By Bay City News Service
May 22, 2008
An estimated 200 residents have been evacuated due to an aggressive fire that has burned 3,000 acres in the counties of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara today near Mount Madonna County Park, a Cal Fire battalion chief said.
Between 10 and 12 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ken McGeever said residents living in the path of the fire “need to be prepared to evacuate in a moment’s notice.”
Both mandatory and voluntary evacuations are in place at an estimated 120 to 150 homes scattered throughout the area, McGeever said. One resident, Kenneth Kim, said he smelled smoke and saw flames when he went to use an outhouse this morning. He called 911 and believes he may have been the first to report the blaze.
The fire ignited at about 5:30 a.m. and may grow extensively before the flames are extinguished, according to San Jose fire Capt. Craig Schwinge.
Billowing plumes of black, orange and gray smoke can be seen in the area and is reportedly visible from as far as Richmond in the East Bay. The fire is traveling southwest toward the Pacific Ocean.
Approximately 500 firefighters from Cal Fire and other agencies are dropping retardant on the flames from air tankers and have brought in additional water supplies, according to Cal Fire spokesman Chris Morgan.
Residents are urged to evacuate and may seek refuge in various shelters that have been set up throughout the counties. Residents with animals, including horses, may bring them to Sprig Lake on the east side of Hecker Pass Highway, Morgan said.
About 170 students were evacuated this morning from the Koinonia Conference Grounds, 1605 Eureka Canyon Road in the Watsonville area.
Students from throughout Santa Cruz County who were participating in the outdoor science school were evacuated, said Pablo Dillon, guest services manager for the grounds.
The students were scheduled to leave by 11 a.m. today, and Dillon said the students just had to leave a little earlier.
Mount Madonna School on Summit Road on the border of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties also is closed due to the blaze.
In addition, C.T. English Middle School and Loma Prieta Elementary School in the Loma Prieta School District in Los Gatos closed because they are serving as an evacuation site for residents of threatened homes.
Other evacuation sites include the Los Gatos Neighbor Center, located in the city at 208 Main St., and the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville.
The fire burning between Gilroy and Watsonville was first reported near Summit and Ormsby roads, Cal Fire spokeswoman Colleen Baxter said.
Wind gusts blowing southwest up to 40 mph are fueling the flames, said National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson.
“The major factor is just the winds at this point,” Anderson said. “It will continue to fuel the fire as the winds continue to be breezy today.”
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took time from a roundtable meeting in Union City with presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Silicon Valley business leaders this morning to commend the firefighters battling the blaze.
Firefighters from most counties throughout the Bay Area have been sent to assist.
Some roads in the area are blocked. Summit Road at Mount Madonna Road is closed as well as Pole Line Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
There is no estimated time for containment. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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