Firefighters moved closer Saturday to gaining control over a
Santa Cruz County fire that burned several homes, forced hundreds
to evacuate and closed a six-mile stretch of coastal Highway 1 for
hours.
WATSONVILLE
Firefighters moved closer Saturday to gaining control over a Santa Cruz County fire that burned several homes, forced hundreds to evacuate and closed a six-mile stretch of coastal Highway 1 for hours.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said the 630-acre fire near Watsonville was 90 percent contained Saturday morning, and full containment was expected later in the day.
“We made some good progress over the evening and hope to have the same today,” said Battalion Chief Paul Van Gerwen, a Cal Fire spokesman.
About 650 firefighters were working in hot, dry weather to contain the blaze, which destroyed as many as 15 buildings, including several homes, fire officials said.
About 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes Friday, and those evacuation orders remained in place Saturday. Some evacuees spent the night at an emergency shelter set up at a high school in nearby Aptos.
Traffic on Highway 1 backed up for miles Friday after the fire broke out around 2 p.m., prompting authorities to shut down the freeway.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Van Gerwen said.
The so-called Trabing Fire is the third major blaze to hit Santa Clara County in the past month. The Martin Fire burned 520 acres and destroyed 11 buildings in the Bonny Doon community in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Summit Fire burned more than 4,200 acres and about 100 buildings near Corralitos.
