing pile-burning permits in late November; a permit is still required before burning. Officials urged residents to remain wildfire-ready even as attention turns to the rainy season.
The day's Bay Area housing, business and neighborhood news, plus the world headlines that matter, in one short email. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
We use your email only to send the Brief. Details in our privacy policy.
Saturday, Oct. 31 is the last day of the 2026 tour season at the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa. The gardens, where Burbank developed many of his new plant varieties and where he is buried, stay open free every day, closing at 5 p.m. from November through March.
Measure L would double the city's general sales tax to 1 cent and push Santa Rosa's rate to 10.5%. City leaders say the alternative is cutting officers and closing fire stations.
The revived Oakland Skates, a semi-pro 'Senior A' hockey team, open their first regular season Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland Ice Center against the Santa Rosa Growlers.
A fire that started at a home on Pinercrest Drive in northwest Santa Rosa on Friday night spread into the attics of three neighboring homes. Nine people were displaced and damage is estimated at about $2 million. Two firefighters had minor injuries. The cause is under investigation.
A suspected gang-related fight at Montgomery High School put the campus on lockdown Tuesday afternoon. Police say a school employee stepped in front of a 15-year-old with a knife. No gun was found.
