A series of fires that erupted along Highway 1 north of Watsonville Friday afternoon were 90 percent contained this morning, but firefighters working in scorching heat are still battling hot spots in groves of eucalyptus trees.
The fires, which callers told emergency dispatchers were set by a passing motorist, destroyed 10 homes and killed at least 40 livestock and pets, according to Santa Cruz County emergency services. All together, 630 acres had burned as of 7 a.m. today.
“The forward progression of the fire has been stopped, but there is heavy mop up in eucalyptus groves,” Cal Fire said in a statement on its Web site. “The weather is expected to remain abnormally hot and dry today. Firefighters will continue to improve line and put out hot spots.”
Gaining control was easier than in the recent Martin and Summit fires in Santa Cruz County because the area is flatter and more accessible by road, according to Cal Fire.
The agency said a dozen fire crews with more than 90 engines and other vehicles, along with three air tankers and one helicopter, were on the scene of what is being called the Trabing fire, named after the street near where the fires appear to have started.
West Coast 911 firefighter news source – Silicone Valley Mercury News
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