Jun 23, 2008 12:03 am US/Pacific
Brisbane Fire Among Hundreds Burning In NorCal
BRISBANE (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
Hundreds of wildfires flared Sunday night just south of San Francisco, across the heart of Napa's wine country and in the Santa Clara Valley, the latest in a batch of destructive blazes in bone-dry Northern California.
Wildfires have destroyed more than 175 homes in the region so far this year. Blazes started popping up just as California's unofficial fire season began in mid-May, following the state's driest two-month period on record.
San Mateo CountyAround 200 Brisbane residents were forced to evacuate their homes due to a five-alarm wildfire burning on San Bruno Mountain Sunday night, according to the North County Fire Authority.
The blaze, which had burned about 200 acres, was reported at 7:23 p.m. on the Brisbane side of San Bruno Mountain — but quickly spread over the top of the mountain to the South San Francisco side, North County Fire spokesman Clyde Preston said.
Residents on Kings Road, Trinity Road, Margaret Avenue and Paul Avenue in Brisbane were ordered to evacuate, according to Preston.
About 200 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was not at all contained, Preston said. Two helicopters used to battle the flames when the fire first started had to be grounded after the sun set, according to Preston.
"The whole hill is glowing with fire," Preston said. "We're setting some ground fires to try to force the fire back onto itself ... and to burn back up the hill away from the houses."
South San Francisco resident Patty Nelson said she could see the fire burning "a whole top" of the mountain from her back porch and the flames had "outlined" the mountain.
"It's very visible," Nelson said. "A fire that big is frightening. You can smell smoke."
San Francisco International Airport officials said flights to and from the airport had not been affected by the fire.
Napa & Solano CountiesThe largest of this weekend's fires, a lightning-ignited blaze named the Wild Fire, had spread across nearly six square miles —more than 3,500 acres— of grassy woodland in Napa Valley by Sunday evening, forcing residents of more than 60 homes to flee.
"It's grown fairly rapidly," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Nancy Carniglia said. "The grass is very dry. It's just burning."
More than 400 firefighters were battling the Wild Fire that began about 4 p.m. Saturday near Wild Horse Valley Road in Napa County, but quickly spread through dry grass and oak trees to the mostly rural Twin Sisters area of Solano County.
The Wild Fire had destroyed one home and a barn; no injuries had been reported. It was 35 percent contained Sunday night. Fire officials had no estimated time of when the fire might be fully contained.
The fire threatened 400 homes, 40 outbuildings and two commercial properties as it burned in grassy woodland about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento, said Wayne Connor, a Cal Fire Division Chief.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents on the west side of Wooden Valley Road, Joyce Lane and Twin Sisters Road. Precautionary evacuation warnings were issued for residents on Green Valley Road and an evacuation center was set up in Fairfield at 1000 Kentucky Street.
The wind-driven flames were heading southeast toward Green Valley Road as of Sunday evening..
Santa Clara CountyAnother pair of fires burning collectively west of Morgan Hill and Gilroy about 25 miles south of San Jose forced 350 residents from their homes Sunday, as Santa Clara County officials declared a local state of emergency.
The fires covered about 2 square miles Sunday evening. Officials said one was 30 percent contained, the other 40 percent and that most residents would be let back into their homes by Monday.
Evacuees for the time being were sent to the American Red Cross' shelter at Live Oak High School, 1505 E. Main St. in Morgan Hill.
Lightning strikes Saturday afternoon were blamed for the combined blaze, which had burned about 700 total acres.
The Hummingbird fire started around 2 p.m. Saturday near Hummingbird and Watsonville Roads in an unincorporated area, while the Whitehurst fire started around the same time at Hecker Pass and Mount Madonna.
Day Road between Watsonville Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard, and Watsonville Road between Day Road and Watsonville Court all remained closed Sunday evening.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Thunderstorms were responsible for more than 75 fires in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, near Redding. Those fires ranged in size from less than an acre to more than a square mile.
None immediately threatened homes, said Forest Service spokesman Michael Odle. Teams had moved in Saturday on the two largest of the forest fires.
Mendocino County
Mendocino County had as many as 90 fires, charring a total of 5,000 acres, Cal Fire officials said.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said that lightning had sparked over 500 fires from Monterey County to the California-Oregon border. The governor ordered the California National Guard to assist in firefighting efforts.
Santa Cruz CountyFirefighters in Santa Cruz County were close Sunday to containing a blaze that had destroyed more than a dozen homes and forced thousands to evacuate near Watsonville.
The Traber fire, which initially closed a six-mile stretch of Highway 1, was 90 percent contained.
Officials had expected full containment on Saturday, but hot weather and new fires kept fire crews in the area busy. Cal Fire now expected the fire to be fully contained sometime later Sunday. So far, it had charred 630 acres, or less than a square mile.
Evacuation orders were lifted Saturday, a day after roughly 2,000 people fled their homes.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Cal Fire said.
It was the third major blaze to hit Santa Cruz County in the past month. A 520-acre blaze charred destroyed 11 buildings in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a fire near Corralitos covered more than 4,200 acres and destroyed about 100 buildings.
Monterey CountyFurther south along the coast, firefighters worked against an 83-square-mile fire in a remote part of the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. It was 60 percent contained Sunday.
The Indians Fire has burned more than 53,000 acres of vegetation since it began June 8 about 10 miles west of King City. Investigators believe an escaped campfire started the rage that has injured nine firefighters.
The fire was expected to grow slowly to the north because of warm temperatures and low humidity, but was not expected to spread east, south or southwest.
The fire had destroyed two residences, 13 outbuildings and threatened more than 1,300 structures, mostly homes.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office lifted the voluntary evacuation notice for upper Pine Canyon, but an evacuation advisory remained in place for residents of lower Pine Canyon as well as Thompson Canyon.
There was still no estimated time for when the fire would be fully contained, but suppression costs have already reached just over $27.6 million.
Meantime, firefighters were also combating the Gallery Fire, which broke out about 1 p.m. Saturday, also in Los Padres National Forest, about three miles south of Big Sur.
The blaze, caused by dry lightning, had burned an estimated 2,000 acres and prompted the evacuation of 75 to 100 residences and businesses between Partington Ridge and Graves Canyon. The American Red Cross set up an evacuation center at Big Sur Grange Hall.
The fire closed state Highway 1 between Ventana Inn and Spa, which remained open, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which was closed.
Flames also threatened seven young California condors and one adult condor which were waiting to be rescued from holding pens at the Ventana Wildlife Society's condor release site in Big Sur, according to Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society.
Road closures cut off all ground access to the facility and wildlife officials called the U.S. Coast Guard to help rescue the birds by helicopter.
There was no estimated containment time of the Gallery Fire as of Sunday evening.
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