Loma Fire in Santa Cruz Mtns on Santa Clara side

I don’t have it in me to cover another fire, but this one, in Loma Prieta, is very dangerous as there is a lot of WUI threatened. Here, you can see the camera and communications towers are about to be taken out. It is already 200 acres, and Evacs are being ordered. Here is the communication towers – probably the last photo the place will take:

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One of my readers, Jill Wynn, sent me this one:

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That is it for me, for now. I am serious, I cannot deal with one more fire. Normally, I would cover fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but I just can’t.

31 thoughts on “Loma Fire in Santa Cruz Mtns on Santa Clara side”

  1. Many well maintained fuel breaks on those ridges. Cal Fire will throw everything at it. It looks like it is already on the ridge tops. Lots of helicopters on Soberanes could be diverted and there are not many fires burning statewide so resources can be summoned quickly. The fire can be accessed from the Santa Cruz side and the San Jose side. Neither side offers numerous access points however.

  4. Loma Prieta HS is now the evac center. Cal Fire has taken over the LP Elementary School and using it as a command base.

  5. Damn, DC 10 on the scene of the Loma Fire- incredible how quickly it has arrived making its dump.

  10. Cal Fire has it at 500 acres @ 5pm with the possibility to run to 1000 – containment has dropped to 0%. Whoa- what a change, from earlier reports.

  11. Looking towards the mouth of the valley some atmospheric smoke from the Loma Fire has crept into the horizon.

  13. My classroom in Seaside looks north to the Santa Cruz mountains….I was numb when I saw the smoke plume…people, firefighters, animals, bugs, natures spites – be safe! Jo Ann H.

  15. The MB coast to beyond CV Village East Hills near Buckeye Ridge is now covered in a thin layer of Loma Fire atmospheric smoke probably elevated at 5000 ft.

  16. Through binoculars, I can see fire line running down hill from Tassajara Road North of USF boundary

  17. I noticed it along with the mailman delivering mail mid afternoon. I called our fire department, 911 and finally the Cal Fire office in Corrallitos who knew about it. It was a pretty bad narrow vertical plume. A lot of folks got on it right away and little by little, the smoke has spread, at first toward us in Capitola and then all over. We don’t smell any smoke yet but we did hear a helicopter above us. If it weren’t for Kate, I wouldn’t have even known what was going on in great detail or even what the name of the fire was. Thank you Kate. And no, don’t feel you have to cover the fire, yu have a lot of great observers in your midst here. Don’t know what the fuse is but last I checked at zero containment. If anyone has ever been up there on Mt. Bache, the communications centers are plentiful up there. I’m glad ti sounds like resources can be shared. I thanked Cal Fire for all they are doing when I called and I want to thank Kate for being there when I couldn’t find out much information earlier on….

  18. Like it or not, this fire is close and many are commenting on it and passing along information. Thank you, Kate, and all, for informing all of us. It takes a village…
    Aletha Parker

  20. You are welcome, Jane. Will see what is needed tomorrow, but tonight – it’s a glass of really good (gifted) wine and a new book I am looking forward to.

    bigsurkate

  28. NWSBayArea ‏@NWSBayArea 9m9 minutes ago

    “The NOAA Wx Radio transmitters on Mt.Umunhum are currently off the air due to the #LomaFire. Service will be restored as soon as possible”

  29. Thanks from Scotts Valley for your updates. You have the most recent ones. Wishing safety & quick containment for all who are affected.

  30. Trying to find where I read that source of Loma fire was a structure fire. If true, then the pic of burning house may be the house in which the fire started, since it is reported only one house was lost so far. What is amazing is that this burning house in the picture appears to have defensible space around it.

    I do hope there were no pets in that house. Maybe the owners were not home when it caught on fire.

    Was in Atascadero today; finally felt secure enough to leave the Soberanes fire region. It was more smoke there than in CV! Seems it came mostly from the Loma fire.

  31. The video is … I have no words! Forced myself to watch … especially the fenced in horses and maybe goats next door. Is it that owners had no time to evacuate them? And the fire crew. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. What video taped it? A drone? Satellite?

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