Small businesses put to test as West Marin’s Woodward Fire burns

On a typical day, Oscar Gamez has a scenic coastal view from Toby’s Feed Barn, the Point Reyes store he’s managed for 18 years.

But these aren’t normal times.

These days, Gamez can’t see much beyond smoke.

The store is just a few miles from the Woodward Fire, which has been burning since Aug. 18. On Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, the fire covered 4,538 acres and was 41% contained.

Point Reyes is a popular tourism destination in Northern California, situated along the Pacific Coast in Marin County, about 30 miles west-northwest of San Francisco.

Like other area businesses contending with the fire and smoke, keeping Toby’s open has been a challenge.

“We are really slow,” Gamez said. “We only have 30% of our sales.”

Toby’s is a family-owned and operated general store and working feed barn in business since 1942. The store sells hay and grain, pet food, garden supplies, local organic produce and assorted groceries. Toby’s also has a coffee bar and lots of souvenirs.

“We have gifts (including) T-shirts and sweatshirts,” said Gamez, who has worked for Toby’s for a total of 31 years. The store is dedicated to its local customers, but thrives on tourism, especially in the summer.

But not this summer.

“We have eight employees,” he said. “If we didn’t have tourism, we wouldn’t be able to employ as many people.” All eight employees remain on the payroll.

As the fire continues and smoke and coastal fog mingle to overtake the clear air, Gamez said he’s just happy the store is open — with the door closed.

“I'm hoping we survive this and move on,” he said. “We look forward to better years.”

Next door to Toby’s is Point Reyes Building Supply and Hardware, an Ace Hardware franchise Ken Dunaj has owned for more than five years. The store, whose roots date back to 1964, was remodeled in 2017, at which time Dunaj expanded the product line to include bikes, sports equipment, toys, gifts and apparel.

“We’re here for our local community and we’re trying to stay open during the fires to support people for what they need,” said Dunaj, whose store is open Monday through Friday. He employs nine people.

Business has been somewhat less than usual, he said, but after the fire erupted two weeks ago, there was a rush of customers buying hoses, sprinklers and anything else that could help them spray down their houses or properties, he said. Those sales temporarily spiked while purchases for building supplies declined, for obvious reasons.

“The contractor business is way off, which is a big piece of us,” Dunaj said. “I’m assuming it’s because people aren’t working because of the fire (and) that demand will come at a later point. So that’s why I don’t really have a worry right now. But who knows?”

In Inverness, about 12 miles northwest from Point Reyes, the air isn’t any clearer.

After a week of staying open, then reducing its hours, the smoke became too much for Inverness Park Market, so it closed for four days.

The store reopened on Monday, Aug. 31.

“We’re giving it a go today and we’re going to play it day by day for now,” said Dan Thompson, who this month marks 40 years owning IP Market, an upscale, mostly organic, farm-to-table market and deli in Inverness. “There’s just nobody around.”

The smoke, he said, was just as bad Monday as it has been since the fire broke out. The smoke remains one of the biggest challenges, Marin County officials said Tuesday, Sept. 1, but winds forecast for the weekend are expected to blow much of it over the ocean.

Late Tuesday, Sept. 1, the store posted on Facebook that it would be open this week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday, and closed over the weekend. The store on Sept. 7 will resume its 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. normal business hours.

“We’re all just waiting to see what happens next,” Thompson said. “And we’re just entering fire season.”

Staff Writer Cheryl Sarfaty covers tourism, hospitality, health care and education. Reach her at cheryl.sarfaty@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4259.