Two local organizations are working to document the 2017 firestorm and its effect on the Sonoma Valley community.
The Sonoma Valley Historical Society is planning a long-range initiative to document the effect of the fires on the people, structures, and businesses of Sonoma Valley, called ‘The Sonoma Fire Project.’
Physical materials, photographs, and interviews with the public and city officials will be used to document the fire for historical preservation, for researchers, to create digital exhibits, and to share with partner institutions such as the Sonoma County Library and the Special Collections department of Sonoma State University.
Sonoma Fire Stories, led by the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art in cooperation with the Sonoma Community Center, La Luz and Valley of the Moon magazine, aims to create a community reflection of the wildfires. They encourage individuals to upload and share with others photographs, writings, videos, and other documentation of experiences during and after the fires, aiming to preserve stories of loss, gratitude, and resiliency emerging in the fire’s aftermath. Additionally, submissions to the site will be considered for inclusion in an exhibition at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art on the one-year anniversary of the fires.