Car, Vegetation Fire Closes Southbound Hwy 17 In Los Gatos

LOS GATOS (CBS SF) -- Fire crews have stopped the forward progress of a vehicle and brush fire that was burning along Highway 17 in Los Gatos, but southbound lanes remain closed according to authorities.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department Twitter account posted about the fire just after 5 p.m., saying that County and Calfire crews had responded to a fire burning just south of the Cats restaurant on the 17500 block of the Santa Cruz Highway.

Twitter user Don Ford (not to be confused with KPIX 5 reporter Don Ford) posted photos that showed the hillside on fire, saying the vehicle that started the fire was a Mustang.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the area, but so far there was no official word from CHP on lane closures. Traffic maps were reporting slow traffic with cars backed up to CA-85.

KCBS Traffic was reporting that southbound lanes were closed with traffic being diverted at Highway 9.

511.org later confirmed that southbound Highway 17 was closed and said added that the left northbound lane was also blocked.

511.org later confirmed at around 8 p.m. that northbound lanes had reopened, but southbound Highway 17 was still closed.

Santa Clara County Fire said that forward progress of the fire had been stopped by about 5:40 p.m., but noted that southbound Highway 17 remained closed. The fire burned approximately half an acre, according to authorities.

In:
• Cal Fire
• Fire