Jun 15, 2008 10:15 pm US/Pacific
'Person of Interest' Sought In Santa Cruz Wildfire
BONNY DOON (CBS 5 / KCBS / BCN) ―
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Sketch of a "person of interest" in the the Martin Fire near Santa Cruz.
CBS
Cal Fire investigators were looking for a man they call a "person of interest" concerning the Martin Fire, which had burned 600 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains since last Wednesday.
A composite sketch of the "person of interest" was released over the weekend, although fire officials would not say why they are searching for this individual.
"We're really threadbare on information," Cal Fire spokesman Bill Peters said. "That's why we need help trying to get him identified by the public."
Anyone who may recognize the person of interest was asked to call the Cal Fire Arson Hotline at (800) 468-4408. Callers could remain anonymous.
The Martin Fire, reported around 3 p.m. last Wednesday near Bonny Doon, was expected to be fully contained sometime Monday, according to Peters.
The blaze was 90 percent contained Sunday, Peters said.
Full containment 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, according to Peters.
"That's what's slowing the process (of full containment)," Peters said of removing the charred trees. "We have to be sure we're not leaving an unsafe area."
Two roads near the fire remained closed Sunday, Martin Road and Quail Drive, according to Peters. Evacuated residents living on those roads were not beingallowed to return home yet, Peters said.
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.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had declared a state of emergency for Santa Cruz County as a result of the Martin Fire.
Eleven structures were destroyed, three of them were houses. There was also one injury reported.
To get an idea of how long the Martin Fire could be smoldering, more than three weeks after the Summit Fire ripped through 35 homes and 4,200 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, that blaze was finally declared under control Sunday.
"We've watched it for a few days," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Van Gerwen said.
The fire, which broke out May 22 east of Corralitos and west of Morgan Hill, was officially called under control at 8 a.m. Sunday, according to Van Gerwen.
An engine patrol continued to monitor the area as a precaution and there would be occasional flyovers to detect areas of heat using infrared technology.
"It might detect one or two (hotspots) but they're very interior in the fire's perimeter and we're confident it won't pose a threat at all," Van Gerwen said.
The Summit Fire, which was contained May 27, destroyed more than 60 outbuildings in addition to the 35 residences.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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