Evacuations Near Santa Cruz, California, Fire as the Mountains Burn

The mountainous region between Santa Cruz and the Santa Clara Valley in California is a light with flames. So far, 2,000 acres have burned and at least 90 homes are threatened. The area is known for luxury homes of the well to do of Silicon Valley but there are many smaller, older homes with acreage that provide a retreat from city life for the older residents. Those homes with acreage also are a home for livestock such as horses, llamas and goats.

When word of evacuation goes out to the home owners there is rarely time to get the humans out of harms way much less livestock. The message board of the Bay Area Equestrian Network (BAEN) has come alive with people offering to put their trucks and horse trailers into service for those with livestock to move. This is happening despite the cost of gasoline and diesel in the area at over $4.25 a gallon for gas and close to $5 for diesel. The Santa Cruz Mountains is not that close for many of the volunteers.

I have traveled through the area that is ablaze at this moment and the hills are rugged and the roads narrow. Steep sides of the hills will make this fire a hard one to fight. The winds are gusting at 40 to 50 mph and with that factor added to the fire, it will travel quickly.

One of the firefighters on the front lines of this fire is a regular poster on the BAEN message board and his home is just 7 miles north of the fire. He states that his home is ok right now, unless the wind changes. He also would be one of the many that would have livestock to move in a hurry should he have to evacuate.

Other fires in the Bay Area are now breaking out. One is being reported to have just broken out in Napa. That one is also being fanned by the high dry winds and was stated to be started by a tree branch falling on a power line. The cause of the Santa Cruz fire is unknown at this point.

On the official California Fire News blog, it is being reported that the smoke from the Santa Cruz fire can be seen as far north as San Francisco. Several schools in the area close to the fire have been closed.

The BAEN message board is also serving a great community function by alerting the horse community to road closures and current up to date conditions. They are reporting that the following roads have been closed: Poleline Road at Summit Drive, Mt. Madonna Park Road is open to residents only, Eureka Canyon at Hames, Browns Valley at Corralitos Road, Highlands at Summit, Summit Road at Highway 17, Summit at San Jose Road

Their main website already has a webpage in place with local resources of people willing to aid those in need of evacuation. It can be found here.

As the fire continues, I feel helpless as I am not close enough to help with volunteering the use of my truck and horse trailer to those that need to move their large pets. My family has many friends near the fire center and can only wish them well as they endure this time of crisis. If you are in the area - don't be shy and lend a hand to those in need right now of assistance.