Fire In Santa Cruz Mountains Contained, But Not Extinguished
SANTA CLARA COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Residents were briefly asked to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon as a large number of firefighters worked to control a blaze in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The brush fire started next to state Highway 17 in the unincorporated Santa Clara County community of Redwood Estates around 3 p.m. Monday, according to Santa Clara County Fire Department and Cal Fire.
Highway 17, which connects San Jose to Santa Cruz, temporarily closed in both directions, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Cal Fire Morgan Hill said at around 9:30 p.m. that the fire was 100 percent contained but not yet controlled.
Crews expected to be at the scene overnight and into Tuesday.
The left lane of southbound Highway 17 at Bear Creek Road reopened but the right lane will remain closed until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
The fire covered an area estimated to between three and five acres.
Cal Fire Division Chief Jim Crawford said around 200 firefighters were either on scene or en route to the blaze. The heavy fuels in the area called for a major response.
Crews brought the forward progress of the fire to a halt, as of around 4:45 p.m., but have not extinguished it, Crawford said.
Twenty structures were threatened by the vegetation fire but there were no reports of damage to homes, nor any injuries.
Residents in the area were briefly asked to leave their homes and take shelter at a Redwood Estates Services Association pavilion. Residents are no longer being asked to evacuate.
Video shot by Chopper 5 showed over a dozen fire units in the vicinity of the fire. CalFire air support dropped water and flame retardant on the blaze.
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