Shone Farm closed due to Walbridge Fire evacuations

James Domizio, Editor-in-Chief • August 19, 2020

A fire burns Tuesday night as part of the LNU Lightning Complex, a series of wildfires raging in Sonoma and Napa counties.

The Oak Leaf will provide ongoing updates related to the Lightning Complex fires in Sonoma and Napa counties. Check back here for new information.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2:20 p.m.

Santa Rosa Junior College’s outdoor learning lab, Shone Farm, closed Wednesday afternoon due to mandatory evacuation for the Walbridge fire and will remain closed until the evacuation order is lifted, according to an email from SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong.

Lightning sparked the Walbridge Fire, formerly known as the 13-4 fire, which has grown to 1,500 acres, according to Sonoma County authorities.

All other SRJC campuses are unaffected and remote learning will continue as planned, and the school will continue to monitor the situation.

According to the email, several employees and students present at the farm evacuated safely.

This story is developing. Follow for updates.

About the Contributors

James Domizio, Magazine Editor

James Domizio (he/him) is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker in his sixth semester at The Oak Leaf, where he is a magazine editor. James will be graduating in May 2022 with degrees in journalism, film studies and humanities. James is a radio host, Twitch streamer, Patreon creator and musician. James lives in Sonoma and spends his free time watching "One Piece" and "Love Island" with his girlfriend Alex, editor-in-chief of The Oak Leaf.

Nick Vides, Photo-Editor

Nicholas “Nick” Vides (he/him) Is a seasoned breaking news reporter dedicated to making sure every shutter click of his camera captures a moment worth sharing. Nick's itch for chasing fires has kept him busy over the past seven years, covering every major fire event in Northern California from the Paradise Fire to the Caldor Fire. Nick currently splits his time as a photojournalist with The Oak Leaf and as a Contract Photographer with The Press Democrat. He has more than nine years of experience with photography, has been director of photography for multiple short films with the SRJC Media Arts Center, directed numerous student-led broadcasts with his Media 19 class, and interned for The Sarah and Vinnie Show on Alice 97.3. In the little free time left, he works for Highway 12 Winery in Sonoma, California as a Cellar Hand.