A fire that broke out early this morning threatens 250
structures and is spreading without containment in the mountains
west of Morgan Hill, according to Cal Fire.
A fire that broke out early this morning threatens 250 structures and is spreading without containment in the mountains west of Morgan Hill, according to Cal Fire.
The Loma Fire, which started at 3 a.m. and the cause of which is unknown, reached 600 acres in the Maymens Flat Road area of the Santa Cruz Mountains as of 3 p.m., according to Cal Fire. More than 100 fire engines, nine planes and five helicopters helped the 937 firefighting personnel battle the blaze. However, the fire still threatened 250 structures and was zero percent contained.
The fire was fueled by 30 mph winds and warm temperatures, and led to the closure of Maymens Flat Road, Highland Way, Ormsby Cutoff, Summit Road near Soquel-San Jose Road, Loma Prieta Way, parts of Mount Madonna Road, and Spanish Ranch Road, according to Cal Fire. Mandatory evacuations were in place for residents of Ormsby Cutoff.
The blaze is not far from the site of the 2008 Summit Fire and the Croy Fire earlier this decade. Cal Fire officials pinpointed brush piles at a property on the 31000 block of Summit Road as the origin point for the Summit Fire. Channing Verden, 51, was hired to burn those piles and faces criminal charges as a result of negligence, prosecutors said. The Summit Fire raged for a week in May 2008, wiping out 4,270 acres and razing 132 structures. Fighting the fire cost more than $12 million.
