6:30 pm report (posted at 7, I was busy with the fur kids_
September 27, 2016 6:30 pm
Date/Time Started: September 26,2016 3:06 pm
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit
County: Santa Clara County
Location: off Loma Prieta Rd and Loma Chiquita Rd 10 miles NW of Morgan Hill
Acres Burned – Containment: 2,250 acres – 10% contained
Structures Threatened: 300
Structures Destroyed: 1 single residence and 6 outbuildings destroyed, 1 single residence damaged
Evacuations: Mandatory evacuation orders for the Loma Prieta ridgeline area including all tributary roads along Summit Road from Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Uvas Canyon County Park, Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, Loma Prieta Way, Highland Road and Mount Bache Road. Portions of Croy Road are under an evacuation warning.
Reverse 911 calls have also been sent to residents using Alert SCC. If you have not already signed up for AlertSCC visit http://www.sccgov.org/sites/alertscc/Pages/home.aspx.
Evacuation Centers: Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville (large animals welcome)
Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos
Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 De Witt Avenue, Morgan Hill
8:45 am – estimate is 1500 acres with 5% containment. (Estimate is way too high, Cal Fire reports 1085 acres) Here is a good link for info:
John Chesnut did up a “bonus” map for us of the Loma Fire, in addition to the Soberanes Fire. Note on this one that North has been rotated in order to provide a regional frame of reference:
While I won’t be following this fire as I have the Soberanes, I will put up this new post for others to share information in the comments section. The following photo is by Cal Fire PIO, and is a very sad testament to this fire’s destruction.
Thanks for posting this Kate. I’ve thankfully followed your posts every day on the Soberanes Fire and realized again this morning what a gift your blog is.I’m in Santa Cruz Mountains . Woke up early wanting update on the Loma Fire. I could find nothing. It’s unsettling
not to have access to information.
Ray, it is over 1000 acres, don’t remember exact figure, will look it up, and 5% contained.
bigsurkate
Estimate is 1500 acres this am, was 1100 acres last night. Still 5%, I believe.
bigsurkate
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/1457 for Loma Fire report… updated 830 AM. One structure lost, maybe the home pictured above. Lots of air resources to aggressively manage.
Thank you so much Kate.
Thanks Big Sur Kate! It’s hard to find updated info for those of us in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I was hoping for a map from John Chestnut.
Another reason to put “old” fires like Soberanes out!! Now we have entered the worst, i repeat worst fire prone episode i can remember in a while and energy release components and fuel index levels in Central California are at all time highs!!! This is attributed to El Nino rains following a 5000 year drought and zero summer thunderstorms to at least moisten forests to lower risks slightly. All levels of fire fighting jurisdiction need to be on extremely high radar for anything that starts right now and i hope this one doesn’t get fanned out of major control with Northwest winds ramping up later in week!! I just pray no other major separate incidents start today and thin resources!! Pebble beach, Point Lobos area, and Monterey Pine Forests are extremely susceptible right now!!!
Kate is on the ball, yeah, KTVU had it at 2000 acres, sources for its figures unknown.
Ray,
Santa Cruz/Santa Clara must have its own OES Operations or better still stick with Cal Fire sources to be safe.
The picture of that house burning is heartbreaking. That is the house that was on the live news feed last night, with fire burning all around it. All I could think was that I hope the homeowners weren’t watching that, just waiting for their home to be engulfed. I hope they were able to get important things out, especially pets. So sad. 🙁
Yes, Sandy, it is so sad. I debated putting that photo up, but then realized it would be all over the news as a Cal Fire photo, and the one of the house surrounded by fire before it caught was already seen by millions. So very difficult to see.
bigsurkate
We live in the Montevalle senior community near the center of town, Scotts Valley. Lots of helicopter action all around.
Kate, I’m glad you posted that photo, as I looked at it, I thought about the life, memories that had been lived in that home. All of you in the Santa Cruz Mountains, my prayers are going out to you. Kate is incredible, like I said yesterday, she was able to share with me what was going on along with the Corrallitos Cal Fire folks. We are surely thinking of you all.
Saw helicopters, a fuel truck, and a couple 5th wheel type mobile homes at the airport in San Martin on my way home from work.
My grandson Jonathan has his home only a few minutes down the road, and say that the house belonged to a dear family friend.
I’m a long-time reader of your blog living in Santa Cruz County. Loma fire now up to 2,000 acres and headed toward Hecker Pass Road.
Thanks for following, and even more, for the report! I just don’t have it in me to keep track of another one as fully as I did Soberanes. Each morning I will post something re the Loma Fire, so that people like you can share for and with others in the comments section. Thanks, again.
According to Mike Martin, Cal Fire’s command battalion chief: “The Loma Fire hasn’t acted like previous fires: It took a hard run southeast, then another hard run northeast. It’s rushing down canyons — not only up them, as usual. Expanding like rings in a lake, not directed by the wind, “this is fuel-driven fire — it doesn’t need wind behind it.”
“So combustible is the landscape that Loma Fire’s ‘spot fires’ are igniting more than a quarter mile away from the main blaze,” Martin said. “Some flames are unusually high, up to 60 to 70 feet tall. Other flames have burned horizontally across a wide asphalt road — for over one minute.”
Nearly 900 firefighters so far, with more on the way.
If you live in the area and have not signed up for a phone evacuation alert, do so now at the following Santa Clara County website: http://www.sccgov.org/sites/alertscc/Pages/home.aspx.
I read that. None of the current fires fit the usual patterns, due to extreme conditions. It is hard for the command structure to predict what will happen. We are SO lucky more people haven’t been injured or killed.
bigsurkate
Thank you so much Kate. I know it has been exhausting but people really need to see the aerial photo you posted so they can plan. As sad as it is the map is reassuring for others and allows them to go about their day.