The Tubbs Fire ignited near Calistoga on the night of October 8, 2017, and raced southward through Santa Rosa, coming within approximately one mile of the Santa Rosa Junior College main campus before firefighters turned it. At least 900 SRJC students and employees lost their homes, and the college canceled all classes and activities through October 17 while serving as a triage center for fire victims and their families.
Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Santa Rosa Junior College
Community College · CA
~28,000 studentsSRJC Alerts
Confirmed Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence
Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.
INITIAL ALERTEmail
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SRJC Alert: Due to the Tubbs Fire and emergency conditions throughout Sonoma County, all Santa Rosa Junior College campuses and sites are closed today, Monday, October 9. All classes, events, and activities are canceled. Monitor your SRJC email and the SRJC website for updates. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
The Tubbs Fire ignited around 8:30 PM October 8 near Calistoga and had already raced into residential Santa Rosa neighborhoods by the early morning hours of October 9
SRJC's SRJC Alerts system sends notices via email, text, and the college website; the initial closure was announced before most employees reported to campus
The fire reached as far south as Steele Lane, approximately one mile north of the main SRJC campus at 1501 Mendocino Avenue
UPDATEEmail
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SRJC Alert: Santa Rosa Junior College will remain closed through Tuesday, October 17. All classes, activities, and performances at all campuses and sites -- including Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Southwest Santa Rosa, Shone Farm in Forestville, and the Public Safety Training Center in Windsor -- are canceled. More than 200 students and employees have lost their homes. Counseling and support resources are being established. Fire Relief Fund donations can be made at srjc.edu. We will update you with reopening information as soon as possible.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
By October 12, the college extended the closure through October 17 -- what would become a 10-day total shutdown
The list of all campuses (Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Southwest Santa Rosa, Shone Farm, PSTC Windsor) was explicitly named in official communications per Sonoma County Gazette
The 200-student-and-employee figure cited in early communications grew to at least 900 who lost homes when a full survey was completed
The SRJC Foundation's initial $100,000 gift to the Fire Relief Fund was announced alongside the extended closure
FOLLOW-UPEmail
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SRJC Alert: Santa Rosa Junior College will reopen for classes on Wednesday, October 18. The college is establishing a fire-response triage center staffed by crisis counselors in the Student Center. Students and employees who have lost their homes or are in need of support are encouraged to visit. The SRJC Fire Relief Fund is accepting donations at srjcfoundation.org. Petaluma Campus and all sites will also reopen October 18. LumaFest is rescheduled. Together, we will recover.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
The Student Center triage center was staffed by crisis counselors from within the college and county mental health resources
LumaFest, SRJC's annual Petaluma campus outdoor festival, had been canceled; the closure note about rescheduling reflects community-facing programming losses
Within a week of reopening, SRJC conducted a formal survey revealing 900 students and employees had lost their homes -- far exceeding the initial 200-person estimate
Context
Background
The Tubbs Fire ignited near Calistoga on the evening of October 8, 2017, and within hours became what was then the most destructive wildfire in California history, burning more than 36,000 acres and destroying thousands of homes throughout Napa and Sonoma counties. The fire raced into residential neighborhoods of Santa Rosa overnight, reaching Steele Lane -- approximately one mile north of the Santa Rosa Junior College main campus at 1501 Mendocino Avenue -- before firefighters turned it away from the campus. SRJC closed all campuses on the morning of October 9 and ultimately remained closed through October 17, a 10-day shutdown affecting approximately 28,000 students and 2,000 employees. A survey conducted by the SRJC Research Office found that at least 900 students and employees had lost their homes, a staggering toll that prompted the college's Foundation to establish an immediate Fire Relief Fund with an initial $100,000 gift. The college opened a fire-response triage center in the Student Center staffed by crisis counselors upon reopening October 18. The long-term housing crisis triggered by the fires -- which destroyed thousands of affordable rental units in Santa Rosa -- ultimately led SRJC to develop a new 352-bed student residence specifically for students who lost homes or struggled with skyrocketing post-fire rents. SRJC holds an annual Day of Remembrance to mark the fires' anniversary.
Analysis
Key Findings
01The Tubbs Fire reached within one mile of the SRJC main campus, the closest any California wildfire had come to a large urban community college in the modern era
02At least 900 students and employees -- an extraordinary share of the campus community -- lost their homes to the October 2017 fires
03The 10-day campus closure (October 9-17, 2017) was one of the longest wildfire-triggered closures at a California community college in that decade
04SRJC's post-fire housing response -- a 352-bed residence for students displaced by fire -- became a model for community college recovery infrastructure
Outcome
No SRJC students or staff killed. At least 900 students and employees lost their homes. The SRJC Foundation established a Fire Relief Fund with an initial gift of $100,000. The campus reopened on October 18, 2017 after a 10-day closure. Long-term: SRJC developed a 352-bed student residence specifically for students who lost housing due to the 2017 and subsequent wildfires.