Firefighters reported progress for the first time Saturday in containing the collection of fires raging across Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, but warned that the trend could soon change with weather conditions.
Calmer winds, lower temperatures and moisture from the naval layer made crews form stronger lines of fire from Davenport to La Honda against the 63,000-acre CZU complex fire, Cal Fire officials said in a 6 a.m. briefing Saturday. The bladder contained about 5% and destroyed 97 structures.
The weather “gave us the opportunity to ride, and build some lines, and get a little bit of the toe in this incident,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton, adding, “A really big win for us. yesterday, fantastic job by our people. ”
Crews in La Honda and Pescadero to the north and Davenport to the south reported that fires had spread, but managed to maintain tight control lines against the flames, Brunton said. Along Highway 9, the blaze made a small kiss in Boulder Creek.
The fire has officially grown by 6,000 acres since Friday, though some of that increase is due to more accurate maps, officials said.
However, the progress could quickly disappear. The National Water Service has issued a ‘fire watch’ from Sunday to Tuesday as thunderstorms move north – possibly causing another round of dry lightning strikes. The marine layer is also expected to decrease as temperatures rise.
Fires for arson also remain limited, said Deputy Fire Chief Cox, especially in the Ben Lomond and Bonny Doon area, where some local people refused to evacuate in favor of trying to save their homes. Crews are waiting for help from the state after Govin called Newsom Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Nevada and New Mexico to supply engines.
“It could be days,” Cox said. “We’ve been in here seven days, and we’re just getting in state resources.”
The North Bay LNU Complex fire has meanwhile grown by about 12,000 acres overnight to 314,207 acres across Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Lake and Yolo counties and is 15% contained as of Saturday morning. A total of 560 structures were destroyed with another 30,500 threatened.
The SCU complex burned 291,968 acres across Santa Clara, Alameda, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties – an increase of about 17,000 acres overnight – and was 10% occupied as of Saturday morning. It has destroyed five structures and threatens 20,065 more.
