A brush fire raced up the hillsides behind Butch Drive northeast
of Gilroy and into Coyote Lake park Wednesday afternoon, about 300
feet from multi-million dollar homes.
SAN MARTIN
A brush fire raced up the hillsides behind Butch Drive northeast of Gilroy and into Coyote Lake park Wednesday afternoon, about 300 feet from multi-million dollar homes.
The fire, caused by equipment use in an extremely dry brush area, consumed more than 75 acres before it was contained, nearly three hours after it was reported at 3:16 p.m. Six agencies responded, and the attack on the blaze included air tankers making retardant drops and helicopters dipping water out of nearby Coyote Lake.
No injuries were reported, and no structures were destroyed, though initially one structure was reported to be threatened.
At least 15 engines and several tankers from CalFire, Santa Clara County Fire Department, South County Fire Department, Gilroy Fire Department, Saratoga Fire Department and San Jose Fire Department responded, with more than 60 fire personnel working to extinguish the blaze. Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Deputies assisted with traffic control and were prepared to evacuate residents, and Santa Clara County Park rangers cleared the nearby park campgrounds and trail areas.
CalFire Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci said CalFire crews would remain on the scene overnight to watch for flare-ups, but at press time, the fire was 95 percent contained.
“Although it was a brush fire, driven by the wind, the wind was in the right direction for us,” Marcucci said. “Had this happened at 2 p.m. in August, with high winds from the north, those homes would have burned.”
Initially, he added, crews first on the scene prepared for the possibility that the winds would sweep the flames south toward the homes perched on the side of the hill and also prepared for the possibility of evacuation. But, he said, crews were quickly on the scene and able to protect the homes, while the southerly wind worked in their favor.
Deputies turned traffic away from Butch Drive, which is a steep, twisting road that winds over the hillside off of Bridle Path Drive, until late Wednesday afternoon when the fire was mostly contained.
“We’re still so dry, we’ve had virtually no rain,” Marcucci said, sweeping his arm toward the hillside behind him covered with dry brush and grasses.
“This is perfect fuel, and the homeowners here need to understand that until we have significant rainfall, there is still a great fire danger, even though it is November.”
Shortly after 5 p.m., the cause of the fire was discovered. Marcucci said a citation was issued by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection law enforcement officers to the person who used the yard equipment.
The name of the individual cited in connection with the blaze and the type of equipment used was not available at press time.
