Cal Fire ordered hundreds of people to leave their homes in the South Bay Sunday morning due to fire concerns. Dozens of structures were threatened.
A wildfire burned northwest of Gilroy in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Two homes and several structures were destroyed in the overnight hours. People in the area say that there had been control burns in the area in the past few days.
The fire was first reported at 3 a.m. and had burned about 800 acres by midday, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said. A forecast of strong winds is a concern for crews on the fire lines.
Mandatory evacuations were in effect for the areas of Ormsby Cutoff and Highland Way. Cal Fire lists the location of the fire as the area of Maymens Flat - Highland Road, Eureka Canyon and Ormsby.
Road Closures:
- Maymens Flat Road
- Highland Way
- Ormsby Cut
- Loma Prieta
- Mt. Madonna
- Spanish Ranch
The fire is burning close to last summer's Summit Fire that burned 35 homes in 2008.
CalFire spokeswoman Cherie Alver says a trailer and two outbuildings have been destroyed and another 150 homes and 100 businesses were threatened.
Cal Fire set up a command post at the Santa Cruz County fairgrounds in Watsonville. Cal Fire says 200 people are fighting the fire. They list 25 engines and several helicopter and air tankers were on the scene by midday Sunday.
Dan Dawson with Dan Dawson photography posted the below video from the fire line.
