Parched California scorched by multiple wildfires
By JARED GRIGSBY, Associated Press Writer Jared Grigsby, Associated Press Writer – 13 mins ago
Sacramento - Sat Aug 15, 1:21 AM ET
DAVENPORT, Calif. – Firefighters battled to gain control of a wildfire around Santa Cruz ahead of hot, dry winds that were expected to move into the area later Saturday.
The Lockheed Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains has blackened close to 8 square miles of remote wilderness since Wednesday and prompted mandatory evacuations of the mountain communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon, which have about 2,400 residents and several wineries.
The fire spread slightly overnight but crews gained some ground when the winds died down, containing nearly 30 percent of the fire, said CalFire spokeswoman Julie Hutchinson.
But crews were concerned about a forecast change in weather. An offshore wind was expected to blow into the area, bringing hotter temperatures, dropping the humidity and drying out the trees and brush.
"If we get those winds, those high temperatures and low humidity, it could definitely cause a much more rapid fire and a lot more fire spread," Hutchinson said.
No homes had been destroyed, and no injuries were reported. The blaze damaged two small structures and was threatening more than 1,000 homes and buildings. The cause is under investigation.
Other blazes throughout the parched state have forced evacuations and knocked out power. Smoke from a blaze in Yuba County north of Sacramento could be seen as far away as Reno.
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi declared a state of emergency Friday for Santa Cruz County. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has returned to California after attending the Massachusetts funeral of his mother-in-law, Eunice Shriver, is scheduled to visit the fire zone Saturday.
The Lockheed Fire blaze started Wednesday about 10 miles north of Santa Cruz. A change in winds shifted the fire away from Bonny Doon but closer to Swanton, CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
The steep, rugged terrain and dense vegetation have made it difficult to contain the blaze, so firefighters are focused on keeping flames away from homes, said Jim Stunkel, a battalion chief from San Jose.
"As the brush ignites, it's like a fireworks explosion, and the sparks rain down where the ranch houses are," he said.
Chris Sokoloff, 40, an electrician who moved to Bonny Doon from Portland, Ore., a week ago, spent the night at an evacuation center in Santa Cruz.
"It's really hit home this morning, seeing all the ash on the vehicles," Sokoloff said. "I got a big red hockey bag and that's all I got right now."
Hannah Good, a veterinarian who lives in Bonny Doon with her partner and two children, said workers helped to evacuate her birds, cats, donkey, pony and dog.
"It was quite a scramble getting the animals and our family out of there," Good said. "Once I smelled the smoke, I knew we had problems."
Meanwhile, about 250 homes and ranches in canyons and ridges near a wildfire in the Los Padres National Forest remained under evacuation orders. The week-old fire has grown to nearly 118 square miles, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Vicki Collins. An old, unoccupied fire station was burned.
In Yuba County north of Sacramento, a wildfire covering more than 1.5 square miles Friday destroyed two homes, forced the evacuation of about 120 residences and knocked out power in the Sierra foothills town of Dobbins, according to CalFire spokeswoman Joann Cartoscelli.
More than 400 firefighters had contained about 35 percent of the fire — about double what was contained the night before — and were expected to make a decision Saturday afternoon on whether some residents could return to their homes, Cartoscelli said.
Crews also were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to the Colgate Powerhouse, the oldest powerhouse in the state. It provides electricity to the Dobbins area.
In Alameda County, more than 300 firefighters were struggling to control a wind-driven grass fire that had grown to about 23 square miles near Tracy, according to a CalFire report. The Corral Fire was threatening one home and was moving toward the juncture of Interstate 5 and Interstate 580, where officials worried it could affect visibility and traffic. It was about 20 percent contained.
In far northern California, Trinity County District Attorney Michael Harper has charged 60-year-old Brenda Eitzen of Los Molinos with two felonies and two misdemeanors alleging she negligently sparked a blaze by throwing away a lit cigarette Wednesday. The charges could bring a maximum four-year prison term. The Coffin Fire was expected to be contained later Saturday.
To the east, 10 rural homes remained evacuated as wind spread a fire in steep terrain near Burney. Firefighters had contained about 85 percent of the nearly 11-square-mile blaze about 200 miles north of Sacramento.
"They are making very good progress" said James Stewart, a CalFire spokesman. "It's just a matter of putting everything out now."
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Associated Press Writer Samantha Young in Sacramento contributed to this report
