(06-12) 15:52 PDT BONNY DOON, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY -- Firefighters cleared space around houses and nervously hoped the weather would hold out as they struggled today to contain a 700-acre wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has chased 1,500 people from their homes.
The Martin Fire has destroyed several structures since it broke out Wednesday afternoon near the community of Bonny Doon, about 12 miles north of Santa Cruz, and is threatening 1,000 to 1,200 homes. Fire officials said they did not know exactly how many houses had already burned.
"We have a lot of homes in the area that have been impacted either directly or indirectly," said Steve Woodill, a division chief with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. "We know that there have been structural losses. We can't tell you how many."
Santa Cruz County officials said late Wednesday that at least five buildings had burned. No containment lines have been established around the blaze.
The Martin Fire is the second major blaze in the county in less than a month, but so far officials are optimistic it will not be as disastrous as the Summit Fire, which destroyed 35 residences and 64 outbuildings and burned 4,270 acres from May 22 to May 30.
That fire, which started about 20 miles east of the Martin Fire, was driven for the first two days by winds that gusted to 40 mph. So far today, the weather has been far more cooperative. By mid-afternoon, winds were blowing 10 mph or less, and temperatures were in the upper 70s.
The Martin Fire was so named because it started along Martin Road shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday. The fire remains centered in the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve, a state-run preserve where locals suspect the blaze began. Authorities do not know what caused it.
Firefighters were concerned this afternoon that shifting winds could push the fire eastward and send it roaring up a steep hillside toward the Pine Ridge neighborhood, a cluster of dozens of spacious homes along Pine Ridge Road.
Crews have bulldozed a firebreak through stands of pine trees and underbrush along the top of that ridge, creating a broad ribbon of dirt between the fire's potential path and the homes.
In the Pine Ridge neighborhood, crews hosed down firewood piles and cleared away vegetation from homes closest to the fire break, creating defensible space.
"What they're really worried about is a change in the wind," Santa Cruz fire Capt. Jason Nee said as smoke wafted into the neighborhood and ash began to drift down. "That would bring it up to the neighborhood."
The fire burned overnight through dense vegetation in an area where Woodill said the fuel conditions are more like those normally seen in the fall after months of dry, hot weather.
"Three-foot-diameter round logs burnt completely to ash overnight," said Rich Rubin of the state forestry department.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in the county today.
Evacuations were mandatory for residents living on Towhee Road, Quail Drive, Smith Grade, Thayer Road, Warren Road, Lupin Road, Martin Road, Pine Flat, Pine Ridge and Moore Ranch. Numerous roads in the area are closed, including Bonny Doon at Smith Road, Empire Grade at Smith Road, Pine Flat at Martin Road, Ice Cream Grade at Martin Road and Pine Flat at Quail Road.
Officials set up shelter for evacuated livestock at the Graham Hill Showgrounds, and pets that need a place to stay were being brought to the Scotts Valley animal shelter on Janus Way.
A total of 719 firefighters are on the lines, and 11 air tankers and seven helicopters are dropping water and fire retardant on the flames.
Fire officials resources were being divided among a number of wildfires across California.
"Resource orders are being coordinated on a statewide basis," Woodill said. "We're not running out."
A strike team from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, working on three hours' sleep, spent Wednesday night using hoses to protect homes along Warren Drive on the fire's southern edge. Flames came within 30 feet of one house and just a few feet from its firewood pile.
"We were here all night long," Capt. David Sadecki said. "We didn't have dinner yet from yesterday. We missed breakfast and now we're going on lunch. But we're OK."
None of the homes in that area had burned, said Jerry Kuras, the battalion chief for the Santa Barbara team.
Although state fire officials said they were in good shape, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., raised questions today about whether the U.S. Forest Service was adequately staffed.
In a letter to Forest Service officials, Feinstein said that the agency's vacancy rate among firefighters was 8.5 percent, which she called unacceptable.
" I am also concerned about reports that as of Friday ... only 186 of the agency's 276 engines were available to respond to fires," Feinstein said. "With the hot, dry and windy conditions ... in California, I believe the agency should have been able to muster a stronger force."
Feinstein noted that several major fires have broken out in the state within the three days. Besides the Martin Fire, two other major blazes are burning out of control in Northern and Central California. In Butte County, the 2-day-old Humboldt Fire has burned 6,000 acres 10 miles east or Chico, with 10 percent containment, fire officials said.
No structures have been damaged, and one firefighter suffered moderate injuries. Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in the county, where another fire earlier this week destroyed 21 homes in the town of Palermo.
In Monterey County, the 5-day-old Indians Fire burning in the Ventana Wilderness west of Kings City has scorched nearly 17,000 acres and is only 16 percent contained. A home and some outbuildings were destroyed. Five firefighters have suffered injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to hand and ear burns.
Chronicle staff writers Steve Rubenstein and Elizabeth Fernandez contributed to this report. E-mail John Coté at jcote@sfchronicle.com.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
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4 comments:
This is the best news report I have seen so far. Thanks so much for posting. I was up at the fire command center all day yesterday and even at the hub, there was very little information. I waited until the 7 p.m update and I will summarize the info I learned throughout the day that was not reported in this article. Offically, 10 homes have burned. The rumor was that most of the home affected were around the Martin Road area. Pine ridge was also of great concern for the majority of the morning and midday as the fire continued to advance SW. The other 'hot spot' was Warren Dr. I was very happy to read that the fire crews were successful in saving the homes on Warren. This was a truly heroic effort as the fire was right up against this neighborhood.
The effort to save Pineridge was also truly heroic. Crews used bulldozers and manpower to clear a path 5 tractor lengths wide from Pineridge all the way down to Smith Grade (Anyone up for a mountain bike ride:) This effort combined with a massive air 'raid' by helicopters transporting 'buckets' of water from Loch Lomond and a huge 'tanker' plane that rattled windows in our home with every pass enabled the engines to pull out of Pineridge area by about 5 p.m. The tanker appeared to be loaded with a red chemical fire retardant, which solved the question many of us locals were pondering all day: Since the tanker was too large to land locally, where were they loading the tanker with water? This combined assault was both impressive and moving.
During the early afternoon there was a stirring of wind, and this was when the tension was highest. At one point the fire map was updated indicating that the fire was less than .5 a mile from the corner of Ice-Cream and Empire grades. There was a preliminary evacuation ordered for our corner. At this point the air raid reached its peak. At the tanker and at least one helicopter as well as two small plane were circling and dropping constantly. Their was a 'warlike' feeling to the scene. The smoke was heavy and low. There was no longer a plume, but a the thick grey smoke seemed even more ominous because it seemed to be close and coming from all directions. The update to the fire map made clear that the fire was advancing toward Empire Grade. Anxiety picked up in the late afternoon, so by the time the engines started rolling by from Pineridge, many of us were surprised. The planes stopped flying. No more helicopters. At about 5:30 I observed more than 20 fire vehicles heading down Felton Empire Grade. Still, no news, but I realized now, they had successfully completed the perimeter, were confident in the firebreak at Pineridge and it was time to move several strike teams on to the next fire. The 7 p.m. report confirm that the fire was officially 25 percent contained, however, unofficially, the Cal fire representative said that if conditions stayed the same—fog moving up the coast and calm winds— that number was actually closer to 50-60 percent.
The skill, determination and bravery exhibited by these fire crew as well as the organization backing the coordination of such a massive operation easily made up for the dribbles of information we received throughout the day. All of the many locals I talked with at the corner of Ice-Cream and Empire Grades were reassured by the magnitude of equipment, supplies and manpower that our small, but precious town received. Many of us talked about our worries over cats, chickens and personal belongings, but no one complained, no one lost hope, no one expressed frustration with the efforts by the fire crews. I personally feel deeply indebted to everyone who worked so hard to put out—what could have been—a devastating fire. There are true heroes in our midst. Thank you.
Stacey-
Thank you so much for sharing this story of bravery and courage. It is humbling to know what the fire fighters have done for us.
Stacey - Thank you so much for your first hand account. Question: where did you get your real time fire perimeter information? I would like to share this with others. Everything I found on line was only updated periodically.
Thanks,
Steph.
Stacey
thank you so much for you commentary on the fire. I wondered why all of the fire trucks were coming down Felton Empire rd. and you explained that quite nicely.
Thanks again,
chris leone
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