6:00 pm – was still black smoke from the FHL fire just before dark, but it was only 250 acres, and both the USFS and the FHL FD were working it, no evidence it was going to escape into the forest.
Got this eyewitness account from a reader, who forwarded it to me.
“Big fire in Prunedale today, 6 Nov2012! Been working for the last 8 days and upon returning, today at 1:20 p.m., I was helping at the Prunedale Grange voting site and spotted black smoke on the ridge above the American Legion in Prunedale. I heard a fire engine and called the am 1080 radio station so they could immediately alert families in the Prunedale area. They did. However, the other radio stations were running election news and I couldn’t get on the alert onto other stations. The grew bigger as it rapidly moved north up the ridge until we could see flames above the Eucalyptus trees. Embers were falling and a fire started just behind the American Legion. It was surprising how fast the embers started spreading the fire. I called my relatives on McGuffie Road because the fire could have also been on that side of the ridge. No one home so I raced over to their house. Because the wind was blowing east there home wasn’t at risk. About 35 minutes later a CalFire air plane flew over the fire. Meanwhile four fire trucks were above Prunedale North Road with firemen protecting dwellings as the planes dropped retardant. So all of us who paid the recent CalFire protection fee just received our money’s worth.”
4:45 pm – confirmed, North Fire (Fremont Peak) structure fire into vegetation. Evacuations in progress. Also, heavy smoke from South East of me, and a 400-500 a re fire reported on Ft. H-L, but no details yet. It is too far south for the previously mentioned CB near Old Stage Rd and Crazy Horse in North Salinas Valley. I’ll be watching all of this, and trying to get additional details.
4:15 pm – One of my readers reported a fire on Fremont Peak. I am trying to confirm that now. If you have any information, please add to the comments below. I will update as soon as I know more.