Evacuation orders remain in effect in parts of Santa Cruz County even as fire crews gain containment on blazes stirred up by a heavy wind storm.
CAL FIRE said the winds regenerated hot spots in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burn zone that devastated the area in August, causing fires in the burn scar near Bonny Doon and Ben Lomond to be reignited.
Downed power lines may have also sparked new fires.
Six active fires are burning in northern Santa Cruz County and southern San Mateo County. CAL FIRE estimated at least 120 homes have been evacuated so far.
The Freedom Fire north of Watsonville caused about 100 evacuations and has burned just over 16 acres. It is 0 percent contained. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, the China Grade Fire on China Grade Rd. and Fox Glove Lane, northwest of Boulder Creek, has burned 20 acres and is 95 percent contained.
This is proving to be a long fire season for residents of Santa Cruz County.
As night began to fall and a local blackout stretched on residents of Boulder Creek were lining up at the town’s gas station to fill up their tanks to run their generators.
"It’s spooky, very scary," said Beverly, one of the first Boulder Creek residents to evacuate over the summer. "I don’t want to see any more people lost their homes."
Feelings are running high for residents, many of whom evacuated during this summer’s CZU Lighting Complex fires or lost their homes entirely.
"Kind of thought we were done with all of this," said Janet, who lost her house. "I don’t have another house to burn down. It’s a lot to take in with what’s going on in the world. This is just one more thing too many."
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