Firefighters guard 1,400-year-old tree in Armstrong Redwoods from the Walbridge fire

Flames licked the bases of ancient redwoods on the valley floor of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve on Tuesday, as the Walbridge fire continued its slow march through the beloved park outside Guerneville.

Smoke lingered in the old-growth grove roughly a half-mile into the reserve. The roots of many trees, some standing hundreds of feet tall, were charred, black and smoldering.

Even as the blaze advanced, officials remained confident they could prevent flames from seriously damaging nearby homes — as well as the park’s most cherished coastal redwoods, and in particular the Colonel Armstrong tree, the park’s eldest giant redwood at 308 feet and its namesake.

“As long as we’re on top of the fire to manage it, it will be a good thing and not necessarily a destructive thing,” said Terry Bertels, a district superintendent with California State Parks. He described the flames in the woods as “a burn that you would have expected 300 years ago, the kind that a healthy forest can withstand.”

Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls said in an early press briefing that fire crews had successfully protected all structures in the park. Then firefighters were sent to specifically defend the Colonel Armstrong tree, a colossal 1,400-year-old redwood.

Around 2 p.m., low-lying flames burned a few hundred yards from the imposing timber. A crew of about 10 firefighters, equipped with four engines and a water tank, sprayed down nearby burn areas and raked embers away.

Moments earlier, a burning redwood the crew had been monitoring crashed to the forest floor. On the valley wall above, the core of another tree was glowing red with flame.

“It’s going to go any minute now,” said Joey Matteucci, a Cal Fire firefighter stationed in Cloverdale, as he watched from the forest floor.

At about 6 p.m., firefighters had forged a protective ring around the Colonel Armstrong, and flames safely passed by, California State Parks District Superintendent Mike Lair said.

“The fire burned right around the tree, so everything’s cool,” Lair said. “It’s saved. It’s there.”

Less than a half-mile away on Armstrong Woods Road, fire crews worked Tuesday to quell flames creeping down the park’s eastern ridge. A hot spot flared up around one giant redwood, and two firefighters with a fire tool and hose rushed the hillside above the tree and successfully snuffed the flames.

The upper rim of Armstrong Redwoods and swaths of adjacent Austin Creek State Recreation Area were first hit by the Walbridge blaze on Friday. There were initial concerns officials wouldn’t be equipped to send firefighters to the area, especially as dry lightning with the potential to spark new fires was expected but didn’t materialize last weekend.

Michele Luna, executive director of Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, a nonprofit that helps manage the reserve, said once the flames are no longer burning, she will count on volunteers to help restore the park. She said the group already has received a $10,000 donation to fund rehabilitation efforts.

“When the time comes we will be reaching out to the public for help with recovery,” Luna said. “Through the tragedy we have hope, and we will recover.”

You can reach Staff Writer Ethan Varian at ethan.varian@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5412. On Twitter @ethanvarian