Local News

BONNY DOON (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― Milder-than-expected weekend weather helped fire crews tamp down a series of Northern California wildfires that had destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

In Santa Cruz County, about 800 firefighters got a handle on a wildfire that has charred nearly one square mile and burned ten homes in the Bonny Doon community.

All evacuation orders were lifted but two roads, Martin Road and Quail Drive, remained closed Sunday as fire officials reported the blaze 90 percent contained.

Cal Fire officials said that the fire was contained within the perimeter of Empire Grade Road to the east, Smith Grade Road to the south, Pine Flat Road to the west and Ice Cream Grade Road to the north.

Full containment was expected by Monday. It was delayed because firefighters need to spend more time than initially anticipated removing burned trees from the fire zone before the trees fall down on their own.

"That's what's slowing the process (of full containment)," Cal Fire spokesman Bill Peters said of removing the charred trees. "We have to be sure we're not leaving an unsafe area."

Authorities late Saturday released a sketch of a man being sought for questioning about the fire and asked anyone who may recognize him to call the Cal Fire Arson Hotline at (800) 468-4408. Callers may remain anonymous.
 
"We're really threadbare on information," Peters said. "That's why we need help trying to get him identified by the public."

Officials would not say whether the man was suspected of starting the blaze, which was sparked on Wednesday.

More than 1,500 residents had been told to evacuate their homes in the heavily forested hills about 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz since the fire broke out, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for the county on Thursday.

The fire flared just two weeks after another blaze two miles away scorched 4,200 acres and destroyed at least three dozen homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Butte County Fire

Evacuation centers began shutting their doors as many of the 9,000 residents who fled from in and around the Butte County town of Paradise returned Sunday to view the damage.

At least 74 homes were destroyed and another 20 were damaged in the Paradise area, about 90 miles north of Sacramento.

Firefighters were spending another dry, windy day cutting fire lines to halt the blaze, which has scorched about 36 square miles, said Scott Upton, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The wildfire was 50 percent contained Sunday after a blustery couple of days, and Upton said crews expected to have it fully surrounded by Monday.

"They're just being very vigilant and not easing up now that the fire is coming under containment," Upton said.

Five firefighters suffered minor injuries battling the blaze and the cause of the remained under investigation.

More than a quarter of Paradise residents are over 65. Many had to be moved in buses because they don't drive, while those who were bedridden or in wheelchairs were moved in vans or ambulances. One elderly woman died after suffering a heart attack while being evacuated.
 
"It's a difficult challenge," said Pamela Hospers, Butte County public authority manager. "We have a significant number of elderly people in wheelchairs at the shelters. It's very confusing, very frustrating when you have to change and leave everything you know."

The county had nurses attending to evacuees who came from assisted living centers or group homes without their regular caregivers.

At a shelter set up at the Elks Lodge in Paradise, Isabel Edmonds, 86, was taking a break after being on the run for two days.

When the fire threatened her apartment in a retirement community, she fled to her nephew's, but was forced to take refuge at a friend's home when his house became threatened. She said she was trying to keep her perspective.

"At our age, we take everything with a grain of salt," Edmonds said. "We've been through a couple of wars, you know."

Los Padres National Forest Fire

Meanwhile, a wildfire burning in Monterey County for the past week continued to challenge crews in the Los Padres National Forest.

The wildfire that has charred 33,085 acres was nearly 40 percent contained. It is currently threatening 660 residences and 150 other structures in the Bear Canyon and Coleman Canyon areas.

Firefighters spent the night working to protect the homes and to set up fire lines ahead of the blaze, which has continued to move north and northeast.

Firefighters still have about 31 miles of fire line to construct, the U.S. Forest Service said.

A total of eight firefighters have been injured. The most recent injury occurred Saturday night when a firefighter suffered a minor chainsaw wound.

The fire began at 12:30 p.m. June 8 about 14 miles west of King City in the Ventana Wilderness and the Arroyo Seco-Indians Road corridor. Fire officials believe an escaped campfire triggered the blaze.

Steep terrain, limited access, heavy fuels and dry, gusty winds were making it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames.

There was currently no estimated time when the fire will be fully contained.

Summer cabins in the Santa Lucia Tract and six residences on private land at the north edge of Fort Hunter Liggett had been evacuated.

A portion of the Ventana Wilderness and adjacent forestlands in the general vicinity of the fire, as well as Arroyo Seco-Indians and Cone Peak roads, were closed. The Memorial and Escondido campgrounds were also closed as was the Arroyo Seco Campground.

The Forest Service reported that, to date, the effort to put out the blaze had cost $6,300,000. A total of 1,944 fire personnel were working to put out the fire Sunday.

In recent days, high temperatures, steady wind and tinder-dry vegetation contributed to wildfires around the state.

(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)