Firefighters contain Eagle Ridge fire

A three-acre vegetation fire in a mutual threat zone near Eagle Ridge was contained today, prompting a two-hour road closure for motorists.
The fire, reported at 11:09 a.m. on the west side of Santa Teresa Boulevard, went from light grass on the roadway before spreading up into a hill and climbing oak trees. It was contained prior to entering the well-protected Eagle Ridge Golf Course fairway, according to Gilroy Fire Department Battalion Chief Colin Martin.
“It’s a fairly minor fire in a high hazard area,” Martin said.
No structures were threatened, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters contained the blaze within an hour, and mop-up took another two hours. The road was closed from Club Drive all the way south to Ballybunion Drive and Miller Avenue, according to Martin. Fire investigators were looking into the cause of the fire, which was undetermined as of press time.
“Crews did a tremendous job at jumping on this fire and getting it contained,” Martin said.
If allowed to spread, the fire could have threatened nearby structures at Eagle Ridge and surrounding open spaces, according to Martin.
Although minor, the fire is just another reminder of a very active wildfire season.
“We’re in a heightened level more than ever,” Martin said.
Two Battallion Chiefs, seven engines, two water tenders and a hydration station responded to the incident given the mutual zone’s threat of potential fire spread and high temperatures, according to Martin.