MORGAN HILL
– State firefighters returned to a familiar place Tuesday as
flames charred four acres of land around Uvas Reservoir, in the
rural area southwest of Morgan Hill that was the scene of last
year’s massive Croy wildfire.
MORGAN HILL – State firefighters returned to a familiar place Tuesday as flames charred four acres of land around Uvas Reservoir, in the rural area southwest of Morgan Hill that was the scene of last year’s massive Croy wildfire.
Despite winds and steep terrain, only one house was threatened this time around, and firefighters gained control of the blaze quickly.
“We saw smoke,” said San Jose resident Jimmy Gillin, who was on the water when the fire started. “If the wind kept up, it would have taken a house out.”
Gillin was parked near the fire and had to race against the rough waters in his boat in order to save his truck. Windy conditions hindered his progress.
“I had to fight the wind,” he said. “There were white caps all over the water.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded to reports of a grass fire in the area around 2:30 p.m. CDF battled the flames with a helicopter, two air tankers, 10 engines and ultimately 60 firefighters. Firefighters also brought out three bulldozers, but they were not used due to the steep terrain.
The fire advanced up the hillside on the west side of Uvas, but crews contained it within two hours and it burned only light brush, grass and some oak trees. CDF was still mopping up on-scene Wednesday morning.
The wind died quickly, which made fighting the fire easier, according to Chris Morgan, a CDF spokesman.
“It makes a big difference,” he said. “When it is on that steep of a slope, the wind drives it.”
The cause of Tuesday’s blaze is still under investigation. There were no reports of injuries to firefighters. The California Highway Patrol and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies also responded to direct traffic on Uvas Road.
At the same time as the Uvas fire, a fire raged in Santa Teresa County Park in San Jose. But Morgan said the second fire had no effect on the efforts at Uvas.
“We responded to the fire, but it was San Jose’s fire,” he said. “We sent one engine, but it was canceled.”
Fueled by high temperatures, low humidity and tinder-dry vegetation, last fall’s 12-day Croy Fire charred more than 3,000 acres, destroyed 34 homes and caused at least $4.4 million in damage.
At its peak, the effort to fight it involved more than 2,000 firefighters from around the state, 120 engines and trucks and at least a dozen air tankers and helicopters. The firefighters were able to save 64 homes that were threatened by flames that came within 100 feet.
