Beyond the call of duty: Gratitude for our first responders during the Sonoma County fires

Sonoma County’s local first responders were the first line of attack battling the fires Oct. 8 that sparked in a windstorm while much of the county slept. They answered the call in the dead of night, even as some of their own homes and neighborhoods were threatened or destroyed. In the long hours and days that followed, they were joined by more than 300 agencies throughout the region, state and nation who held ground against what became the most devastating wildfire in California history.

Here, we recognize the brave and dedicated first responders who stood strong against a firestorm, often at great personal risk, and who ultimately put our county’s worst nightmare to an end.