More areas open for residents including parts of Mark West Springs Road

While predicted warm and dry weather has pushed expected full containment of Sonoma County wildfires back to Friday, more residents of burned areas around the county are being allowed back to their properties and officials dropped the number of missing to 21.

Several burned areas along Mark West Springs Road to Porter Creek Road and rural residential offshoots opened Monday morning with limited access for residents.

Other openings included Mark West Springs Road from Riebli and Porter Creek roads to Fox Hunt Lane, and included Linda Lane, Crystal Drive, Wilshire Drive, Lavender Lane, Windsor Creek Road, Redwood Hill Road and all tributaries of those roads.

Roads off the north side of Porter Creek Road near Franz Valley Road still are closed.

Also closed Monday were Cavedale, Nuns Canyon and Trinity roads.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office updated the number of missing Monday to 21. Since the fires began Oct. 8, the sheriff's office took a total of 2,230 missing persons reports. The 21 include two in the county and 19 in Santa Rosa, said Sgt. Spencer Crum. A majority of the missing are homeless people whose family and friends haven't been able to get in touch with them, he said.

In all, the fires that swept through the North Bay killed 42 people, 23 in Sonoma County.

Containment numbers did not increase during the day Monday, Cal Fire said. The Nuns, Pocket and Tubbs fires have scorched 110,720 acres and stood at a combined 90 percent containment Monday evening, Cal Fire said.

Individually, the Nuns fire was at 90 percent containment, the Pocket fire at 89 percent and the Tubbs fire at 94 percent.

Cal Fire reported Monday evening the Atlas fire in Napa County is 95 percent contained after torching 51,624 acres and destroying 481 buildings, the Redwood fire in Mendocino County was at 98 percent containment, after charring 36,523 acres and killing eight people and the Sulfur fire in Lake County was also 98 percent contained after burning 2,207 acres on the shores of Clear Lake.

Residents returning to newly opened neighborhoods must obtain a pass before being allowed inside the areas. To enter a restricted zone, residents must provide an acceptable form of ID such as a driver's license or state ID card, passport, utility bill and valid photo ID, or consular ID. School IDs will not be accepted as valid photo ID.

Those returning will be given safety gear, including face masks and gloves, as well as information and a pass. For specific details, go to www.nixle.us/9NEXX.

Two checkpoints are available - Kaiser Medical building at 3925 Old Redwood Highway and Maria Carrillo High School at 6975 Montecito Blvd. - residents will be given safety gear as well as information and a pass.

The areas are being monitored by deputies and other law enforcement and will be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

To get to the Kaiser checkpoint residents need to head south on Old Redwood Highway from Larkfield. Northbound traffic remains closed on Old Redwood Highway north from Santa Rosa because of utility work.

Staff Writer Nick Rahaim contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport. You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.