Containment Grows, Cal Fire Crews Remain Positive About CZU Lightning Fire Complex

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Cal Fire crews working around the clock to contain the wildfires raging in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties said things are looking good on Tuesday; the CZU August Lightning Fire Complex did not burn many more acres and the containment grew to 17%.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton said that cities including Boulder Creek, Felton and Davenport were doing quite well in terms of the firefight. 

The fire lines are also holding at UC Santa Cruz and the city of Santa Cruz is no longer threatened by this fire. To the north, the town of Pescadero in San Mateo County also appears to be no longer threatened.

Overall, the acreage burned remained about 78,600 acres, about the same as the day before.

The weather has been cooperating, officials said, and the “resources have been trickling in,” Brunton said.

The main challenge has been the Ben Lomond area below the Big Basin State Park, as this terrain is rugged and hard to get into. 

Despite the good news, there are still 25,000 structures that remain threatened and 330 have already been destroyed. Of that number, 11 structures are in San Mateo County and 319 in Santa Cruz County. 

“That’s sad to report,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident commander Billy See said. 

Still, there was concern about letting all the residents back home.

One person died, trying to escape the fire this weekend. The coroner’s office identified the body of 73-year-old Tad Jones of Last Chance in Davenport.

On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff said they are following up on seven missing person’s reports from people who live in fire zones who are unaccounted for.

There are still about 77,000 people forced to evacuate their homes in both counties. 

At the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 600 evacuees on Monday were seeking refuge with most of them housed in temporary tents after escaping the CZU Fire.

“We left with just the clothes on our back,” said Leonard Miller of Boulder Creek. “Her and I grabbed a couple pieces of clothing. I did take some of my animals out at the time.”

Miller evacuated last Tuesday. The SPCA helped save his animals including miniature horses. He’s hopeful their two-acre ranch north of Boulder Creek is still standing.

EVACUATION WARNINGS FOR SAN MATEO COUNTY:

No Evacuation Warnings currently in place

EVACUATION ORDERS FOR SAN MATEO COUNTY:

Communities of Loma Mar and Dearborn Park Area (Zone SMC E018)

Pescadero Creek County Park Area (Zone SMC E024)

Butano Community Area (Zone SMC E098)

Butano State Park Area including Barranca Knolls Community (Zone SMC E019)

Butano Creek Drainage (Zone SMC E055)

South Skyline Blvd. Area near Highway 9 (SMC E049)

Russian Ridge Open Space Reserve Area (Zone SMC E027)

Middleton Tract Area (Zone SMC E044)

Portola Redwoods State Park and the Portola Heights Community Area (Zone SMC E048)

Pescadero Beach Area (Zone SMC E073) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Bean Hollow Area (Zone SMC E042) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Pescadero Area (Zone SMC E043) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

San Gregorio Area (Zone SMC E022) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

La Honda Area (Zone SMC E028) 8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Red Barn Area (Zone SMC E010) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Russian Bridge Open Space Area (Zone SMC E027) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Skylonda Area (Zone SMC E012) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Langley Hill Area ( Zone SMC E010) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

Bean Hollow Area (Zone SMC E042) (8/20/2020 6:00 pm)

EVACUATION WARNINGS FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY:

No Evacuation Warnings currently in place

EVACUATION ORDERS FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY:

Waterman Gap Loop, Upper HWY 236, Boulder Creek Golf Course, Heartwood Hill, Lodge Road, Community of Little Basin, Lower China Grade, Upper China Grade, Community of Kings Hwy, Lower Jamison Creek, Gallion Heights, Fallen Leaf Neighborhood, Foxglove Lane (Zones CRZ10, CRZ13, BOU36, BOU20, BOU30, BOU31, BOU36, BOU37, BOU21) (8/18/2020 10 pm)

Saratoga Toll Road, San Lorenzo Park, Riverside Grove-Community of Teilh Drive, Wildwood Road (Zones: BOU38, BOU39, BOU40, BOU41, BOU42, BOU43) (8/18/2020 7:30 PM)

Saratoga Toll Road, San Lorenzo Park, Riverside Grove-Community of Teilh Drive, Wildwood Road (BOU38, BOU39, BOU40, BOU41, BOU42, BOU43)

Everyone on Empire Grade Road, from Felton Empire north, all of Pine Flat Road, all of Ice Cream Grade, Bonny Doon Road, in between Pine Flat Road, Martin Road, and all associated side streets are under an evacuation order. (CRZ1, CRZ2, CRZ3, CRZ4, CRZ5, CRZ10, CRZ11, CRZ12, CRZ13, CRZ14, CRZ15) (8/19/2020 1:00 am)

Bonny Doon south of Ice Cream Grade, to include Pine Flat Road South is now under an evacuation order. (CRZ7, CRZ8)

Areas of Alba Road, Hubbard Gulch and Fanning Grade. (BEN 1) (8/19/2020 6:00 pm)

All areas of Ben Lomond (Zones BEN 2 – BEN 5) (8/19/2020 7:00 pm) The area of Lompico (Zones ZAY 11, ZAY 12)

All areas adjacent to the Bonny Doon and San Lorenzo Valley should be prepared to evacuate if necessary. (CRZ7, CRZ8) (8/20/2020 1:00 am)

Areas West of Highway 9 to Empire Grade

South from Bear Creek Road to Felton, this includes Ben Lomond

Paradise Park (Zones: CRZ 63, CRZ 64) (8/20/2020 7:00pm)

University of California Santa Cruz, campus only (Zone: SCZ 4) (8/20/2020 7:00pm)

The areas of Zayante Canyon (Zones: ZAY 1 – ZAY 17) (8/20/2020 1:00 pm)

Scotts Valley West of State Route 17 (Zones: SCO 1-5, SCO 7, SCO 14-20, SCO 21 – SCO 25) (8/20/2020 7:00 pm)

Davenport south (Zones: CRZ 6, CRZ 9, CRZ 17) (8/19/2020 7:00 pm)

All areas of Felton (Zones: FEL 1 – FEL 6) (8/20/2020 8:00 am)

Butano State Park area including Barrranca Knolls Community (Zone: SMC E019) (8/18/2020 4:30 pm)

Butano Creek Drainage (Zone SMC E055) (8/18/2020 4:30 pm)

Loma Mar/Deerborn Park Area (Zone SMC E018) (8/18/2020 5:00 PM)

Pescadero Creek County Park area (Zone SMC E024) (8/18/2020 5:00 pm)

East of Zayante Canyon west of State Route 17 and south of State Route 35 (Zones: CRZ 18, CRZ 19, CRZ 20) (8/20/2020 7:00 pm)

EVACUATION CENTERS

San Mateo County

Half Moon Bay High School, 1 Lewis Foster Drive, Half Moon Bay (AT CAPACITY)

San Mateo Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive

Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County Fairground, 2601 E. Lake Avenue in Watsonville

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz (AT CAPACITY)

Seventh Day Adventist Camp Grounds, 1931 Soquel San Jose Rd (AT CAPACITY)

Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos CA

Santa Cruz Bible Church, 440 Frederick Street, Santa Cruz

Simpkins Family Swim Center, 919 17th Ave (ADA only)

Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive

ROAD CLOSURES

Road closures are fluid and being coordinated with evolving evacuation warnings and orders.

San Mateo County

Pescadero Creek Road between Alpine and Cloverdale Rd.

Cloverdale Road between Pescadero Creek Road and Gazos Creek.

Whitehouse Canyon Road at Highway 1

Portola Heights Road at Skyline

State Route 1 at Rossi Road

State Route 1 at Ano Nuevo

Santa Cruz County

State Route 1 at Shaffer Road to Ano Nuevo

State Route 9 at Lower Glen Arbor to Rincon Trail head

Westbound Zayante at Graham Hill Dr to Lockwood

Empire Grade at Heller Drive

Westbound State Route 35 at Upper Zayante into San Mateo County

Westbound State Route 236 at Jamison Creek

Pine Flat at Empire Grade

Ice Cream Grade at Empire Grade

Felton Empire at Fall Creek

Empire Grade at Smith Grade

Empire Grade at Felton Empire

Bonny Doon Rd at Pine Flat

Alba Rd at Empire Grade

State Route 35 at Bear Creek Rd to Boulder Creek

Granite Creek at Scotts Valley, this includes southbound offramp closure at Highway 17 at Granite Creek

Westbound Mount Hermon at La Modrona to Graham Hill Road

Zayante at State Route 35

Santa Clara County

Foothills Park to Santa Clara County line, including Los Trancos Open Space (Zones: PA-E002) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

South of Moody Road, West of Rancho San Antonio Open Space, West of Black Mountain to Highway 35/ Skyline (Zones: PA – E001) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, south of Monte Bello Road to Highway 35/Skyline. (Zones: PA – E006) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

Upper Stevens Creek County Park to Highway 35/Skyline. (Zones: PA-E008) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

West of Stevens Creek County Park, north of Congress Springs Road to Highway 35/Skyline (Zones: SCC-E025, SCC-E026) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

South of Congress Springs Road, west of Sanborn Road to Highway 35/Skyline, including Sanborn- Skyline County Park. (Zones: SCC-E010, SCC-E028) (8/23/2020 6 :00 pm)

South of Lyndon Canyon, west of Highway 17 to Highway 35 (Summit/Skyline), including the community of Redwood Estates. (Zones: SCC-E027, SCC-E013, SCCE015, SCC-E017) (8/23/2020 6:00 pm)

 

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