Multiple wildfires are burning in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties and several have merged into larger fires. Cal Fire is referring to them collectively as the CZU August Lightning Complex. CZU stands for Cal Fire's San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. Find fire and evacuation updates here and map here.
LATEST, Aug. 22, 7:45 p.m. The CZU Lightning Complex did not experience significant growth Saturday, Cal Fire crews announced this evening.
The fire is now at 67,000 acres and 5% contained. It started the day at 63,000 acres.
"The fires continue to actively burn above the marine layer in the heavy timber and thick undergrowth," Cal Fire said in a statement. The agency cautioned more evacuations and road closures could be possible as dangerous fire conditions return to the forecast through Tuesday. Dry lightning and high winds are possible starting Sunday.
One hundred and fifteen structures have been destroyed by the blaze and a further 24,323 are threatened. Seventy-seven thousand people have already evacuated.
Aug. 22 5:57 p.m. Some state parks and forests will be closed beginning Sunday because of the weather forecast:
– All of the Soquel Demonstration State Forest
– The portion of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park north of Sand Point on Aptos Creek Fire Road to Buzzard Lagoon Road, including trails
– The portion of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, including Hinkley Basin and Hinkley Basin Fire Road from Sand Point to Olive Springs Road.
Aug. 22, 12:18 p.m. The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office says deputies have arrested five suspected looters in the evacuated Fall Creek Drive area.
Jose Gandarilla, Susana Luna, Crystal Araujo, Sara Loretz and Crystle Parstch-Lucchesi were all arrested and charged with looting, grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and burglary. According to deputies, the suspects were in two separate cars when caught. One car stopped, and the other tried to flee but ended up in a ditch.
"In no way are we leaving these areas unsecured, we are doing our best and will continue to do our best and if you come to victimize our community you will see that," the sheriff's office wrote in a Facebook post.
Aug. 22, 10:50 a.m. Santa Cruz County is imploring visitors to stay away from the area as fires in the the CZU August Lightning Complex continue to burn.
"Visitors, we will welcome you back to Santa Cruz County soon," the county wrote in a tweet. "But please, DO NOT visit us now. Air quality is poor, ash is everywhere, and we’re dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe. This is no time for a day at the beach. Thank you."
Fire crews gained a small foothold over the fire overnight and hope favorable conditions continue.
Aug. 22, 7 a.m. Firefighting crews battled flames in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties through the night and made gains in containing the CZU August Lightning Complex with favorable weather conditions and moderate fire activity.
The blaze was 57,000 acres with 2% containment before nightfall. The CZU Complex is now 63,000 acres with 5% containment, Cal Fire officials said Saturday morning.
The increase in acreage isn't a result of "intense fire growth," and is instead the outcome of increased firefighters on the ground, mapping the blaze and "getting a better sense of the size and scope of the fire," Cal Fire Deputy Chief Jonathan Cox explained in a 6 a.m. press conference.
Cooler temperatures and a deep marine layer slowed the fire's spread and allowed crews to focus on containment, building lines and breaks. "We had a little bit of a change in the weather pattern," said Cal Fire Chief Billy See. "The fire activity was reduced from the previous night."
The blaze has destroyed 97 structures and threatens more than 24,000, and officials expect the number of homes lost to increase as more investigation is done in burn areas. Some homes were lost overnight, but details weren't provided on numbers or locations.
The approximate boundary of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, derived from NOAA’s GOES satellite as on Aug. 21, 2020.
Google MapsA huge win came last night when crews completed a break on the fire's south edge, between Highway 1 and Highway 9, preventing flames from moving farther south and protecting the communities of Santa Cruz and Capitola.
Containment lines were also built in the Pescadero area, and more will be built Saturday.
Flames made a run toward Davenport Thursday afternoon, but "fortunately it stayed outside the community," officials said. A similar scenario unfolded in Felton where a spot fire grew to about five acres and crews quickly put it out. The fire made advances in the Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond area yesterday, but "not a big push."
The City of Santa Cruz activated its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday in light of the fire and efforts are focused on mitigating fire risk in the city and helping residents prepare their homes. Officials are "optimistic" the blaze won't impact the city and evacuations will be unnecessary.
The CZU Complex started as two separate clusters of fires and these have now all mostly merged into one massive raging inferno stretched across the Santa Cruz Mountains.
More than 77,000 people have been evacuated, including residents in vast parts of Scotts Valley, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Pescadero and Davenport. (Find evacuation information and updates here.)
The CZU Complex has been burning since Sunday when a rash of thunderstorms sparked blazes across Northern California. This weekend similar weather is back in the forecast, with the National Weather Service saying there's a 30% chance of lightning Sunday night into Monday morning. High winds will also be in the mix, and could fan flames and promote rapid fire growth.
About 1,100 firefighters are battling the fire. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith said Thursday typically a wildfire of the size burning through the region would have 10 or even 20 times as many firefighters.
“We are doing absolutely everything we can,” he said.
The blaze is burning in highly flammable landscape parched after a year marked by low rainfall. It hasn't seen a fire in years.
"It's so dry it's something we have not seen historically," said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Mark Brunton. "We're seeing fire we've never seen in the coastal area before, in terms of amount and severity."
Brunton said when he was talking to firefighters on the scene, they all shook their heads and said, "We've never seen anything like this."
An arm of the blaze raced through Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Tuesday, and officials said Wednesday night that multiple structures were destroyed, including the park’s headquarters, historic core and campgrounds. (Read more about damage to Big Basin on SFGATE.)
Evacuation centers are open at Half Moon Bay High School, the Santa Cruz County Fairground and the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and risk of spreading the virus in centers, Cal Fire is encouraging evacuees to check with friends and family about staying with them.
Go to the Cal Fire incident page for updates, evacuations and road closures.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE:
Map: See where wildfires are burning in Bay Area
CZU Lightning Complex: Fire grows at rate of 700-1,000 acres an hour in Santa Cruz, San Mateo
LNU Lightning Complex: 4 dead, nearly 500 homes destroyed in North Bay fires
SCU Lightning Complex: Blaze spreads to 230k acres across five counties overnight
What to do to keep wildfire smoke out of your house
Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
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